The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-07-05
FOURTH OF JULY.

It's fashionable, we believe, for al papers
10 have leading editorial upon this subject,
at least once year-that is TO say, as often
as the day comes round. The subject, there.
fore, has been pretty well exhausted, and OF
course can receive no additional interest from
anything we can say. Besides this is not the
4,h of JuIy it is the 9TH, the anniversary of the
battle Of Chippewa. Reference will be made,
no doubt, TO this fact in many toast. this day
to be given. The fact that the 5,h is ceI
ebrated for the 4th in that year in which Gen.
Scott is brought forward for the Presidency, is
something of coincidence. The two great
National festival days, 22d of February and
4th Of July, always come on the same day of
the we *, as though there were some designed
ton, and the birthday of the Nation he served
80 gloriously. We mention this fact for the
amusement Of the curious, though we expect
TO hear the super-sapient declare that might
easily have been discovered by 'any school
boy."f
1t has been customary to attribute to this
day, and to the events of which it was the pa
rent, the mighty revolutions which have since
occurred in Europe. We have, ourselyes,w
ten much in favor of this idea; yet, upon re-
Election, we are disposed TO think that the
American struggle for freedom only hastene
the French revolution. That mighty event had
been prepared ages beforehand, and it would
have happened though there had been no
America, and no Washington. The misrule
of many hundred years had furnished the fuel
which it required but spark to set in blaze.
Nor, having once been k'ndled in France, was
it wonderful that it extended throughout Eu-
rope, or that it has been found as impossible to
stife it completely, as it was to extinguish the
Greek fire. The American revolution may be
considered as the match which set FIRE to the
train; but in lis absence, some other match
would have been found.
The events which followed in the train of
the declaration of independence, have been a
subject of wonder to many. To us, they APP
pear perfectly natural. 1t was not TO be sup
posed that a number of Anglo-Saxon comma
mites, living three thousand miles from the
mother coantry-unacquainted with royalty.
save by name, and accustomed to the highest
liberty compatible with law-woulI submit,
after having once thrown down the gauntlet,
under any penalty less than absolute annihila-
ton. They had, in them, too much of the
Anglo Saxon spirit-of that spirit which
brought Charles to the block, and drove
James ii into exile-of that spirit which made
Hampden, the noblest type Of the Anglo-Sax.
on race, prior to Washington, prefer imprison.
ment or death, to even so much of submission
to injustice as is implied in the payment of
few shillings in the shape of taxes laid with
out authority oflaw. Men educated as our
ancestors were, and coming of the race from
which they sprung, were not to be dragooned
into obedience. They were the very men to
resist the last-to give up everything, provided
the sacrifice secured their freedom. Theirs
was great and a glorious struggle, they were
headed by great and glorious chief, and
the war could have none other than great and
glorious termination.