NOTABLE ANN IV E USA A'/ES. 



; i 



America as an independent power in 

 1783. The Declaration of Independence 

 was without doubt the most epoch- 

 making event of the eighteenth century. 

 Ludlow, in his " War of American 

 Independence," says that the famous 



" We, therefore, the representatives of 

 the United States of America, in gene 

 ral congress assembled, appealing to 

 the Supreme Judge of the world for the 

 rectitude of our intentions, do, in the 



Declaration of Independence, penned name and b Y the authority of the good 



by ihomas Jefferson, of Virginia, de 

 clared that all men are created equal, 

 that they are endowed by their Creator 

 with certain inalienable rights ; that to 

 secure these rights Governments are in- 

 stituted among men, deriving their 

 ever just powers from the consent of 

 the governed ; that when any other 

 form of Government becomes destruc- 

 tive to these ends it is the rieht of the 



people of these colonies, solemnly pub- 

 lish and declare that the United 

 Colonies are, and of a right ought to 

 be, free and independent States ; that 

 they are absolved from all allegiance 

 to the British Crown, and that as free 

 and independent States, they have full 

 power to levy war, conclude peace, con- 

 tract alliances, establish commerce, and 

 people to alter or abolish it, and to in- do all other acts and things which inde- 



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stitute a new Government. It recounted 

 the petitions for redress which had been 

 presented, the appeals to the native 

 justice and magnanimity of our " Brit- 

 ish brethren," and concluded as fol- 

 lows : — 



pendent States may of a right do. And 

 for the support of this declaration, witn 

 a firm reliance on the protection of 

 Divine Providence, we mutually pledge 

 to each other our lives, our fortunes and 

 our sacred honour." 



The Ballot Act Passed, July 13, 1872. 



One of the greatest reforms ever 

 achieved by democracy was the suc- 

 cessful Ballot Act of 1872. It was the 

 necessary complement of the Reform 

 Act of 1867. From that time the Brit- 

 ish Parliament became a true reflex of 

 the will of the people, not a packed as- 

 sembly of privileged persons. The Act 

 introduced secret voting for the first 

 time, with the object of preventing 

 briber}- and intimidation. Before its 

 introduction it was known for whom 

 every elector voted, and threats and in- 

 fluence were freely used to make men 

 vote in a certain way. Originally in- 

 troduced by Mr. Forster in 1871, it was 

 rejected by the Lords, and only passed 

 bv them in 1872 as a provisional mea- 

 sure " on trial " for eight years. It has 

 remained in force ever since. 



THE 



POOR VOTER ON ELEC- 

 TION DAY. 

 The proudest now is but my peer, 

 The highest no more high-, 



To-day of all the wear}- year, 



A king of men am 1. 

 To-day alike are great and small, 



The nameless and the known ; 

 My palace is the people's hall, 



The ballot-box is my throne ! 



To-day let pomp and vain pretence 



My stubborn right abide ; 

 I set a plain man's common sense 



Against the pedant's pride. 

 To-day shall simple manhood try 



The strength of wealth and land ; 

 The wide world has not wealth to buy 



The power in my right hand ! 



While there's a grief to seek redress, 



Or balance to adjust, 

 Where weighs our li\ ing manhood less 



Than mammon's vilest dusl 

 While there's .1 right to need my vote, 



A wrong to sweep awav, 

 I ']) ! clouted knee and ragged coat ! 



A man's a man to day ! 



John Greenleaf W'hittier. 



