-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! America's Greatest Document By Chuck Baldwin July 3, 2001 Without a doubt, the Declaration of Independence is America's greatest document. However, the Declaration is more than a historical document; it is America's birth certificate. If the Constitution contains the meat and bones of this country, then The Declaration of Independence contains the nation's heart and soul. At the Third Continental Congress in 1776, John Adams spoke these words: "Before God I believe the hour has come. My judgment approves this measure, and my whole heart is in it. All I have, and all that I am, and all that I hope in this life, I am now ready here to stake upon it. And I leave off as I began, that live or die, survive or perish, I am for the Declaration. It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God it shall be my dying sentiment." Such was the sentiment of every man who signed that immortal document. For six months after the Declaration was signed on July 4, 1776, the signatures were kept secret. Those 56 men knew the significance of the last paragraph, in which they pledged their lives and fortunes and sacred honor. For them, those were not flowery words; they represented an eternal commitment. And they all paid a price in order to prove it. Of those 56 signers, 14 lost their lives as captive soldiers or casualties in the war for independence. Some lost their sons. Many saw their lands and properties destroyed. Their stories should be required reading for every American citizen. Sadly, few today remember their heroic deeds. Carter Braxton was a wealthy planter and trader before the war. Afterward, he lost his home and all his property and died in rags. Thomas Lynch, Jr. owned a large plantation. After signing the Declaration, his health failed. He and his wife set sail for France to find respite, but their ship never arrived in France, and he was never heard from again. Thomas Nelson, Jr. raised more than two million dollars to purchase provisions for our allies, the French fleet. After the war, he personally paid back the loans, wiping out his entire estate. In the battle of Yorktown, he urged General Washington to fire on his own home, which was occupied by Cornwallis. The home was destroyed. Nelson died bankrupt and was buried in an unmarked grave. Francis Lewis lost everything he owned. His wife was imprisoned and died shortly thereafter. Lewis Morris lost his land and his family. Philip Livingston died from hardships of the war. John Hart was driven from his wife's deathbed. Their thirteen children fled for their lives in all directions. After the war, he returned home to find his wife dead and his children and property gone. He died a few weeks later of exhaustion and a broken heart. Of the 56 signers, few were long to survive. Five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes looted or burned. Two lost their sons in battle. Nine died in the war from its hardships or from enemy bullets. As you celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, remember to thank God for the character and courage of those 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence and for the rest of our Founding Fathers who were willing to sacrifice everything so that you and I could be free! Then say a prayer for God to put that same kind of character and courage into our own hearts so that freedom and independence can be bequeathed to the next generation of Americans. And don't forget to keep your powder dry! *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? 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