ylexot
Super Genius
Just thought I'd share a few quotes regarding the Declaration of Independence with you all (starting with my favorite). Happy 4th everyone! 
"It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns
biggrin, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward and forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."
-John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang seperately."
-Benjamin Franklin (attributed) at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
"The flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776, have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism; on the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, September 12, 1821
"On the distinctive principles of the Government of our own state, and that of the U. States, the best guides are to be found in...The Declaration of Independence, as the fundamental Act of Union of these States."
-James Madison, letter to Thomas Jefferson, February 8, 1825
"This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality or principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Henry Lee, May 8, 1825
"Independence is forever."
-John Adams's toast for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826
And now for an interesting factoid...the last two Founding Fathers both died on July 4, 1826...fifty years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Those Founders were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Adams's last words were "Thomas Jefferson still lives." and Thomas Jefferson's last words were "Is it the Fourth?" I find that somewhat spooky.
"It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns
biggrin, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward and forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."-John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang seperately."
-Benjamin Franklin (attributed) at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
"The flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776, have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism; on the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, September 12, 1821
"On the distinctive principles of the Government of our own state, and that of the U. States, the best guides are to be found in...The Declaration of Independence, as the fundamental Act of Union of these States."
-James Madison, letter to Thomas Jefferson, February 8, 1825
"This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality or principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."
-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Henry Lee, May 8, 1825
"Independence is forever."
-John Adams's toast for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826
And now for an interesting factoid...the last two Founding Fathers both died on July 4, 1826...fifty years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Those Founders were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Adams's last words were "Thomas Jefferson still lives." and Thomas Jefferson's last words were "Is it the Fourth?" I find that somewhat spooky.
