Show BY KOSSER they were brave men wha emitted the declaration of independence be cause every v ord in it constituted treason against a great and powerful monarchy wise men too were they in that they might interpret the genius of the ape and the spirit of the coming generations they dared an ignominious death and in the act set the foundations of the republic so firmly that the gates of hell ha been able to against it there was nothing new in the assumption that men were created equal but there was something sublime in the prophecy of equality b afore the aw and in the power of men to goy ern themselves by statutes of their own enactment the ancient republics I 1 made no such promises and the doc trine was a new one to the world this immortal document was a bar to be arming of caste or the recognition of privileged classes when the time came for adopting a constitution the declaration declares as plainly as words nay dcarl anything that the republic then announced should be a gov eminent of the people for the people by the people how much these fathers of the nation foresaw might mig ht happen is not they could pot fail to know th at misdirected ambition and bounding passion are always sources of danger yel their faith in the strong common sense of the people was supreme prevision may have revealed to dome of atheni at least the dangers that threatened from opposing views and interests yet calmly and confidently they a nation to alie world giving token of doubt or fear as to the results the task of the critic is always an easy one because his determination of the merits of things follows the act so that he can judge by results besides it is easy enough for anyone to find fault the fromert of the declaration were originator designers and cr estors had they blundered they would but have evidenced humanity in that they made no mistake at time lias shown and have alTor ded critics nothing about which to carp they demonstrated the greatness of their spirits and all the merit a grateful people has accorded to them such a document conveys the same lesson to each succeeding generation it teaches the duty of sacredly guarding the liberties of all the people the avoidance of all measures that may be proposed for the elevation of one class beyond another the crushing of sectional differences and the perpetuation of the union as it was handed down from the fathers the glory of the republic is and should ever be not only that il has survived dangers from without and greater dangers from within but also that it has emerged from each succeeding bucce eding peril greater and more glorious than before the problem of self government becomes more difficult as thc jhc number of people multiply and safety les in holding loyally to the teachings of the fathers who learned in a most trying school of adversity experiments are by no means safe especially ally when time has demonstrated the wisdom of what already is grateful to the founders of american liberty each patriot s heart proud ot the achievements of the nation and the right of citizenship should seek to conform itself to alie spirit of the declaration and to the constitution of which it was alie precursor |