Imperial Valley press., 1925-07-03
WE ARE I49 YEARS OLD

One hundred and forty nine years ago tomorrow,
July 4, 1776, the Declaration of independence, mo-
mentous document ranking in the worlds history with
the Magma Carta of King John, signed IN the city
of Philadelphia and the United States of America as
a sovereign nation born into the world
In it. the Is American colonies through their ottl-
ca representatives declared their independence of the
British government and announced to the world their
intention govern themselves and conduct their al
fairs in the pursuit of life liberty and happiness
1t was bold stroke, for group Of men thus to
defy the power and authority of the great British En-
pire and it required courageous men to pledge the
lives, fortunes and sacred honor to carrying out the
principles of the declaration.
The idea that people had the right to determine
for themselves who should govern them, was rank an
archy of the sort in the of the emperors and
kings of the world, though strange to say hatred OF
England caused the sovereigns of France and Holland
to recognize the United States of America as nation
before the close of the Revolution.
In these present days, when many individuals are
prone to confuse liberty with license is we'll to look
back $50 years ago to that in Philadelphia, and
see Sc men pedgng their all for their ideals and for
the betterment of their fellow men.
Too often, in studying the history of our country,
learn look upon the gners of the Declaration of
Independence as superior men. They were not. They
were ordinary Americans the same as Tom Jones, or
Bill Smith of today. Hard working, conscientious,
God-fearing men, such have always made up the
backbone of this nation. Radicals and pessnsts may
wall that the citizenship of the country is not what it
used to be- yet the fact remains that even today the
bulk of our population is made up OF men and women
who believe in the ideals of the signers, who have the
same faith in the nation that they had and the
belief in Supreme Being, who guides the destines Of
individuals and nations. w..
These signers section of the country's
population the like of which be found in any Amer-
can community today. They differed in religion, in
politics. in their personal likes and dskes and in their
occupations. Yet they were in the determination
that they and their fellow citizens must be allowed to
work out their affairs in the that they be-
lieved to be best.
We of today can learn lesson from the signers of
the Declaration of independence. In order to refresh
minds it might be we'll to spend five minutes (it
will not take much onger to read again the Declara
ton and note the firmness the sincerity of its tone
and the fairness of its appeal to the world for vind
cation of its accusations against King George True
go off half cooked the soap box of the pre-
taking the final step that separation from the
of England, and the result of their deb
erations the document of which American need
ever be ashamed and which goes into history
preston of the highest ideals of man. love of Cod love
of country and love of home.
True patriotism does not consist of wildly waving
he good old stars and stripes, of shooting off fire
works, of boasting of Mayfower antecedants, of
being eligible for membership in the Sons and Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution, though those who
have this privilege indeed fortunate. Rather does
patriotism mean CONSCIENTIOUS effort every day, to
live up to the ideals of the Declaration of ndepend-
ence in private and public lives, coupled with
deep respect for, and obedience to the laws of our
country which after ALL only the expression of the
fundamental truths expressed in that immortal docu-
men and confirmed later by the Constitution of the
United States of America.