The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-07-04
Tho Fourth Of JHly-Its Practi-
cal Destruction.

One Of the results that have followed the
accession of the Republican party to power
"a the practical destruction Of the 4th Of
July-of all that whice used to be its great
est boast and concratulation. How beauti-
fully and eloquently we used to descant on
zach occasions of the tax-ridden people Of
the Old World, and cite them as examples
Of what we had escaped in this land of
promise. Can we doit on the ensuing 4th?
Would any one have the audacity to draw
such a CO n~parison when it is sure to be
AGAINST us! The people Of Europe. with
their, centuries of war and misgovernmeut,
are all lightly taxed in comparison with us,
in this free and model Republic. -Four
years of Republican ascenaency did that for
the United States which eight hundred
years of blood and slaughtcr-of financial
corruption and extravagance-did in less
degree in the Old World.
The universal text Of all our indepen-
dsnce celebrations was: once the personal
liberty that was. the Sirthright. of every
American citizen. How the changes used to
Be runSgi in ten Thousand o~rations upon our
immunity from arbitrary arrest-upon our
regard for freedom of speech and Of the
press What a noble'enmparison We used
. to present, in this respect, with the coun'
tries on the OTHER side Of the Atlantic. Il
there are any who indulge in this species Of
rhetoric on the, 4th now at hand, it will be
those who have forgotten the names of those
American bastiles, Forts Warren and La
iayette, where were incarcerated, without
any legal process whatever, the best anc
..p1ost patriotic in the land. 1t will be those
who never hcardthe tinkle of Stewards be.
that wonderful little instrument-whos'
sound incarcerated any person in prison
whom the Secretary chose to single out
from Maine to California, There may b
orators who, iu fcrvid strains Of patriot
explosion. will repeat the old phrases abou
the press being the sentinel upon tn
watch tower of liberty; but it is deprive
Of all oroe and application when we remem
Der tie fact that our s~en:inels of that char
acter in the United, States were struck down
Within four years, more papers have bee
suppressed in the United States by til
rough hand of arbitrary power than hav
persisted in all Europe, under its worst ty
I~annies, in q whole century.
In the real old-fashionci Fourth Of Jul,
the Democratic Fourth-we used to roun
many a fine period AMI complete many
sentence with the praise Of that principle S
eminently American: mo taxation with
gu representation" That, indeed, Wa
the source of cur most energetic denuncij
ton of European tyranny. What can "
cay about that principle now? Is it to-da
a living one in the American Government
He who answers afirmatively, with ii
spectacle Of eleven States taxed as no otk'
communities ever were, and yet denied ar
participation in the Congress that impos'
the taxes, will be guilty Of al audacity
expression that may well challenge wond
il not admiration.
There is one, thing, it is true, that y
remains for US to congratulate ourselves
recurrence Of independence Day. We ha
magnificent empire that extends from oce'
to ocean, and from the lakes to the gu
and upon that we can bring many change
Bat Russia, or China, or even Great Brita
can vie with us 10 that. The quantity
territory over which a government extern
Is a poor compensation for the bad quail
Of its character. Empire is not liberty
territorial unity ia not happiness. But it
about all hat the Republican controls h
left ms for a Fourth of July theme, save t
recoIlections Of a fratricidal war among Of
selves, that it provoked, and which in spi
It ever designs to perpetuate.
The Democracy, which protested agail
all the events which led to these melancht
changes ia our situation, is the only pal
that can celebrate the Fourth with any p
priety, and offer up the shrine Of freedt
cay sacrifices that will mot contain the c
ment Of hypocrisy. They, at least, ha
had no hand in the assassination Of liber
in the destruction OF our noble Const!
ton. If saddpnod in feeling as the men
RES Of that destruction thrpng before the
they have the consciousness of that "hc
which ever springs eternal in the hun
heart" that ere long they will be able
blot out all but The recollection, and that
Fourth will once more, under their adm
istrstiou, be a practical institution.
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AN exchange says that Of all the pc