The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-14
DAILY LEADER
WEDNESDAY,, JUsE "A. 1853.
The FonEth Of Jay.

will be found call for 8 meeting of citi
zens at the Mayors Office this evening, fol
the purpose of making arrangements for 8
proper celebration of the approaching
Fourth of July. In announcing this meet
ing, and in expressing hope that it may
bs largely attended, we desire to make 8
suggestion or two to the peopleand the city
authorities in regard to the importance and
significance of the approaching snniver-
sIry.
Since FOurths of July were ordained,
there has never occurred one one-hslf SO
deserving of enthusiastic celebrasiOn as the
approaching one, in the year of our Lord
Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Five
During the last four years our celebration
of the Fourth has been shsdowed and
dsrkened by the overhsnging calamity Of
War. In the midst of our rejoicing, sor-
row has sat, in ssble robes of mourning
Over all our joy has hung, cloud like, the
anxious foreboding of suffering and grief.
Proud SIS we have been in the victories of
our soldiers, and we'll assured as we were
that our great conflict would end in the
triumph of Freedom and Union, we yet felt
the anguish and pain Of the struggle, more
than the Joy of the coming victory, and the
weight of the Cross impressed US more than
the glory of thecroWn. Bus now, all those
long, dark hours of agony and blood are
over. The nation has passed through the
bitterness of its Gethsemsne and the cruci-
fxion of its Cslvsrysnd has risen again &c
q peace and triumph which is al the more
blissful and happy in contrast with the
pain from which it hss but just escaped.
And Just here lies the significance of the
coming snniverssry-tsat 1t should be
made the occasion for celebrating the TestO.
ration of Peace, Union and Liberty. We
have ss yet had no nstiorsI or local oele-
tration of the fact, now patent to every OBJ
server, that Peace is at last attained. The |
celebrations which greeted the news of |
Lees surrender we're impulsive, spontane-
Gus and enthusiastic, but, As might be eI-
pected, they were not adequate, either in !
gravity or in impsssiveness, to the coca
sion. And since that tire, the nation, |
over vhslmed by its great bereavement has
not celebrated with any public ceremonies
the events which have marked cur gigsn-
tic strides toward peace. It is well
that we should have some such a celebrs.
tion-one which shall IS far eclipse all
previous outbursts as the success Of our
entire war exceeds in impO. tance the win
ing of a single battle. Tne return Of peace
In other lands is hailed with Te Desms and
choral anthems, with flowers and songs
and dances, with holidays and festivals.
How much more should the end Of our
great civil war, the triumph Of the right,
The restoration, not of the old Union, but
Of Union redeemed, freed, purified, glori-
led, be ushered in with shouts of joy that
hall se. the land s-ringing from shore TO
ihore And what more appropriate occs-
lion for celebrating this new birth of the
lstion can be found than the national
anniversary, set aside, since the glorious
lays of '76, for special Observance 2
We trust, then, that the coming Fourth
If July may be celebrated with this object
trictly in view, and that it may receive q
more general and enthusiastic recognition
han ever before. The Governor OF Penn
ylvania has publicly recommended that
he day be made one of sPecisl welcome to
,ur returned defenders and of commemo.
alton of their heroic deeds. We wish that
omething of this sort could be made na-
ional throughout the Union. We hope st
my rate that i. may be properly celebrated
n Cleveland. We hope that we may have
n the way of Fourth of July celebration
iomething better and higher than the
gretched cracker nuisance and the psrilous
pistol nuisance which make usual Fourths
% annoying and intolerable.