The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-07-07

The Fourth ofJuly, 1865, was celebrated
on Tuesday throughout the "loyal
States" with pomp never known be-
fore. Villagers who, in other times,
flocked to the cities, stayed at home on
this occasion and had celebrations and
orations of their own. The chief orator
in Washington was colored man, and
he was listened to by vast audience.
Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York,
Boston and all the great cities of the
West did all that ingenuity could invent
and patriotism inspire, to mark and
make the day great and historic. Be
sides being the anniversary of American
independence, twas also the jubilee of
peace, union and nationality. The
gathering at Gettysburg was immense,
and as the orator of the day observed,
in marked contrast from that which as
sembled there two years before.
President Johnson, who was expected
to be present at Gettysburg, sent the fol-
lowing: letter, explaining the necessity
of his absence: ......-s
EXECUTIVE MANSION
WARRINGTON, D. G., July Sd, 1885,
Mr. Dayid Witls, Chairman, dc, Gettysburg, Pa:
DEAR SIR-I had promised myself
the pleasure of participating in person in
the proceedings at Gettysburg to-mor-
row. ...
That pleasure, owing to my indispo-
sition, am reluctantly compelled to
forego.
should have been pleased, standing
with you your Joy at the return of peace;
to greet with you the surviving heroes OF
the war; who . S2mes I back with ii igl
ors; and with you to drop grateful tears
TO the memory of those that will never
return. s.f..5 5fva 81
Unable to do 80 in person, can only
send you my greetings and assure you
of my full sympathy with the purposes
and spirit of your exercises tomorrow.
OF all the anniversaries of the Declare
ton of Independence none has been
more important and significant, than
that upon which you assemble.
-Four years of struggle for our nations
life have been crowned with success,
armed treason is swept from the land,
our ports are reopened, our relations
with other nations are of the most salts
factory character, our internal conf
merce is free, our soldiers and sailors re-
sumo the peaceful pursuits of civil life,
and the only barrier to our national pro-
gress-human slavery-is forever at an
end. .e..1.tag
Let us trust that each recurring Fourth
OF July shall find our nation stronger in
I>ar ctr tn ynottI Of
in the harmony of its citizens, stronger
in its devotion to nationality and free
dom. 3.st. 7e
AS I have often said, believe that
| God sent this people on mission among
the nations of the earth, and that when
He founded our nation He founded it in
perpetuity. That faith sustained me
through the struggle that is past. II
| sustains me now that new duties are de-
| volved upon me and new dangers threat
en- us. I believe that whatever the
means He uses, the Almighty is deter-
mined to preserve us free people. And
since have seen the love our fellow-cit-
liens bear their country, and the sacri-
flee they have made for it, my abiding
faith has become stronger than ever that
"a Government of the people" is the
strongest as we'll as the best of Govern
ments. S. af
In your Joy tomorrow, trustyou will
not forget the thousands of whites as
we'll as blacks whom the war has eman-
cipated, who will hail this Fourth of
July with a delight which no previous
anniversary of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence ever gave them. Controlled
so long by ambitious, selfish leaders,
who used them for their own unworthy
ends, they are now free to serve and
cherish the Government against whose
life they, in their blindness, struck. I
am greatly mistaken if in the States
lately in rebellion we do not hence.
forward have such an exhibition of 10y
atty and patriotism as was never seen or
felt there before.
Where you have consecrated Nation
al Cemetery, you are to lay the corner
stone of National Monument, which,
in all human probability, will rise tothe
full height and proportion you design.
Noble as the monument of stone may
be, it will be but a faint symbol of the
grand monument which, if we do our
duty, we shall raise among the nations
of the earth upon the foundation laid
nine and eighty years ago in Philadel-
phia. Time shall wear away and crum-
BILE the monument, but that based as it
is upon the consent, virtue, patriotism
and intelligence of the people, each year
shall make firmer and more imposing.
Your friend and fellow-citizen,
AyDREW JOHNSON