A Reaffirmation of Loyalty (A belated 4th of July Message)
Dublin Core
Title
A Reaffirmation of Loyalty (A belated 4th of July Message)
Description
"On this Fourth of July, the one hundred and seventy-first anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is fitting that we pause and take stock of what this cornerstone of our American way of life really means, that we re-affirm our loyalty to those things in which we believe.
The declaration of Independence was much more than an proclamation emancipating the thirteen colonies from the mother country. It was the first statement of a new philosophy of freedom, a long range program by which and through which to establish a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
The Declaration of Independence was the credo through adherence to which we became the first self-constituted People-not bound together by race, by national origin or by any one religious belief but by an acceptance of the practical ideal of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man which is the best of all monotheistic faiths, the cornerstone of freedom.
The first part of the Declaration of Independence with its glorious credo of Americanism is well known to all of us but how many of us remember that the Declaration of Independence demands service from us in return for the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” It is the third part of the pledge that is our greatest safeguard of our liberties.
Doing what we should because it is the right and honorable thing to do is the basis of a stable society. There is no security unless men and nation can depend upon each other’s pledged word.
Reliance on our sacred honor has been the bulwark of our defense during all the trials through which the nation has passed. The pledge of not just our lives or our fortunes, but our sacred honour as well-that is what made and will continue to make the Declaration of Independence work!"
The declaration of Independence was much more than an proclamation emancipating the thirteen colonies from the mother country. It was the first statement of a new philosophy of freedom, a long range program by which and through which to establish a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
The Declaration of Independence was the credo through adherence to which we became the first self-constituted People-not bound together by race, by national origin or by any one religious belief but by an acceptance of the practical ideal of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man which is the best of all monotheistic faiths, the cornerstone of freedom.
The first part of the Declaration of Independence with its glorious credo of Americanism is well known to all of us but how many of us remember that the Declaration of Independence demands service from us in return for the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” It is the third part of the pledge that is our greatest safeguard of our liberties.
Doing what we should because it is the right and honorable thing to do is the basis of a stable society. There is no security unless men and nation can depend upon each other’s pledged word.
Reliance on our sacred honor has been the bulwark of our defense during all the trials through which the nation has passed. The pledge of not just our lives or our fortunes, but our sacred honour as well-that is what made and will continue to make the Declaration of Independence work!"
Creator
Ruth Taylor
Publisher
Negro Star
Date
1947-7-11
Collection
Citation
Ruth Taylor, “A Reaffirmation of Loyalty (A belated 4th of July Message),” African American Fourth of July, accessed April 28, 2024, https://africanamerican4th.omeka.net/items/show/327.