The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-07-09
The Fourth in Independence.

The Fourth in Independence.
~ The ever glorious Fourth was
observed in our place, in accordance with
the previously announced programme.
The day was clear, though twas hot
and very dusty. The town commenced
filing up at an early hoar.sand by nine
o'clock, Main street was, crowded with
the intelligent, patriotic and well dressed
population Of the 'trural districts" AL
most every, conveyance was decorated
;, with the emblem Of our Nations glory,
and the Star Spangled Banners" we're
. as thick rs leaves in Valambl osia. =
The day was ushered in by National
. Salute of "a guns and rs the reverbera-
!. lions Of the booming cannon were watt
. ed over the broad expanse, we thought,
e Of those who>are engaged in deadly strife
, in the distant battlefe.ds in our own be-
slowed country, to whom the celebration
. Of the. Fourth would come as thing Of
. unusual significance.
AtslO O'Clock. the procession OF mill
! tary, civic societies and citizens, prece.
dcd by the independence Brass Band
was formed at the Court House, under
the direction Of Capt. Lee, - Marshal Of
the Day, andailer marching through the
F. principal streets, repaired to the grove
, near the Methodist Church, where the
public exercises were to take place. The
opening prayer was offered by Rev. Mr..
SAMPSON, in which was brealhed forth
an eloquent petition for the blessing OF
, God upon our distracted country, thanks.
giving for past and present mercies, and
earnes! and well expressed desires for the
success Of the National Army, in the
) impending struggle for the preservation
Of our Government The Declaration of
Independence was read BY Mr.. DOMAIN,
after which the Orator of the Day, VII,
LIAM MILLS, of Dubuque, favored the
large concoursc Of people. with one OF
, the most patriotic. eloquent and interest
+ ing lth of July discourses we ever heard
Contrary to the usual custom. il Was an
off hand effort, and, of course, some wha,
rambling and discursive but not the less
entertaining 1t was received with fre.
quent outbursts Of applause, and we ven
,ure TO say, that what little of secession.
ism was left in Independence, was so
Justly ard sharply rebuked by the patr,
otto speaker himself DEMOCRACY that
1t may be safel y set down as dead dog"
in this community. If we had the time
and space 10 attempt a report of Mr.
MILLS address, we should be afraid OF
doing him injustice in the effort. TO be
appreciated fully it should have been
;heard. and it, doubtless was heard. BY
the greater part Of our county readers.
The exercises We're interspersed with
singing by the choir, composed Of Messrs
Ross. Fonda. Wright and Poor, and with
National music by the Band Both the
vocal and instrumental music was well
executed. We could not help rcmarking
that the band have improved very much
in the past few weeks, and that was the
general remark during the day. Bray's
band were also present, and executed the
martial music to e,erybody's satisfac,
ton, as they usually do on such ocra-
sions. In the afternoon, there was 10
particular demonstration, except tina, the
interest was mainly directed towards the
head quarters Of the 8 Independence
Guards" where recruits were eniisting,
flags flying drums beating ard flies
screeching, until nearly shutdown.
The programme for the evening. in
. GLIDING the FIRE works and balloon ascen.
sions was interrupted and disturbed
somewhat by the rain. The rockets
were. however, discharged, and Mr.. Lit
tleJohn sent up one OF his balloons, but
the enjoymen was much dampened by the
iuniavorable weather. more, perhaps than
the earth, for the rain did not amount to
much. The day passed off without The
least accident TO mar the festivities OF the
occasion, aud altogether there WAS mau-
sual eciot attending the celebration. The
condition OF the country, the excite
ment attendant upon sending off a
Company Of our own neig hbors and
friends to the War, and the aroused pat.
,rlotism Of the masses. all combiped TO
make Fourth Of July, 1861. day whose
memory will long be cherished in indie
pendence.
EE A letter was dropped into the