By Dorothy Brush / dcb1@frontier.net
June 30, 2009 04:29 pm
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It happened on July 2 but was celebrated on July 4, 1776. The resolution of political independence was adopted on July 2 and John Adams, believing that date would be celebrated for generations, wrote to his wife Abigail. “It ought to be celebrated, as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward evermore.”
Instead the document was finally and formally approved on July 4. It was told that an old bellman had gone to the steeple when the delegates gathered that morning because he expected the patriots were about to sign a declaration of liberty. A boy was stationed down below and when he clapped his hands and shouted, “Ring, ring!” the steeple bell rang out the news to the citizens of Philadelphia and the celebration began 233 years ago.
As the years moved on most Americans recognized “When in the course of human events…” and “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The choice of the word Rights was important because at that time it was believed rights were part of the universal law of nature; it arose from the nature of things. Later Jefferson explained, “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them.”
Yes, those lyrical phrases are remembered but not many citizens can fill in what else is written there. The main body of the declaration lists 18 oppressive actions by the British against the colonies. Jefferson described each one and each violation began with ‘He has’ except one, which uses ‘He is.’ Jefferson chose to use he rather than King George III.
Today’s citizens might consider all these abuses are of no interest to Americans in the 21st century but there are grievances listed that are as pertinent today as 233 years ago. As each of those 56 patriots signed the one piece of parchment they must have remembered the final words. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Although it is the Declaration of Independence that is celebrated in the manner John Adams envisioned, Americans should honor the Constitution and the Bill of Rights just as vigorously. Our freedom depends on that treasured trio.
In 1999 an editorial reminded we must be vigilant. It asked if modern Americans are content to live with a Declaration of Dependence rather than independence. Taxation without representation was forgotten when the income tax and other federal taxes were imposed. Politicians take the attitude that the government and spending more money solves every problem.
The Declaration of Independence rejected oppressive government. The Constitution limited government to national defense, the protection of liberty and the defense of personal rights. The Bill of Rights was added to make clear what those individual rights were.
Celebrate the Fourth but remember how and why the Declaration of Independence was created.
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