Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-07-04
me Fourth OF July.

Our national birthday has come again. Old John
Adams predicted eightyfour years ago that the FOURTH
nj uly would be celebrated with bOnfres, guns, d-um
and universal accamations ofjoy. It never entered the
head Of the brave old patriot that the descendants Of
those who were then about peril life fortune and every
thing dear 10 them TO secure the blessings Of free gov
,-srt ould become so inscnsibe to those blessings,
80 rnninafil Of the tolls and perls, and sacrifices, by
which thew were procured as eOpardze them by in
sane wranglings and contentious among themselves
nv civil Jiscord and legislative wrongs by sectional mer-
aces and denunciations BY party animOses and erm-
nations, BY official corruption and governmental prom
,,ev-so fierce. iaeessant shameless aud rank as to
raise question in the minds OF some, before een'u'!
b,5 ended whether after all they hadinOtsbetter borne
and le for their children 10 bear the wrongs tney nen
endured than have opened way for the evils that were
tocome from government In which the DehlAsOsu'
was 20 be the leader Of opinion and the Mob the aFoie
of rights Life, liberty aud the pursuit OF happiness
s, The boons for which our fathers fought ana t'e
ber;t,g. thew beQueathed u; but Is hmenIASy true
e, recurrence Of the day on which these were
s5 10 be our inalieuable rights, We feel that they
-, and more insecure. Our fathers gave US gov
rnmep in is theory and structure mraeuousy design
"A q, secure "psriect union, esq6ish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common Dc
fence promote the general welfare, md secure
,bs blessings Of liberty 20 ourselves and our pos
,.t Buttbe madness Of tbsss latter days threatens
a. bver ,be structure as t has already perverted the
b- If that rovernment-and to transform into curses
the yer, blessings t was designed TO secure we so
never cease 10 wonder at marvellous wisdom OF nose
= r,r,ss our constitution and moulded our system Of
,,,.-,,s,t-ve fear We shall never have occasion to
-. N execr.te the uncomfortable wiekedness and FOLLY
- chose bo DISREGARD the former aud labor TO destroy
s later In its benign and glorious provisions the
constitution, while it opens the way to Unlimited pr
res aud boundcss prosperity to the people, gu''uS 'n'
Reoubc against everything eXcePlthe general aePra'!
Of h citizens and the common corruption OF hir rulers
Ar these as against the unnatural crime Of parrelSe
in ANCIENT law, there no provision, because IN t
purv Of their own patriotism they believed satn 'nS
irn,ssible Whether this was fatal omi'son-Whe'Her
there vet remains aud is 10 continue sufficient 10 the
d,v" public vrtue enough to preserve the constitution
- ,,,.,u,is the government thiak viii soon be-
determined The present epoch IS pregnant and por'en-
tom. We verify believe that clss no" imPehu'
that il 10 decide the future veal or woe Of tb1 nation
An appeal it may be hn ooe, is nov made TO che con
rv,,ive sentiment Of the vet uncoaauhnated masses OF
IN. psople against the politicians, demasogues ag''ors
fanatic, and dsuuioni5ts who have borne u to the very
,,-,e Of destruction A saving revolution still III the
mower of the people II they viii but rise in their maj
~ and strength tbeynay OvcrWhelm the workers OF mis-
chief and retrieve the rgh proclaimed in the Decra-
lion of Independence aud guaranteed BY the Consuu
ZION. We invoke them by all o. sacred and inspiring
memories Of this day TO make one sueh grand united
and ,llaehievins effort