The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-07-07
THE CELEBRATION.
DR.. DAILY'S ADDRESS

Rev. Mr.. WARING furnishes us a report of
the excellent Address delivered by DIR. W.
" DAILY. at this place, upon Tuesday. We
are able to publish only portions Of it. The
speaker said
On the morning Of July 4th. 1861. was in
the quiet retirement of my Indiana home.
rrieving, as most OF us were, over the terrible
condition of my country. 1t had been the
subject of conversation in my family. and
among the associates of our household. A
dark cloud lowered over what seemed to he a
dissolved nation. The country Of my fathers
was lying waste, and many parts of ii were
already drenched in fraternal blood. When
the morning of that day dawned, the bells of
our little city commenced ringing, and the
cannon commenced firing, as usual on the
Fourth of JAY and there was something of
the joy and the gladness that has accompa-
MED the return of our National Sabbath dur
ing the years that have gone since its first an
nouncement July 4th, 1776. Ny little daugh-
ter walked up by the firing of the cannon
and the ringing of the bells. and she inquired
OF her mother: Mother, what does all this
mean p Why said she, my daughter,
this is the Fourth of July ''The Fourth OF
July said the little girl playfully, as she
turned herself ON her couch, ''well, if it is,
don't think they need trouble themselves so
much about it, for | don't think they have
very much of it left y
was impressed with that remark. In
stead of celebrating the day with our usual
glee. il was day of comparative sadness and
mourning and so it has been. year after wear.
for the last four years. If you have followed
our national history, you will have noticed
that. as this anniversary has approached,
some calamity has happened to our army, and
the Fourth has been ushered in with an APP
Parent gloom and though we hallowed the
day in memory of our fathers deeds of daring
and glory, yet we felt that the glorious Fourth
wa marred-marred by wicked war and a
terrible rebellion. But to-day, on the Fourth
of July, 1865, ON the banks of the far famed
Father of Waters, in the youthful and vigor-
ons State OF Iowa, far out in ''thc West, = as
1t used to be called, | have the privilege OF
eongratuating you and myself in the celebra-
ton of an old fashioned Fourth of july The
sun of our nation rises clear to-day there is
not cloud over its meridian; there is not a
spot on all the luminary of freedom that
shines to-day upon our land.
When the bells pealed out this morning in
your queeny city, ushering in the nation ma
tai day, thought of my little girl, and | felt
that all of the Fourth Of July is left 1t is all
left. 1t is ours. We celebrate it to-day as
we have not been permitted to celebrate it for
four long years which have passed and gone.
! will introduce my speech by congratulating
the country, and by congratulating myself, Oh
the auspicious circumstances which surround
us, and on the grandeur and beauty of the
old flag, which has waved in triumph over a
thousand battle-helds, and has come back un-
furnished. [Cheers.
During the days of darkness through which
we have passed, it was my fortune, in the
winter OF 1923, to occupy q room, the win
dow of which commanded full view of the
capitol of the nation. 1t was New Years
morning, 1868, and rose from my couch at
an early hour and opened my window and
looked out, and 10 the sun had risen in all
his gorgeous splendor right over the dome Of
the capitol-that noble monument of the ma
tons greatness, and centre of legislation, JUS
tlce, and executive power-and It gilded that
dome as with gold. | stood in meditation,
lost in the scene bef re me. i thought of nv
country. There is the capitol-this New
Years sun is gliding Its dome, emblematic Of
the Sun of Liberty that gilds the entire ma
Ton. My country stood out in bold relief be-
fore my mind | thought of It's extended ter.
ritoriAl limits thought of our continental
boundaries from the Northern Lakes to the
Southern Galf-ftom the waves of the Atlan.