The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-07-12
The Fourth in New Orleans.

~ s''ilt' attiUtlc ms year ia generating
the glorious folrth.n Not content with
one celebration in which all could unite in
hand and heartto do honor to the day and
It's hallowed associations, they must get up
opposition and have tapo jubilees! Passing
By the bad taste of this little family Jar we
Gull largely from the Picayune Of the 9Th,
full accounts Of both celebrations. One Of
the meetings from all accounts was. a mere
radical political ore, intended to bolster up
the lettering fabric Of oldfogy wire pullers
and to pander to the dcprayed prgudices Of
the ignorant and bigoted:
At II, O'Clock, the Hon. Glendy Burke,
late Mayor Of the city, arose and announced
lin q few brief words the order of proceed.
lings, and the gentlemen who would take
part in the proceedings. lie then intro
dnced to the audience the Rev. MI. Bartlett,
who made a most impressive and able pray:
or, recounting how Providence had led the
ancestors Of many Of US to these shores,
and invoking the continued Blessing of Hea.
wen, and beseechinga blessing on the Pres
lident Of the United States and all rulers,
and on all persons of whatever color. that
TALL might be made ssfrec indeed by the
truth" After the prayer the band played
the "Star Spangled Banner and then Mr..
Burke introduced Judge j. IN. Lea as the
reader Of the Declaration Of independence.
The Judge, read tile. declaration in such a
way as togive additional free toifs Weighty
and ponderons sentences. Familiar as we
were with il, we were yet struck by its
mighty grasp and comprehensiyeness of
meaning. When Judge Lea had concluded,
ded, the band played g Hail Columbia. y
After which Mr.. Burke introduced w. r.
Mills, Esq, the orator Of the day. who pro.
ceeded to deliver ali admirable address.
We regret that the crowded state Of our
columns and the great length Of Mr.. Mills
speech obIiges MS to condense into a synop-
sis what would appear to more advantage
could it be given in full.
The speaker began by remarking that aif
ever the natal day Of our country became
forgotten, it was because the blessings and
prosperity which sprang frnnt the ReYolu.
|tion Of 76, though great, had become SO
common that its benefits werenot apprecia-
ted" He then showed tie feelings with
which the men of that time, worn out with
seven long years Of war, saw the great
framework Of new government become a
living thing, and spring into life under their
hands. Hence the ath Of July was to them.
ia holiday-tle reward of their own rcrse:
yeraDce, courage and wisdom.
Previous to the recent bloody trial, tile
American people were in The enjoyment of
10 prosperity owing in great measure from
| inheritance, and not froE, their own efforts.
We can, however, new on this day, appreci-
late the benignity Of peace, for VIC, with an
Eguish Of body and mind, have experienced
the horrors of war. Peace, the Consiitu-
/ ton and the Union! OF fellow. citizens,
how feeble is the speech ofnan to express
| the emotions which those words inspire |!
The constitution Of Our fathersl How
deeply loyedsby all who study it, How
countless the blessings when by them
obeyed
The speaker then showed that pre-
lvious to Jnly 9TH, l716, to say that
liberty had not been enjoyed by tlle
people Of tie thirteen united colonies
would be erroneous. But this liberty
was regarded in nearly all previously
existing governmentsas a boon given
to them by the monarch, and not as
their natural inalienable right. 1T
was "the true. wise and bold enunci
alton that governments derived their
power from the just consent Of the
tgoverned,D that rendered the Declare.
ltion of Independence SO dear to us,
| and makes the 4th Of July the birth
|day Of American liberty" He then
showed that the Government is ex-.
lc!uded from interfering in the dearest
personal rights, and the strong pro-
lection secured to personal freedom.
But when sovereignty is vested ID a
King, it follows that all the actions
Of the people must be directed more.
or less by his sovereign will The.
Church, the Press, the customs Of the.
people. all are freed from governor
tai influence with us. He then
showed that there can be no Ameri..
can soilwhere there are not American
citizens, and the grand simplicity Of
1.-THE whole structure of the Govern
ment, and also the power Of enforcing
obedience to it's laws. Every ele..
ment Of faction has been hurled
against 1t demagogiies have used
their vile arts to weaken-it political
ambition, void Of love Of country,
has grasped at. power to destroy tile
nation !; and yet obedience, to law
has been eventually enforced. Let.
US, then, fenow.citizens, once mere
on this, the eightysninth anniversary
|of the nations independence pledge
to defend the constitution, and the
government established under it. Re
member 1t was the. work of mem
whose memories we all. venerate,
whose wisdom and patriotism were
exeelled only by the purity of their
lives. Let the philosophic Hamilton,