Evening star., 1945-07-04
July a in lo45

Lay tlliS year VIII lake place against
a background of recent history which
necessarily will influence the OBJ
servance. Inevitably for the first time
there will be consideration of the
fact that the Declaration in purpose
and in effect was what the Charter
of the United Nations is. The spirit
of Thomas JefferSon's immortal
document bears too close a reSem-
blance to that of the tremendous
affirmation penned at San Francisco
for even the most casual reader to
fail to recognize it. In other words,
the latest attempt to formulate a
principle of freedom and co-opera-
ton reflects the effort at Philadel-
phia in 1776.
Nothing novel or strange is to be
discovered In such relation. The
experience of humanity since its
original emergence from the jungle
and the desert has been a progress
sive development of social realities.
Some imperfectly comprehended in
stinct in the hearts of men always has
prompted them to want liberty
enough to die for it. If need be. But
the impulse of fellowship also has
driven the human race forward
Both motivations are implicit in the
language of the appeal to "a candid
world" which John Hancock signed
as president of the Continental Con-
gress. The Declaration severed "all
political connection" with Great
Britain 1t announced the inde-
pendence of the Colonies from the
British Crown. Re-examined in the
light OF 1945. however, it is plain that
1t also set forth valid claim to be-
long to the general community of
nations. 1t testified to "a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind"
it asserted an intention to contract
alliances" it let it be known that the
American people, having pledged to
each other our lives, our fortunes
and our sScred honor" expected to
assume among the powers of the
earth" not merely "a separate" but
likewise an equal" station.
Still more important, perhaps, was
that part of the declaration in which
the traditional philosophy of human
dignity and integrity. descended
from Bible, the Prayer Book and the
writings of such prophets as John
Locke and Hugo Grotius. was ex-
pounded. Jefferson dealt in pure
and unqualified English when he
said in behalf of his colleagues: I'VE
hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal. that
they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights. that
among these are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness" With con-
sistent logic he then outlined the
doctrine of the constructive objec-
tives of governments deriving their
just powers from the consent Of the
governed" The Colonies for which
he spoke already, as he took care to
mention, were united. A little more
than decade later they would form
the Federal Union without which
they could not have existed exempt
from strife. The impact of the
event has been increasingly felt
throughout the globe ever since. 1t
is demonstrated in the Charter
which President Truman carried to
the Senate on Monday Accepted by
the United States and forty-nine
other countries, it makes freedom
and cooperation realities in the
"one world" which all peoples cur
rently visualize as the beneficent
result of the costliest of wars.
Living generations possibly are too
close to what was done at San
Francisco to understand 1t perfectly.
The Charter, like the Declaration,
will grow In value as 1t is put into
practice through successive centuries.
Already. 1t is becoming evident that
June 26 hereafter may be to the
entire human family an anniversary
for rejoicing in the sense that July
4 now is in America alone.