Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-07-06
The Fonr,h of July, Is0S.


lfrom ibrpers weekly
Once more the Aag of the United Stotes
floats supreme. over every inch Jf its right
iul domain, from the pine hills of Maiue to
the palui shores Of thn Gulf, and from one
ocean to the other. -Four years ago it fell
at Fort Sumter upon a startled people
doubling II they were nation. Ii rises
again over the strongest nation upon the
globe. The great national festival returns,
and will be hailed as never before. Eloau.
encc and song and solemn popular euthu
sissm will cOnsccIate the memorable day
The bells and the cannon of a continent will
salute It's happy sunrise aud evening; and
the universal public and private prayer of
all true hearts will be, God bless and pre-.
serve the United States Of America
Eighty nine years ago our fathers de.
clared popular government to be practic-
able. They asserted that such. govern
mcnt would be adequate to every emergen.
cy, slenalIy prosperous III peace, and in
vinclble against treason or foreign war
Favored by every iclicitous influence Of
situation, of climate, and Of moderate pop.
ulation, the great experiment hogan. That
it was an experiment the Od World insist
! ed. That with kind climate and sparse
| population it might work we'll SO long as
there was peace, was contemptunusly con
cedcd Bat that it would yield to the first
serious pressure, and disappear in war, Was
haughty asserted.
It. was called an experiment. and it was
more so than was believed. 1t claimed to
he trial OF the principle of popular gov
ernment, butit wajnot u fair trial. Thought
iul mrn curly saw that il it fJicd, the
iaiIUie was not OF truly popular system.
but OF ore viilated by partial but absu.
! ititn ,t.lni.,l ff 10
the other hand, it succeeded, lis success
would be the suhimest proof of the endnr-
ing character Of such government, and d
final vindioaInn ol wise faith in msn.
The hour cf trial came. 1t came under
cloud oi ch chcumstances apparently fatal tc
the system. 1t came as disease comes to a
poisoned frame. THE bubble has burst T.
cried those who had sneered. "God save
the People y prayed those who had be
lieved. And as IA ship strains and heads
against the thunder and shock of mingled
tempest aud ocean, SO with sure persistence
with upqualling courage, with unwaverinl
faith, giving their time, their money, then
heart 's.bood, the people breasted the com
bined and prolonged fury of anarchy and
despotisu, and triumphed. To-day they
stand erect and victorious under the perfec
rainbow of the departing storm, and tina
bow Is the promise of peace to mankind.
The experiment is complete. The pop
ular principle has been found sufficient t.
suppress an Unprecedented rebellion a
home and to avoid foreign Interference
and it has done this without losing its e.
soncr or its form. A vast volunteer arm,
OF lit zans-a formidable navy bu It al,
IN nnud in the very sire IT war-an enor
: hols loan taken by the peop.s-th, s
have been the means, with ne al Bit ar
measures but such as he Constitution sci
contemplated and providel-by which TIN
result has been achieved. Aud that til
spectacle might want no essential element
: the labor was accomplished under the lead
ership of a man whose purity of life all,
sublime simplicity Of genius, adled to hi
profound faith in liberty and entire relianc
} upon law, riado him the characteristic rer
rcSentative of the American people and G
republican institutions In the bright gar
land OF the rejoicing festival leaf Ut ru
viii be woven in tender memory of hin
nor will any orator forget to mingle tn
name of Lincoln with his celebration Of IT,
, national unity and liberty which the sloi
2 heart and the strong arm Of the people ha
, maintained.
! We have right to r. .ioice as never he
fore-ior We have now the authority of "a
, percnce to believe that every question will
, IN the no'ion vii hc wisely ,tttled by ih
: same pGrulor good sense and patient hqSs
lsin which has saved the ration.