ABSTRACT
The undersigned, appointed a Committee, by and on behalf of the Committee of Arrangements for celebrating the Fourth of July, by the citizens of Terre-Haute, respectfully solicits a copy, for publication, of the much-admired and eloquent Oration delivered on the last celebration of American Independence in this place. Struggling for a foot-hold among men, at long and dark intervals, each claim was asserted singly and alone – until her spirit increased, her stature elevated, she rose above the clouds of ignorance. By withdrawing men from the constant watching of their oppressors, their union in cities developed their independence; gave them the ability to detect, and the power to resist, the encroachments of usurpation. In 1649, a statute law gave legal force to this religious/freedom; and, in 1629, Massachusetts made religious worship independent of the authority of the King, and the churches choose their own officers.
