Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1861-08-08
For the Gallipolis Journal.
THE 4TH OF JULY.

Mr.. EDIToR:-l was gratIhed to see
that the citizens Of Gallipolis put off
the celebration of the 4th of July
1t was prudent to do SO from motives
of economy. Your good people have no
doubt been at much expense and trouble
since the beginning of the unhappy
war in which our country is now in
volved. Their liberality to the officers
and soldiers, standing in the defense Of
our rights and liberties. and remaining
for time in your city and its vicinity,
has been almost unbounded, commend
ing itself to those who have been thus
relieved, and eliciting the praises and
admiration Of all who have any SYM
pathy for the tolls and privations of a
soldiers life, or any regard for the
honor and welfare of our beloved lard.
now drenched with the blood of the
slain. Most of your citizens have Wed
with each other in the profuse distribu
ton OF their charities. While to the
ladies belongs the honor of devising
still more liberal deeds of beni6cence
and good will. Many of our country
people have been quite generous in
their bounties. Neither the town nor
the county has been wanting in toll, la
Dor, or expense. in order to provide the
comforts and necessaries of life for
those who have volunteered to fight or
die for their country. For these acts
of humanity we should not seek the
praise of men. These are duties, and
the rewards are the testimony of a
good conscience.
There are other and higher motives
than economy that should influence
those who, for the present year. put off
the observance Of the 4th of July after
the usual manner. 1t is indeed the
great birth day Of our national liber-
ties. and should be held in sacred re-
membrance by every lover of God and
his country. But those liberties are
now in jeopardy. The enemy and the
adversary are in our very midst. The
alarm of war and blood-shed, of death
and destruction is sounding through
the land. "This day is day of troub-
le, and of rebuke, and Of blasphemy."
The whole nation is agitsted by the
storms and tempests Of adversely. la.
mentation, and mourning, and woe
I'll the hearts and habitalion OF many
in view of the desolations which this
unnatural and fratricidal war has
brought on their friends and their coun-
try. 1t is true the state OF things is
now more sad than at the beginning Of
this month. Still TIE general picture is
true; this, in the opinion of some, may
be too darkly shaded. Joy and mirth,
gsyety and hilarity. festivity and other
tokens of friendly greeting have no af-
6nity for seasons Of gloom and dark
ness. The voice of God, of reason,
and Of conscience is in opposition to all
such affinities. Every feeling of the
human heart revolts at the idea of ex-
hibiting mirth or levity over the groans
Of the dying, or the sighs OF the woun-
ded and distressed. And much more
when a nation is in trouble, and her
life and liberty at stake, is it a time for
rejoicing? Rather is it not a time,
which, in the providence of God, we
are called to observe as day Of fast
ing. humiliation. and prayer? "In the
day of prosperity be joyful, but in the
day of adversely consider: God also
hath set the one over against the other,
to the end that man should find nothing
after him. ."-EccL. Z: IA. 1 trust
this consideration had its influence on
those who declined to observe the late
4th of July ie the usual way, and l am
disposed to think it bad.
A violation of this principle, which
is incorporated with our very being.
and especially with our moral constitu-
ton. and neglect of the duties arising
from it, have in all ages. brought on in
dividuals. families, communities and
nations, the righteous and terrible judg-
ments of sin-avenging God. "And
in that day did the Lord God of hosts
call to weeping, and to mourning, and
to badness, and to girding with sack.
cloth: and behold JOY and gladness,
staying oxen and killing sheep, eating
flesh and drinking wine: let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we shall die. And
it was revealed in my ears BY the Lord
Of hosts, surely this iniquity shall no,