Year: 1859




only crime had been that they peaceaLly


demonstrated against the right Of the mother


country to tax them when they had no repre-


sentation in Parliament, and who refused,


when lawfully assembled at Lexington, to


disperse at the bidding Of an arrogant min


ion of the English Crown, were shot down
/ in cold blood 10y detachment of the British


army. From this bloody baptism arose
spirit which had long been heaying like
peut up volcano in the bosoms of the people.


1t was the signal to arms, and from colony to
colony on the wings Of the wind sped the


wild words Of Liberty or Death" The
Colonial Legislatures assembled. aud made
such provision as they were able. for the vim


dieaton of the peoples rights and the prcser-


walton Of their liberties The great right Of
selEgovernment had been invaded 10y those
/ whose pride and glory it should have been


to protect it. Taxation without representa-
| ton, and the interference Of the Central Gov


ernment with the local affairs and domestic


institutions ofita Territorial possessions were


the ground Of the remonstrance on the part


of the Colonies to the acts Of the English


Government, and were the cause Of the war


which followed The first intention Of the


Coonsts was merely to assert their rights


and liberties under the British Constitution,


and to force, by their uprising and resist


ance, the mother country to acknowledge


and guarantee those rights and liberties. In
pursuance Of this object the Continental Con.
gress-a body composed Of the purest and
best men that ever lived-assemblcd on the
10Th Of May l775, and prepared for the
struggle ly issuing JHis Of credit, to the
amount Of three millions of dollars the pay
mcnt Of which was solemnly pledged by the
faith and@ honor Of the United Colonies Ten
days afterwards, the people Of Mecklenburgh,
North Carolina, with spirit in advance of
the rest Of the country, assembled and passed
Resolutions that the Colonies ought to free
themselves from TIE yoke ofthe mother coun


try. Those Colonists who were in favor of
forcing the mother country to terms and


those who were for an immediate and total
| severance, Of course acted in harmony in the


general raising of troops and in the general
/ spirit Of resistance. In the meantime the
/ battle Of Bunker Hill was fought and Charles


town given to the flames. But the event Of
/ that period which was of greatest Importance
I to the country was the unanimous election,
| by the Continental Congress, of GEORGE
J -. ..f


Army OF the United Colonies The man for
the times-th great man Of the age-seem-
| ingly the chosen instrument in the hands of


Almighty G God for the building up of mighty |
nation-he stood forth, the grand repre-


sentative character Of the country, and |
The eyes Of the world were fastened upon


him. 1t wes not long before the colossal pro
portions of his majestic moral and intellectual
constitution loomed up with a vastness that
astonished the two hemispheres Not very
long after the appointment of Washington to
The command Of the Continental Army, came
the reply of Great Britain to the respectful
petition Of the Colonies for redress of their
grievances. Thisreply set forth that the En- h
glish Government chose to regard the Colon, 1
lists as reJels and not petitioners, and that it
was the belief Of the King and his Parlia-
ment that they did not intend merely to con.
tend for their rights but to establish an inde
pendent empire. Orders were therefore
given for the embarkation Of large number e
Of troops for America with a view of crush
ing out, by force ana arms, what was called ,
the rebellion. Then it was that the last de -,
cisive step was taken. Then it was, that the :.
Colonies perceived that the object of the
mother country was to deny them the rights
which they had firmly but respectfully de- I
nanded, and to intimi9ate them into a slavish
subjection TO the absolute despotism of the
English Parliament. The free spirit of true
learted men arose against it. On the 7th Of
June l776, while the country was burning
with Indignation and disappointment at the
nsolcnt reply of the English Crown to their
petition for redress of grievances, Richard
Henry Lee, Of Virginia, introduced bis IA
nous Resolution declaring that the United
Colonies ought to declare themselves free
and independent The ardent spirit Of the
sons of Connecticut could not be repressed at
such period, and tho legislature Of that
Colony sent forward declaration to Congress
that It was the will of the people Of Connec
tibut that that body should declare the Uni
ted Colonies free and Independent. The
general feeling of the nation was manifestly
in the same direction, and the Continental
Congress, on the 4th Of July 1776 passed,
signed and put forth that immortal document
which proclaimed American Independence
document which was to speak new Re
public into existence or to consign its authors
to the ignominy Of the gallows; to be the
ife-breath Of a great government or the death


warrant Of its dguersl 1t proved the former,


but Oh how mighty a stake was there upon
il. What fears and forebodings, what un- |
eertointies and dangers 1t took great men


TO do the deed. Bat they were equal to the


task, and while jefferson was at hand 10
emLoly in matehless words the sentiment of
Liberty, there was the sword of Washing
ton to defend it.


Well may we recur to such day with
feeling which no other anniversary can in
spire The Birth day of a Nation, and of
such Nation But feeling of sadness and
shame must, at this time mingle with the