Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-05
COOLIDGE INVOKES l776 SPIRIT
in SPEECH AT SESQUICENTENNIAL

humanity, that IT is still the preemin
ent support of free government
throughout the world.
Although a century and a hall
measured in comparison with the
length of human experience is but g
short time, yet measured in the life
of governments and nations 1t ranks
as a very respectable period. Certainly
enough time has elapsed to demon
strate with a great deal of thorough
ness the value of our institutions and
! their dependability as rules for the
| regulation of human conduct and the
| advancement of civilization. They
! have been in existence long enough tc
become very well seasoned. They
| have met, and met successfully, the
test of experiences.
Reaffirn Old Theories.
! 1T is not so much then for the pur
pose Of undertaking to proclaim new
| theories and principles that this an
| nual celebration is maintained. hut
rather to reaffirm and reestablish
! those old theories and principles Whici1
time and the unerring logic of events
have demonstrated to be sound. Amid
all the clash of conflicting interests
| amid all the weller Of partisan poll
tics, every American can turn fol
sOlace and consolation to the Declare
ton of Independence and the Consti
tuition of the United States with the
assurance and confidence that those
! tWo great charters of freedom and
! Justice remain firm and mistaken
Whatever perils appear, whateve,
dangers threaten, the Nation remains
secure in the knowledge that the ulti
mate application of the law of the
land will provide an adequate defense
and protection.
1T is little wonder that people al
home and abroad consider indie
perdence Hall as hallowed ground and
revere the Liberty Bell as a sacred
| relic. That pile of bricks and NOR
! tar. that mass Of metal, might ap
/ pear to the uninstructed as only the
outgrown meeting place and the shat
! tered bell of a former time, useless
now because of more modern con
veniences. but to those who know
they have become consecrated by the
use which men have made Of them
They have long been identified with
| a great cause. They are the frame
work Of a spiritual event. The world
looks upon them, because Of their as
| sociations of $50 years ago. as II
| looks upon the Holy Land because
OF what took ulace there nineteen
| a righteous purpose they have become
sanctif1ed.
ut is not here necessary to exam
| inc in detail the causes which led to
the American Revolution. In their i'm
mediate occa sion they were largely
economic. The colonists objected tC
| the navigation laws which interfered
with their trade, they denied the
power of Parliament to impose taxes
which they were obliged to pay, anG
| they therefore resisted the royal gov
ernors and the royal forces which
were sent to secure obedience to these
laws. But the conviction is inescap
able that a new civilization had come
a new spirit had arisen on this side
| of the Atlantic more advanced ant
| more developed in it's regard for the
| rights of the individual than thai
which characterized the Old World
Life in a new and open country hat
! aspirations which could not be realized
| In any subordinate position. A sepa
rate establishment was ultimately in
evitable. 1t had been decreed by the
very laws of human nature Mar
everywhere has an uncomfortable de
sire to be the master Of his own des
tiny.
Movement by People.
I'VE are obliged to conclude thai
the Declaration Of Independence rep
| resented the movement of a people
1t was not. Of course, movement
from the top. Revolutions do moi
come from that direction. 1t was not
without support of many of the mos,
respectable people in the Colonies
who were entitled to all the consider
alton that is given to breeding, educa
ton and possessions. 1t had the sup
port of another element of great sig
nificance and importance. to which
shall later refer. But the preponder
ance OF all those who occupied a 20
sition which took on the aspect of arts
tocracy did not approve of the Revo
luton and held toward it an attitude
either of neutrality or open hostility
1t was in no sense a rising Of the op
pressed and downtrodden. 1t brought
| no scum to the surface, for the reason
that colonial society had developed nc
scum. The great body Of the people
were accustomed to privations, blu,
they were free from depravity. II
they had poverty it was not Of the
hopeless kind that affiicts great cities
but the inspiring kind that marks the
spirit of the pioneer. The American
Revolution represented the informed
and mature convictions Of grea,
mass of independent. liberty-loving
God fearing people who knew their
rights and possessed the courage tc
dare to maintain them.
THE Continental Congress was no,
only composed of great men, but /,
represented a great people. While its
| members did not fail to exercise a re
markable leadership, they were equally
| observant Of their representative ca
pacity. They were industrious in en-
couraging their constituents to in
| struct them to support independence
| But until such instructions were giver
they were inclined to withhold action
while North Carolina has the
honor Of first authorizing it's delegate.
to concur with other Colonies in de
claring independence. 1t was quickl.
followed by South Carolina and Geor
gia, which also gave general instruc
lions broad enough to include such
| action. But the first instruction:
which Internationally directed its dele
gates to declare for independence
came from the great Commonwealth
of Virginia. These were immediately
| followed by Rhode Island and Mas