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1) For those who think I hate the Declaration of Independence: I do not. The Douglass speech calls us, then and now to work, to work to achieve its promise, whenever we fall short. The Declaration, even more than the Constitution, is a living document
2)Jefferson believed that. In the last months of his life, when he was too ill to attend a 50th Anniversary celebration of the signing of the Declaration, he wrote of the document’s promise:
3) “may it be to the world what I believe it will be, (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all.)” the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, under which Monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves”
4) and to assume the blessings & security of self government. the form which we have substituted restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion.”
5) all eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man.”
6)” the general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth that the mass of mankind has not been born, with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god.”
