Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-03-04

III NWU ltdlN tuN AhiiNN hi"'N' WIN Nv
hundred years old. The centenary will
occur on the fourth of July, 1916. The
birthday dates from the Declaration Of In
dependence. This was followed by seven
years struggle before the independence of
the country was an assured fact. Having
male good our separation from the mother
country" the declaration became a fact.
We were entitled to all the rights and priv.
ilegcs Of the most favored nation. In less
than forty years we had another struggle
with England, in which she came of second
best, for the reason that her Judgment as
well as the moral and political good sense
Of the world, was opposed to the outrageous
claims which she made, and to resist which
we went to war. la less than forty years
more we exercised our Republican sword
on Mexican flesh. There was no particu.
lar reason for the contest, and no special
good resulted from it. TWAS a sanguinary
political caprice and adventure. In less
than twenty years after this ignoble war,
we managed to justify our national exist.
enco by sort of interstate conflict. 1t
was hardly civil war, for the limits Of the
conflict were upon geographical lines. 1t
was a tremendous, bloody and costly strife,
the echoes Of whose artillery have hardly
yet died away hut it resulted in the over
throw Of system Of slavery which orig.
mated 10 the colonial period of our history,
and had been an incubus upon our energies
aud prosperity ever since. But this con-
fict resulted with less detriment to the
body polite than many feared and now
we stand on the verge of the FIRST century
Of our national existence, an undivided,
strong, aspiring people We have wealth
cred some of the fearful cyclones of TEN.
pestuous sea, and have indicated the wis
dom Of our fathers 10 separating US from
the parental restraints of our venerable
mother.
An hundred years Of such national life
deserves at It's close some fitting notice. II
our vessel should not founder in the next
two years, but come safely into the port Of
the century, we ought to make some dcvoui
as well as jublant recognition of it, II
would seem to demand the fervent &C.
Acknowledgement Of the God of nations, a.
well as the mutual congratulations and
joys of thepeople. Such a centennial ought
to mingle religious thanksgiving with polit.
ical celebration. To give it up to guns
and frecrackers, to the ringing Of bell,
and spouting Of political speech makers
would be dissertation This nation has
seen some hard service 1t has been
through dangers that might have been fatal
but for providential help. 1t has grown by
internal and external forces to magnif.
cent population, and to an immense domain.
The potential elements Of personal ambition
in it are beginning to find room and scope
for exercise. Our wonderful prosperity
has increased our peris. Under such cir.
cumstances, to give up the day to self.glori-
hcation and stump orators, to explosion Of
powder and Philadelphia politicians,
would be to make it a contemplate farce.
The attempt Of Philadelphia to monopo-
lie the centennial celebration to devote it
to the exposition Of the industry Of other
nations and the s.,s-ai-p,ay OF this I; to lay
the government under the enormous tribute
OF eight millions OF dollars to beg from
State Legislatures and generous indiyid
uals' the means oeedful for an unparalleled
local display, because the Declaration o
independence happened to be signed anc
, promulgated in one Of her halls, ought t
be repudiated. There should be no grea
overshadowing local celebration, to whc
all the resources of the country are mad
to flow. To localize such an occasion i
one city of the country would be to rob
oil its Significance. To put it into the hand
of the low politicians Of Philadelphia, woul
make it offensive. There is no objection /
7 the City of Brotherly Love having cele
J bration of its own, to its hearts content
but TO connect such an event with an ex
hibition Of universal industry and art, +
subordinate TO il all the contributions O
J government and the charity of States an
} individuals, would be in wretched taste an
policy. Why should we want to invite tn
representatives of the other nations to hea
our self.fatteries and laudations? Tn
taste which would propose such celebra
ton is that of barbarians. 1t does not be
long to a cultivated community to parad
its excellencies in the eyes of strangers
10 do it would be to stamp the nationa
celebration with ineffaceable infamy. 70
Congress to give the subsidies of the gov
ernment to such an affair would be
national disgrace. To put the nationa
honor, for the time being, into the hand
OF the Philadelphia Mayor and Aldermen
would necessarily invite the criticisms o
rivals and foreigners. We trust that Con
gress will be guilty of no such folly.
The Centennial ought to be national ant
not local. 1t should be partly religious, ant
not wholly sef-gratulatory aud secular. L
should call the people together in the mos
accessible centres Of population, and the
voice Of the nations thanksgiving should
go up to God, not from Philadelphia alone
but from ten thousand other cities and
towns, until the whole air would DO filled
with the rsverberations. No local celebra,
ton should have the government aid and
patronage. The memories of the past
should be rehearsed in all our villages, and
the fires Of patriotism should be kindled OF
all our hillsides To dwarf and mutilate .
national jubilee by putting it into the hand'
OF Simon Cameron and Mayor Stokely
would prove that we needed another cen
fury Of national existence 10 order to reach
the years Of discretion.
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