It is hard to tell in which years of school work it is best to give this dramatization--whether in the grammar grades, in the high school, or in the college, for it is within the understanding of grammar grade boys; it is not too elementary for young men in the high school; and it is profound enough for the best thought and the best efforts of college students. If given by grammar school boys and high school young men, it will have a wholesome influence in training for a better citizenship at an opportune time. If presented by college, university, and normal school students it will give those who are fitting themselves for teaching a valuable lesson in methods. If it were given by every grammar school, high school, college, university and normal school, on every Chautauqua platform, and by every patriotic society in the United States on Washington's Birthday and other patriotic occasions, and then repeated on the Fourth of July every year for the next decade it would do much towards combating that dangerous "aggressive hyphenated Americanism," that has sprung up in our country and whose baneful effects it will take much earnest teaching to obliterate. When all native-born children of foreign parentage, and when all citizens of foreign birth know the story of the struggle and sacrifice by which our country rose to her proud station it will make them feel "that they are Americans among Americans; that they are part of America and have a share and a duty toward American institutions." May it also cause those native-born Americans who have become luke-warm in their love of country, careless of its honor, and negligent in its defense to awake to their duty with a spirit to do their duty before it is too late. May it make of every one of us a truer American "by being wholly and without reserve, and without divided allegiance, and with emphatic repudiation of the entire principle of 'dual nationality,' an American citizen and nothing else." _In their ragged regimentals Stood the old Continentals, Yielding not, When the grenadiers were lunging. And like hail fell the plunging Cannon shot; When the files Of the isles, From the smoky night encampment, bore the banner of the rampant_ _Unicorn;_ _And grummer, grummer, grummer, rolled the roll of the drummer_ _Through the morn!_ [Illustration: TABLEAU--THE SPIRIT OF SEVENTY-SIX] CAST OF CHARACTERS SPEAKERS FOR THE DECLARATION John Hancock, _President_ Richard Henry Lee John Adams Roger Sherman Benjamin Franklin Samuel Adams Joseph Hewes Patrick Henry Thomas Jefferson AGAINST THE DECLARATION Edward Rutledge John Dickinson George Walton Robert Morris Charles Thomson, _Secretary_ OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS