Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-07-31
From the London TINES, July 4.
The Fourth of Juiy-An Ell glish Grafton Composed
by the London Times.


by the London Times.
The Fourth of July " has sound quite different to
EngliShmen and Americans 10 Us it IS like any other
day to them is festival soemnly set aside for graz.
flying to something than safety national vanity
the most inOrdnate and the most exciting that the
world has ever en-. On that day, in every town and
township OF tie United States chosen addr,
appaudug audiences two subj cts-the the
praise Of their country, the other the depreciation
of ouis. Fourth OF July in American palauct, like
Marathan " in Athenan, has become adjective,
usd to denote whatever is oVerwrOught, extravagant
and bOmbastic. These annual rhetorical Salurnalia
have had most material and pernicious influence on
American character They have even gone some way
towards vatng and bar BARKING the language which
they are expressed Their tendency has uniformly been
to elevate the opinion which the people entertain Of
their merits, TO teach them to depreciae every
else, ard 10 amarZ3 them with the language and in
oxicate them with The glory OF successful War, AID
cessiu they told must be when waged by na-
lion of prowess 80 invincble Metaphors abound. AS
rOnomy contributes her stars 10 spapge the national
banner and her solar system to ypify the smooth and
admirable working Of the great Coulederacy. History
gives back the mighty memories OF Sparta and theus
OF Rome and of Carthage Eternity describes the dura
ton and infny the extelt Of the future dominion Of
America The points OF the compass the tOrid and he
rgid zDnes the ecIptc and the equator called in
to convey the idea Of magnitude lLe "tfete Cespot-
sms of the Old World, their creeds their taxes their
laws aud 0 d W orId ObserVances overwhelmed un-
der storm OF ridicue and contempt. But Eng land is
pt culiary bt k for lnVectlVe and vlluperation-
be battles OF tie OF independence all fought
over again The thrice told tales of that seru period
are repeated once more George the tyran the cruel
txecuti0ners Howe aid Clinton, Aruoid the traitor
aud Andre the spy the surrender Ci Saratoga, the
piuaiiOn OF YOfkt0Wu, called once more into lie
Tbe cruelty and tyranny of the Brltls1 vernment Its
German mercenares, their ravages hel devastation, Its
employ ment of savagrs against The rebrlous coonsts
It's pro6crptions its cnf5cations Its threatened exzcu
tons for Ieaspn are displayed 10 the vivid coIors
The whole thing is tr diti0n which has come down
uninterrupted IRON the days OF the voiutlonary War
and which While to Americans ii the most Datu
raj thIg the world RS very strangely on the ears
OF those wFCsa N uis have had ample time 10 cJo
IN the course OF tigh'y Years.
Well now, let suppose that on this present Fourth
Of uIy som3 man o m deratiou and good wiz.
something lUSe aud with eplrtt OF taruesS aIu
canjor could be induced, d. ance of The pref ud:c
that would ur4lv attacl itself t. su n character
to undertake Fourth OF Juy GRAFTON, and let Us c1u-
slider how he wyud express himself We Will drop
eagles thundeTDOls, wdterspOufs aud hurrlcanes-the
orth and tie South, the + ist aid the West, time
space eternity aud lnGly, and The other c)nd men
uf regular fourth OF July GRAFTON, and proceed al
oGce to the su stance OF what such a psrson mght
be supposed 10 have to say Fellow cz rs he
might naturally observe " this is no time or extra
VACANT and exaggerated panegyrc." let us keep oui
eoquence for better times endeaVor, if can, tC
karu something from our present position. We have
nad our way 10 this matter OF the var, and art
10 as lar IS can see very much better for it. bG
Euglish io.d Us al along that had better say,
our blood and our moneo, and make friendly part
lug with the South, since it was clear there was nt
chance Of our dwelling together under the same gov
ernment any more. OF course, We felt the creates
contempt aud hatred for whatevlr England sid, anc
! knew that II must be done with wish to Iuin rs
But for all l can see. England was not very IA
wrong We have always been going to conquer tn
South n thirty days. We hove not done it yet, ant
for my part, don't see that we are much nearer do
ing it than We were when We first began. Here W