The old Liberty Bell in the Philadelphia State House rang out the glad tidings. Racing horsemen and the sound of cannon fire spread the news. ‘The Declaration of Independence had been adopted by unanimous vote of the Continental Congress! “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” That biblical quotation (Leviticus 25:10) inscribed around the crown of the Liberty Bell, seemed to symbolize what was taking place: Freedom independence! The first was the cherished goal ; the second, the route to it. Founding Fathers believed that governments exist to foster liberty and make men free. The colonies’ tie with the British Empire had become a barrier to this goal. Of course the Declaration, by itself, did not establish the independence of the colonies. It only stated an intention and cause for action. Complete separation would have to be accomplished by force in the 5’/s-year Revolutionary War that had broken out at Lexington and Concord April 19, 1775. The stirring phrases of the Declaration inspired the patriots of 1776 – as they have been a source of pride and strength for each generation of Americans since. General George Washington had the document read to the army, and it fired the spirit and morale of his troops. On July 8, the people of Philadelphia were summoned to the State House, by the ringing of the bell, to hear a reading of the Declaration. The experienced renewed resolve. Today, 202 years after approval of the historic Declaration of Independence, we as American citizens can re-apply the spirit of ’76 as we seek to preserve liberties proclaimed by the founders and reshape or abolish practices deemed foreign to “the American way.” The Herald recommends rereading of the Declaration by everv familv – before the memory of this Independence Day fades. As you analyze the document, note the basic ideas it expresses: (1) God made men equal, with rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness ; (2) the business of government is to protect these rights – which was not being done by the mother country; and (3) when a government withholds such rights, the people are free to alter or abolish it. Note also the priceless value placed on liberty in the recounting of tyrannical acts of the King of Great Britain – from the levying of unjust taxes to plundering the seas, ravaging the coasts, burning towns, and destroying the lives of people. The Declaration of Independence, as did the Constitution later, brought out the American philosophy that the God-given, “unalienable” right of mankind to liberty means primarily freedom from government – over – man ; also freedom of the individual from interference by other individuals in the enjoyment of his rights. The signers of the Declaration, in proclaiming the colonies “free and independent states,” elevated their action to lofty reaches of human mind and spirit when they closed the document with these immortal words. “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 Foimding Fathers sought to translate into enduring reality the ideals and principles of the Declaration of Independence. The Herald believes they succeeded well. Yet they cannot solve our problems for us in this generation. A America’s challenge today after 202 years is to evaluate our successes and failures, take inspiration and direction from the guidelines entrusted to us by the founders, and act firmly with wisdom to secure and perpetuate n-.-mam an mu- uma