The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-03
INDEPENDENCE DAY.
A Nation Almost One Hundred
Years Old.
A n f T 20 = p r G II.


Seventy years ago. when the city Hall Park was
one END OF town and the Battery another, when
the vicinity OF the Stevens House, down town.
was toe FiHh avenue OF the then young metropolis
ana the BATTERY was what Central PARK Is to us
now-sne breathing spot, parade ground and
pride OF the cisy-NaJ0r General Morton's annual
psrades Oh the veteran and citizen soldiery and
the succeeding evenings display OF fireworks in
Vauxhall Gardens, which stood on the present
site OF the Aston Library. were events not to be
disregarded or forgotten Dy the men and women
and the children Of that day and generation. In
oeeo' some OLD gentleman who has survived those
days and who, happily, has witnessed the rise and
CROWN Of new YORK city nom an imam: to
r,tr GIANT CITY
win relate to you, with fearful eyes, the Joys expe.
renced In his breast In attending and participant
Ing In the quaint Fourth Of July celebrations OF
sixty or seventy years ago. Indeed 1t must not be
thought that the Republic the generation OF to-
Gay is less proud or patriotic than in the past.
surely all the blessings that could have been be-
slowed on nation have descended upon the race
which inhabts the young Republic OF the present.
In no period OF our history have we had m ire to
be profoundly grateful for and more to make us
patriOticaly toisterous than now. In all ages of
which accessible records have been preserved no
century in tie worlds history has been distin.
stupendous In their actual results as that which
dates from the Declaration OF independence.
Within an incredibly short period science,
art, religion, philosophy, the economies
OF peace the waste Of war, the relations OF rulers
to the ruled-in fact, everything In the realms OF
matter or OF mind that concerns us rs a nation
and our prosperity as free pe0ple-nave under
gone wider changes than In any period or equal
duration. Among the varied occurrences OF This
growth and progress OF the United States. Within
an incredibly short time in
the population OF our own has been increased
rom 100000 to a0.00o0o0, and a NARROW belt Of
territory enlarged until It overspreads whole
oceans. Industry has extended its sphere, and Is
so diversified that it embraces in small things and
"a ana a 1e OF
city ana STATE during ne same period mas BEEN BEEN
so remarkable as to estonish the world. wilder
ness In 1915 and In 1910 an undiscovered country,
to-day the population OF the State exceeds that or
part OF the world moves. To-day the cities OF New
York and Brooklyn have population in excess OF
that which the State boosted as late as 1885 In
New York in that year we had less than 200 miles
OF railroads, no sleeping cars, no end Of stage
coaches and craft OF ancient extraction on the
railroads traverse the state and the whistle of the
steam engine is heard In the remOtest sections OF
the Union; Illinois seventy years ago had pop
ulatiOn OF 1900, and in 1880 140 0C0. Even then
Chicago was wilderness. Ninety eight is
q good many years, and vet our nation
is Young we have IN lnat period, it is true, led
the world IN almost everything, and, in view of all
that has been accomplished, who will dare say that
little national vanity Is not pardonabe ? Why
should not the ninetyeighth Fourth July De ccle-
DRAFTED with all the pomp and gayety possibles 1t
Is cheering to feel that there is at least prospect
that the festivities OF the occasion Will be PARTED.
pated In by Q larger proportion OF the American
pc pie than have united In doing honor to the day
since the close OF the war. Though a variety OF
occurrences have disturbed the country since the
last Fourth OF July, chief of which was the none.
tarv panic, nothing serious mas happened to pre-.
vent our people from joining hand and heart In
the general reoiclngs OF this years celebra-
ton. with peace AZ home and abroad, II
we may except the war upon the CANNES
now disturbing the powers that be and puZzling
the brains OF our scientific minds; with the promise
OF q plenteous harvest; with the North and the
south more nrmly knit together in bonds OF unity
and peace than at any period since the late Gun.
pleasantness," and with ten thousand other
things Tor which we may be truly thankful no
man should say that the present Fourth ought not
TO be celebrated as something more than q mere
days rejoicing, with bell ringing and cannon
firing and orat!ons, as ioretod by John Adams Q
With the whole country united one In the cele-
bration of this years festivities naught can pre.
vent speedy restoration of the old Fourth, and
those good Old times when The guns that pealed in
Boston were answered by sl!u.es in Charleston;
when tae bell winch proclaimed "ilberty through.
out the land unto all the inhabitants thereon hau
echoes from Maine In the Cu,f