Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-07-05

We come, we come with singing,
On this glad natal day.
TO Thee, o God of nations,
Our grateful thanks to pay;
We thank Thee for the merccs,
Upon our land bestowed,
And blessings without number,
That from thy bounty flowed.
Thanks for this noble Union.
Our fathers hands uprcared,
Thanks for the glorious banner
To all our hearts endeared
True children of brave fathers,
Must now perform their part,
Give strength, o God of battles,
To every patriot heart.
Up, up, ye sons of Freedom,
Your country calls for aid
Base traitors now are scheming,
Her honor to degrade;
Their hands already reeking,
Red with your brothers blood
Up for that blood is calling,
Up, for your conntry's good.
Go forth, then to your stations,
Brave sons of Delaware,
And let your deeds of valor,
Become the name you bear;
Lift high that starry banner,
Up toward its native sky,
And let il float forever,
Symbol Of Liberty.
At the conclusion of this song. the Rev. Mr..
Wiswell, pastor of the church, arose and deliver
ed an grafton, which was replete with historical
Interest and patriotic sentiment. The Rev
speaker seemed to have his whole soul wrapped
up in his subject, which he entered it with an
earnestness and enthusiasm that bore irresistibly
upon his heaTers indeed, so inspiriting md
purely national were his utterances and SO
ardent and pointed were his sentiments in de
fence of the Constitution and the Uuion, that the
audience unable TO restrain their patriotic emo
tions, burst out in open applause in the church
No such demonstration hns ever before beer
witnessed under similar circumstances in THU
city; hence this may be very properly called til,
grand awakening of christian devotion to thu
Constitution md the laws of our injured coun
try. We hazard nothing in snying that hn,
not n question OF propreiy presented itself Il
the minds Of many of those present, ladies ~
we'll as gentlemen would have evinced their an
probation of the discourse and the love of coun
try which it inculcntcd, by visible demonstration
Of applause. We thought we could detect
rokndling Of the patriotic fires of '7G in the eve
of the people as they listened to the spirit. stir
ring appeals Of the speaker IN behalf of the Re
public.
Tho troops were we'll repaid for the hour the
spent In church en- that day and if they sha
ever be called 10 battle in defence of the goriou
old stars and stripes, they will need no create
incentive to duty thana recollection of the thrill
ing, burning words of patriotism than wer
spoken in willing ears to devoted hearts on th
Fourth day Of July 1861.
The following is the
GRAFTON OF REv. G. +. wIswELL.
Friends and FelioW-citi-ens:
know you will rejoice with me that th
4th of July has not yet been stricken from th
page of history, aud am equally sure your b.
! lief is as strong as mine, that the genius of dc
struction shall never reach il. Thut immorIt
document which has just been read, is anon
the imperishabie verities OF time John Adam
saw, in his vision of the future, that in aft,
generations aud ages this national anniversar
would be celebrated by the ringing of bells, I'll
firing Of cannon, aud the jubilant shouts of tb
multitude who should linger under the gratef,
shade and safe themselves with the luscior
fruits of this tree Of liberty. Even so is III
vision of that grand old seer realized To III
truly loyal American heart, the day we cele
hrate has always had grateful Significance.
Ensbrined in and clustering around 1t are
thousand tender and precious memories of III
times which tried the souls Of our sres. On il
annual recurrence, bearing as it does such
rich freight of hullowed associations, the bloc
of patriotism has quickened in our veins, nu
this common and instinct We devotion to COUNT
has been famed into more intense flame.
But never has the return of this natal ia
found 30 many and such loyal hearts to WELDON
il Ms now Never has il been to us SO dear n
epoch in our national history In our childhoC
we heard with curious and eager interest Il
thrilling tales of Revolutionary times We he
our youthful patriotism set aglow, as we WEI
told of the origin Of this day and the stirril
events to which its stern resolves gave rise.
Our sympathies were taxed and love Of COUNT
and liberty were stimulated as we heard of Lee
ington and Bunker Hill; of Brandywine nj
Yorktown. All those things we thought of
in the unreturnng past. The farthest stretC
of fancy could hardly reach period when XII
bred scenes and events would assume the featf
proportions Of present realities.
But il is even SO. Eighty. five years hn'
/ served to reproduce such a condition of thin
as give to the Fourth day of July and the dl
olaration Of national independence a meaning
full and fresh as ii had to those revefel d
triots who slumber in the dust of three qua
tiers Of n century. Let us be grateful for Il
! coming of such an anniversary, and let it SER
) to quicken in our heart of hearts," the sent
! ment of loyalty, which by reason of undisturbt
prosperity was IN danger OF extinction.
d 1t is natural and fitting that on such an ocoi
l sion we should recur to the origin of this dn
e Perhaps after the reading of the declaration
principles which signalized its inception, il
3 not needful that should enlarge upon its BIZ
/ tory, and yet one Of the services rendered /
the annual celebration Of 1t, is to refresh in II
r memory of the nation the history of an event
!, which we have ever legitmatey delighted
: boast, and for which we ought never to cease
Q be thankful
The right Of revolution is one Of the constitr