Today we celebrate the two hundred and thirty-third anniversary of the birth of this great nation. The last sentence in the Declaration of Independence states: “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.”
The men who signed that great document honored this pledge as illustrated in the following examples:
Richard Stockton – New Jersey – During the war Stockton and many others were offered amnesty by General William Howe to those willing to renounce the American “rebellion” and renew their loyalty to the King. Although many took the offer of amnesty, Stockton did not and was marched to Perth Amboy where he was put in irons, and brutally treated as a common criminal. He was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. After nearly six weeks of brutal treatment, Stockton was released. While in prison, Stockton’s estate was occupied by General Cornwallis; his furniture, all household belongings, crops and livestock were taken or destroyed by the British. His library, one of the finest in the colonies, was burned. He died in poverty in 1781.
George Clymer – Pennsylvania – At the Battle of Brandywine he and his family narrowly escaped from the British. They then watched as their home was sacked and burned before their eyes.
William Ellery - Rhode Island, Thomas Nelson Jr. - Virginia, and many others lost their fortunes and property because of their dedication to that sacred pledge.
I could go on and on, but the point is these great men and many others since that time gave all they had for the cause of freedom. Liberty was more important to them than money, security, and even their lives. Patrick Henry articulated this in a speech he gave to the Virginia convention when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death.”
So today as we enjoy the fireworks and backyard barbeques let us we remember the men and women of this country who have valued liberty more than life itself and may we “mutually pledge our Lives our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor” in the preservation of that liberty and may God bless the United States of America.
