Evening star., 1944-07-04
Declaration Todoy

Declaration Today
The Declaration OF Independence
never was merely an announcement
OF a separation of the American
Colonies from the British crown. If
1t had been designed to serve no
other purpose than that of notice
to King George III that his tyran-
nical rule was rejected. Thomas
Jefferson and those associated with
him in the writing Of the text would
not have troubled to explain their
objectives so carefully. A simple
proclamation of the setting up of a
new government might have suficed,
had nothing else been involved.
But larger issues were represented
In the proceedings of the Congress
in Philadelphia in 1776. A philoso-
ply of human society tracing back
for ages was destined to come to
practical fulfillment there and then.
For the first time in modern history,
several millions of ordinary people
were to attempt to govern them
selves. 1t was their intention to
have certain inalienable rights" as
a common endowment. Life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness" they
said, were included in their concep-
ton of their goal. The signers
gambled their necks in behalf of
their ideal of freedom and security.
1t was not an afterthought on their
part that they appealed to the
Supreme Judge Of the universe for
the rectitude Of their aims. Neither
was 1t a secondary idea with them
when, with Arm reliance on the
protection of Divine Providence"
they pledged all that they, had, not
forgetting their sacred honor.
The high objectives of the Decla-
ration, however, were not achieved
simply by being Advertised to man.
kind. Indeed, the very fact that
they had been published undoubtedly
made them for the moment more
dif1cult of attainment. News of
their publication stiffened the re-
sistance OF the Hanoverian despot In
London. The Revolution had been
In progress since Lexington and
Concord in April, ITS; Bunker Hill
had proved that "the shot heard
round the world" had been fired in
earnest; the war had been carried
into Canada by Arnold and Mont
gomery; Howe had been driven out
OF Boston. Immediately ahead,
though, were the defeats in Long
Island, at White Plains, on Lake
Champlain and in New Jersey.
Washington retired into Pennsyl-
vania, leaving the enemy In posses
sion Of New York and most of New
England. The tide was turned at
Trenton and Princeton, yet there
were Brandywine and Germantown
before Saratoga, Valley Forge be-
fore Monmouth Court House. the
Wyoming and Cherry Valley mas
sacres and the loss of Savannah and
Charleston before Cowpens and
Eutaw Springs. A scant year before
Yorktown the patriot cause seemed
largely hopeless. Likewise infeasible
appeared the more comprehensive
purposes OF the Declaration during
the period following the Peace of
Paris. From 1884 to 1889 the
Colonies quarreled among them
selves, suffered the consequences of
their isolation, saw rebellion among
their veterans, heard threats of
foreign aggression. The Federal
Constitution was the answer, but a
whole decade after it's ratification
1t still was regarded as an expert
ment almost surely doomed to fail.
Perhaps 1t is characteristic of
liberty that it is hard to gain, hard
to hold. There are observers who
believe that it would not be worth
having If it were easily achieved
or easily kept. Such a theory is
confirmed by the experience of the
American community. Each genera
ton in succession must win the
Nations freedom anew. 1t Is a law
Of the cosmos that struggle is
necessary for survival. The sequence
of sacrifice runs through the annals
Of America like the crimson threads
In the Flag. Possibly it is a comfort
to the families and the friends of
the fighters now overseas to remem-
Der that they are spiritual kin to
the heroes of Ticonderoga and Kings
Mountain, New Orleans and Chapul-
tepec, Gettysburg and Manila and
Chateau Thierry. The Declaration
means more today because of Tarawa
and Anzio and Cherbourg and the
glorious promise contained therein.
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