Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-06-27
INTERESTING ADDRESS
Continued from First Page.)

libCS
and recklessly trampled under foot
every right that was dear to the
heart of a British subject. The
Mother, through its Colonial Pro-
prietors, had forgotten its child, and
without compassion or considera-
ton entered upon a policy of en-
slavement. A great and powerful
nation, which had been lead to su-
premacy by the hand of liberty, now
undertook to deprive its colonial
subjects of that liberty. Each day
the Proprietary encroached more and
more upon those rights and liber.
ties, until at last an incehsed body
of colonial subjects, boarded a YES
sci belonging to an English COM
pany lying in a Boston harbor and
destroyed a carload of tea, which
had been denied landing becauseiof
the obnoxious Stamp Act laid by
the British Parliament. For this
act, there we're judges in the colon
les appointed by the crown, before
whom a claim for damages might
have been set up and enforced, but
no damages were even demanded.
Instead, an entire colony was in
dicted, it's ports closed, and a host
tile army landed in its principal
town, and thirty thousands of souls
reduced to want and dependence
upon charity.
Gradually the letters of bondage
were being substituted for the privi-
leges of freedom, and gradually the
American spirit was developed,
grew and became to be known and
felt. But for more than a year
after this warlike move, the colon
les hoped for reconciliation. The
battle of Bunker Hill "a fought
for their right and not for indie
p~endence, and not until July 4, 1916,
was the Declaration of independence
formally declared and agreed upon,
after all hope of peace and recon
Citation was by necessity abandon
ed and a great nation came to real
ize that they must fight for their
liberty or be enslaved. This great
document which formally declared
the independence of the United
States of America, and which ele-
waited the American people in the
eyes Of the world to the rank and
standing of a nation, was drafted by
Thomas Jefferson and spread over
the entire land. Washington caus-
ed it to be read aloud at the head of
each of his regiments, and the effect
of it's PRONUNCIATION was tremendous,
not only in the Colonies, but in Eu-
rope. 1t has set the world TO think
ing. 1t has bred revelation and
overthrow dyuasties. 1t has sub
verted the false idea of the divinity
of kings, and established the true
doctrine of the universal sovereignty
of the people. 1t has wrested pow
er from the few and given it 10 the
many. It's principles are working
today, and in the end, it will be the
means of establishing in all nations
the principles that all men are Great.
ed equal.
The long and terrible struggle,
with all of its horrors and suffering
which tried and tested the righteous
ness and t%ruttfulness Of these prin-
ciples and proved them 10 be right,
is we'll known to each of us, from
the battle of Bunker Hill, to the
battle of York Town, followed by
the withdrawal of all British forces
in America. Thousands of brave
souls, heroes all. are known to IS
and the memory of many is dear to
the hearts of all ofyou, and that
pure spirit of libert.! urged them
on through disasters and defeat, and
withstood immeasura'le pain, want
and suffering, and lfter a terrible
test of years of such suffering,
destined to succeed md teach to the
world the pure ida Of democracy
which shall ultimately supplant the
false idea of autocrcy.
To-day, a great prosperous and
powerful nation, we stand at the
side of our form:r ]oppressors, our
English cousins, p whom we have
taught the rue principles of free
dom and democracy. to fight for the
freedom of the eltire world. Our
Ratchet was formerly buried with
the United kingdom of Great Brit
ain on the 22nd cay of February last,
when the Commission from that
country, together with the presi-
dent of the Tilted States, visited
the final reetig place of that great
-.at ,uho~ fbaI o.oo