New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-04
FOURTH or JULY.

mere seems 70 De no udnSeI OF our ono Nd
riOnal festival falling into desuetude. The
feast of reason to which it was once consid-
cred necessary for every American citizen of
proper self-respect 70 sit down. has indeed
lost something of its obligatory character The
Grafton has ceased to be the objective point OF
the davis festivities. The sacramental speech
which began at Bunker Hin and was brought
down to the the latest facts mentioned in the
THE TRIBUNE ALMANAC, has been worn little
threadbare. and although it still does casual
duty in the rural districts 1t requires very
Softened light TO make it look "maist as
"weel' s the new But in the gradual progress
of luxury, the taste which has found the mild
effervescence of local rhetoric too insipid for
holiday diet, has sought more material graf
ifcation in sights and sounds. Enough pow
der will be burned to-day to win the battle OF
Armageddon, and for weeks past the manu-
facturers of flags and fireworks at least have
shown their undiminished confidence IN the
demonstrative patriotism Of the American
people
1t is possible that one cause of the perma-
nent success of the day we celebrate as
holiday is that it falls in The season Of the
wear when it is most needed The first heats
of the midsummer have attacked the busy
towns, and the gentle dclirium which leads
overwolked COckneys to babble of green fields
has begun to exercise its persuasive influence.
As the strenuous Yankee mind sternly demands
a pretext for lOafing, instead of accepting 1t
for its own sake, as its own best excuse and
justification, what better apology can be made
for day of deliberate idleness, than the pre-
tense that we are cultivating the glorious
memory of our fOrefathers9 The weary elders
can sit in the shade and forget the shop, and
the rising generation can kick up its nimble
heels in the clover for this day without re-
prOach, and charge the loss of time TO the ac
count of patriotism. The festival day has this
year received especial honor for whereas
formerly it was only holiday that fell on a
Sunday which had the grace of spreading its
privilege over two weekday neghbors, this
happy Tuesday has set free train of days
from Saturday to Wednesday to share its
blessing. There is no danger that we will
ever have too many days of rest and recrea-
ton. The languid Latins and the easy-going
Germans of the South may give themselves
scarcely working days enough to recover from
the iunketing of the red-lettered ones, but
there is no fear that the blood which came
over in the MayhOwer will ever learn the
lesson of Incidence There are not enough
Sam LawsOns among us 70 turn our old towns
into PalermOs.
In this country and time of rapid evolution,
it is easy to mark how even the character of
our holidays changes. Thanksgiving has al
most lost its original religious coloring and
has become a day of family reunion. New
England has adopted the long neglected Christ
mas, and has given it new and striking char
acter of mysticism unknown to the rude jOllity
of the Southwest. We have seen the Fourth
of July pass through several distinct phases
of expression 1t was at first the somewhat
vain and Oflicious assertion of victory and
youth, the season in which the young nation
annually asserted its existence with clamOr
not wholly free from nervousness. In the
years of the great war the day became sacred
TO expressions of an earnest and passionate
patriotism, and gained an added glory by great
battles and great victories. Since the war
ended, tie observance of the Anniversary has
a calmer tone, as becomes nation of the first
class, conscious of great powers and an almost
limitless future. The time seems to be coming
when the Fourth of July shall be a holiday
pure and simple, devoted To rest ana recrea-
ton and some sort of civic Observance which
will recall for ever the beginning of the Re
public, which we hope is to have no end, but
which win be free from any narrow pride, or
jealousy, OF hate, from any ranking resent
ments for the past, or truculent arrogance IN
the present No festival, save that of the Ma
tivity, has so valid claim upon the respect
of mankind IL commentaries step IN the
worlds progress which was bameless in It's
without rcprOach in its methods,
and grand IN its results. beyond the dreams