Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-07-14
Communication.
Written for The Belmont Chronicle.
CELEBRATE OF THE FOUTW
OF JULY.

OF JULY.
1t was our privilege to witness at st
1 Clairsville the observance of the anniversary
dof American independence. IN many re
: spects yesterday presented contrast will
, days we have witnessed. called 4th of July
a celebrations. In this contrast we though
we saw evidence of improvement in the con
c dition of society. Perhaps we should say
in the exhibitions of yesterday, in the quie
town of St. Clairsville and its suburbs, we
: witnessed pleasing evidence of the elevated
:. literary. moral and religious character of the
community.
Some things were not noticed which We
Shave seen among the prominent things on a
tfourth of July in other localities and in days
E gone by. We heard no booming of cannon
no laundering tread o. prancing cavalry
. no military parade, nor accompanying shouts
s.of an ignorant rabble, paying their noisy
Sopprcb i,us, blind omsge to the bloody wal
god, Mars.
What a contrast with the present state oi
Europe, now led on madly by the then un.
: clean fray-spirits of the Revolution-de-
! ceived, and gathering and rallying under the
banners of the tyraht despots who are lesd.
ing the masses blndly to an immalation
ignrnimcus, upon the altars of their base
mbition! This semi barbarian war spiri,
has held the nations of the old world in
degrading vassulage for centuries, and that
too in the very face of Christianity, with the
arts and sciences and literature and all their
emelioratng influences. This very day
while we are sitting in peaceful quiet re-
cording the pleasing scenes Of yesterday,
far removed from the horrors of war, fsr
from the smouldering ruins now opening to
our vision in the wake of marching armies
passing over the enchanting plains of Italy,
u'1W HlNL ililiiiOHo VI Oui iuSC nuOW HO
other arbitor but the sword, in settling dis
iputes among civilized nations-know no
Joiner avenue to national fame and glory
than through blooG-stained battle fields
know no other instrumentalities with which
to secure mt ional greatness and moral
power emong surroun ding nations, than
mighty navies and standing armies!
Yesterdays quiet, indicative of conscious
national security, very naturally suggested
the question--what has given this young
nepublic-this nation small numerically
the moral power and influence it wields
among the strong powers OF the old world.
Not its navy, nor its Standing army. No.
nor its defiant defences. its towering battle
ments bristling with terrible war-dogs.--
None of these things. In this maxim, rath-
Ter. lies the secret 'kno,cied9e is po,oer ;"
One other thing greeted not our senses
don yesterday-we saw no liquor stores
-opened-no liquid death dealt out from the
hotels, stimulating to riots and uproa RS and
Fights, and bloody faces, and the usual &C.
ccmpanimen ,oaths, vulgar & profane. We
saw no jealous worshipers of Bacchus, nor
did we hear one eBacchaliansn song To produce
a dscord in The Christian melody of the
Christian songs of the Sabbath School cele-
bration of the day. All seemed harmony
Christian intelligence, Christian feeling anG
good will pervading all.
Perhaps we should refer to some things
we did observe, as the prominent features
of the day AID of the exhibition of the
evening.
In the early part of the day we noticed
promiscuOus groups moving towards the Fair
Grounds South Of town. These groups re-
sembled families vending their way to
Church on a Sabbath morning. in the olden
times, when our fathers worshiped in the
wood, each group headed by father and
mother,in train brothers and sisters from the
full grown to the little child, led by the
parental hand. Up and down they passed
till they arrived at deep ravine in the mid.
die of beautiful grove, shading hill and
dale and turf and bluff, and gushing crysta
fountain sending forth cheaply its healthy
temperance beverage 20 rich and poor alike
free to all. Enchanting spot. There,
seated in dense little croud, the grave as
sembly with book in hsnd--for books we
saw many--sat listening TO grave and sem
sible words uttered by grave citizens, evi-
dently the spontaneous effusions Of the oc-
casion, and of patriotic and Christian hearts.
OF the addresses, however, we are sorry to
have to say. we heard but part. The best
we presume, we lost. But the sight! There
sat in graceful order ia ir women and lovely
men with hoary heads, and
Grand Mas too--beautiful damsels and
smiling, intelligent looking children OF the
Sabbath SCHOOLS, all grouped together with
ears erect and eyes directed towards the
speakers, as on a holy Sabbath day in the
house Of God where Chrisl's Ambassador
speaks to sinners. Surely, said NV heart,