The Nevada journal. [volume] (Nevada City, Calif.) 1851-18??, 1857-07-10
Celebration of the 4th.

their patriotism, came out in full dress
on the 4th, to celebrate the eighty-frst
anniversary of American independence.
Their appearance was of the unique and
side-splitting order. Dressed in all the
outlandish modes of the four quarters Of
the globe, and some others yet to be in
troduced by any considerable number
of humans, and masked, the Windy
Guards, under the supreme command of
an officer of enormous proportions and
dressed in petticoats drawn on a dray,
formed for parade in front of the Jour-
nal office at about Meridian Several
"Capitans ON horseback assisted by
others on foot formed the squadron into
disorder. A band of music played a
march. Tong-Achick, in oriental dress,
hat of one yard diameter, mounted on
jackass, fell into crooked line. A
Chinaman on horseback attended him.
Old Dan Tucker and Lucy Long came
in somehow. A Chlnaman, capital imi-
tation, led a make-believe grizzly. Mrs.
Darlington was there, woman in hoops
and forty or fifty other Windy's, with
hats, fiat, rimless and squatty, besides
steeple crowns, sugar loafs, octagon
towers and other descriptions of tile too
numerous to mention. The dresses were
as varied as the wearers. Tin buttons,
tin epaulettes, wooden swords and other
paraphernalia of dangerous war figured
conspicuously.
The grand order to march came from
the mountain of flesh on the dray and
then the various companies of the Windy
Guards followed their immense leader
through the principal streets, all the
while
''Sonorous metal blowing martial sounds"
and the people crowding and jostling
along the side walk attempting to get
sight of the first military company that
ever paraded the streets.
A haIt was called before the saloon
of Harrington & Patterson, few evolu-
tons gone through with, when the Dec
laration of Independence was feelinglv
read to the grim visaged battalions from
the balcony, by George S. Hupp, Esq
d. Belden, Esq, the orator of the day,
Il
dy's, and crowd of outside and awe
struck spectators.
Mr.. Belden's speech we give from
memory, substantially as follows:
Gentlemen of the Windy Guards and
Fellow Citizens when in the course
of human events it becomes necessary
for speaker to address an audience of
this description, decent respect for the
opinions of mankind and a proper re-
gard for his own character require, that
those causes which place him in this po-
sition should be laid before this commu-
nifty.
Opposing to the best of my abilities
the demonstration of this day, dissenting
from every step, and contesting each
measure whose object was an exhibition
of this character, | have only to assure
this audience that there exists between
myself and these masqueraders no COM
munity of feeling, no sympathy of senti-
mtnt, and | shall address myself briefly
to those gentlemen who have forced
me upon the community as the orator Of
this occasion.
Gentlemen of the Windy Guards -
Elghty-one years since, upon the day
which we now commemorate, our revo-
lutionary ancestors pledged for their
freedom and ours. their lives, their for
tunes and their sacred honors. In this
our celebration of that event prudence
would not permit us, if called upon, to
peril our valuable lives-our fortunes
are laid up where neither moth, rust or
revolutions can change them; but the
little that is ours-our sacred honor
we have this day sacrificed with prod
igality worthy of a better cause-it WAS
bnt little but like the hidden mite it
was our all. Groans and demonstra.
tons of dissatisfaction by the Windys.l
Gentleman, it is meet and proper that
you should groan. Good cause has the
community to groan with and for you.
Upon an occasion when you should feel
as patriots and act as men, you have
disguised yourselves as mountebanks
and acted as fools. Groans by the
Windys-cheers from outsiders. You
have defiled these streets, and through
these streets, prostitHting yourselves in
an exhibition disgraceful to you as men,
sacrilegious to you as Americans. Re-
newed groaning, cheering and confu-
sion You have in your feeble effort
to desecrate a day sacred and venera-
BILE from the associations of the past,
and orr national landmark for the fu-
ture emf aimed yourselves in merited
ridicule and contempt. Great confu-
Windys shoulder arms, call for
music and march off grooming
After the tumult subsidized the speaker
proceeded