The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-27

W
equally effcacious may be discovered for the
other miseries we have mentioned.
Our NATIONAL AND LOCAL CELEBRATIONS
Long honored and observed he that custom
adopted and reverentially practiced in this
country of commemorating the anniversaries of
the great important or memorable events of
our history as people. 1t binds us at once to
the past to the present and to the future for the
sentiments which inspire, and which are inspired
BY, those celebrations, are impressed upon the
youthful generation, and will be transmitted
with fidelity to our posterity, who may, animal
ed by the same sacred feeling, commemorate
hereafter perhaps, events in which we ourselves
have been or may be actors
The custom has been, and still is. moro uni
versally observed and honored in these United
States than perhaps anywhere else on the face
of the globe. Where is the American, on land
or sea, who does not feel that the Fourth ofJuly
is hallowed day in the calendar, and who does
not celebrate that annual recurrence OF the ma
TONS holiday with an extacy of rejoicing which
the memory of no other like portion Of time
could awaken in his soul? More partially OBJ
served is the birthday Of Washington; but even
that anniversary is beginning to be held as it
should be-more sacred, -and in most of our
cities the church bells toll their joyous chimes
on the morning Of the 22d of February, the
cannon roar forth in .feur de joie, civic
and military professions parade with mu-
sic and banners, and orations are pro-
nounced in honor Of the father Of his country.
In New York similar demonstrations are made
in commemoration of that joyous morning in
our history when for the last time the British
fagw seen floating, an emblem ofsovereignty,
from the flagstaff on the Battery, and when the
English troops evacuated the metropolis Of the
American continent.
But these celebrations are to great extent
martial and military in their origin; they re-
mind us more particularly Of our great revolu-
tionary era, and Of the virtue, patriotism,
bravery and wisdom of our fathers Our an
niversaries are not, however, by any means
restrained to the commemoration of events of
that epoch. They extend farther back; and
while in the state of Virginia they celebrate
the founding of the first English colony on this
England in their pious and reverential regard
for the memory oftheir ancestors, never neglect
to commemorate the landing Of the Pilgrims on
Plymouth rock, on the 22d of December, 1920.
Besides, every State religiously sets apart one
day in the year as day OF thanksgiving, on
which family reunions take place. Thus, from
north to SOUTH the same sacred sentiment pre-
walls among the children Of our glorious re-
public, binding them together in the bonds of a
common brotherhood
A rather novel but extremely affecting in
stance of the popularity of those national and
local celebrations was that which took place at
Portsmouth Nh, on the last Fourth ofJuly and
it evidences at once the simplicity, patriotism
and love of home which form honorable traits in
the American character. At the same time, as.
with civic and military display, monument
was being inaugurated on the banks of the Hud-
son in honor of the three noble captors of Major
Andre, and as throughout the length and
breadth ofthe land was commemorated the Sign
ing of our Declaration of Independence, the
city of Portsmouth was entertaining some
hundreds of her sons, who, in pursuing their
various callings in life, had emigrated from
their New Hampshire home and settled in va
rious other parts Of the Union. 1t was touch
ing reunion, honorable alike to the maternal
city and to those of her children, who, after alb
sences of various duration, gladly accepted the
invitation to revisit once more the cherished
scenes of their earlier days. Demonstrations
such as these are worthy of all praise.
But yet, after ALL it was but simple mani
festation of that pious sentiment which has its
home in the breast of New Englanders The
New England Society, established throughout
the extent OF the Union. regards it as pious
and holy duty to congregate its members in the
various cities on each 22d Of December. and
then and there to pay the homage of their CRATE
full recollections to the band of earnest, God
fearing. liberty-seeking Pilgrims, who left
their homes their business and their pull
pits to establish church where they could
worship according to their consciences, on the
bleak, inhospitable shores of Massachusetts,,
and whose descendants afterwards, with like
zeal and bravery, aided in establishing the
greatest republic of ancient or modern times.
The example ofPortsmouth is now about to be
initiated on that first English settlement in the
northeast, planted by these same Pilgrim
fathers. Plymouth has become sacred place,
and to that Mecca ofthe New World a remark
able pilgrimage is about to take place. 1t has
been determined, in carrying out that sentiment
which has given text to this article, to cele-
brate on the first day Of August next, the de-
parture from the Dutch town of Delft, for Eng
land, of those members of the congregation OF
Leyden who shortly afterwards embarked for
the port of Plymouth, in the May Flower. And
the sons of New England, wherever they may
be scattered throughout the Union. are invited
to join in this great demonstration. We have
no doubt but that such an appeal will be heartily