The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-06
The Fourth Of July.

The Fourth Of July. rs ..s.a,
This most famous of all Our anniyersaries--i'
indeed the aattoa has really had no other; for
the ed Of February had not before the war
been celebrated much out OF Virginia We re-
peat, this most famous Of our anniversaries, |
on Sunday this year, was cele-
brates, Yesterday. webelieve all our readers
know this. Here it was celebrated very
quietly, but comfortably and pleasantly bs
serera, companies as as many shady places
where good water could be had, not tnat
that was all that was needed but even the
4,h Of July, although celebrated on Inc
9Th, Is not independent of little water from
the ever flowing fountain under the treeS'
Fourth Of July, however, Is not, ana we
fear viii never be again, what It was. Inc
age that succeeded the revolutionary age
was full Of the revolutionary spiFlf, ana
the great anniversary was celebrated Wild
unbounded enthusiasm. Every village
had Its reader and its orator, and the readef
never fai.ed to avail himself Of bis opportu'
nIty for a patriotic curl as prelude to bis
reading Of the declaration and we have heard
MANY aa prelude" that with all the patriotic
fire that burned within us we could but re-
gard as " pre-ludicrous." The declarations
"a we'll as the principles of our great fathers
were rehearsed by orators, and chrystafzeo
in toasts, and proclaimed amid "thunders OF
applause" ~ .-.f%.-. -
II every village had all this, every city
had Its numerous celebrations and its toast
ing and shouting and shooting. The whole
country was jubilant. From morning I'LL
night the cannon and the drum agitated The
hearts and the atmosphere Of the country.
And then the press grQaned under the "e'gh'
of orations aud toasts. Every man in the
land deemed it his right as an American free.
man TO have bis toast printed and read; anu
hundreds of thousands of "sons of liberty "
deemed that the ,bunders OF freedom, con-
centrated in their toasts, shook the thrones
of Europe and caused crowned heads TO reel
their ne cks to see II they were whole. .'.@
But change has come over the spirit o.
the land. These scenes have ceased, ano
the present generation knows little abou'
them. That such an anniversary could Ut
celebrated for very long with such-we may
saw. ferocious- demonstrations of feeling
was a physical and philosophical lmpossl
biIity. It was due to the brief time between
that age and the Revolution, which all ther
said "tried mems souls" The memories
80 fresh and bright were rendered ever
more vivid by the second war with 'rea
Britain in 1872. And our torches were
brighter than ever.
We of this day can never cease to admire
the heroes Of the Revolution and their prin
ciples. Indeed, their principles are the cher
ished principles of the South. But thes
principles have been ignored by our Owl
Government, and this has caused natura
depression in the public heart in the matte
of rejoicing over what had been condemned
and successfully subvertcd or pl1ced in abey
ance. II is not in the nature of things tha
we could be jubant over what we love Whll
chat was captive and detained from us.
There has been restoration OF SOM
things since the war but not all things
We have some old rights and some equal
ity: but we have our sugar sanded, ou
wine with gall, and all the restorative
with their objectionable odors. SO tina
although revived and hopeful, We eanno
yet be entirely happy, nor yet Jolly
and very far are we from being glorious
Ho'er a. the ills of life victorious"
That's what we used to be on 4th July
We can't be so ugain, but we can be a
great deal better of, and may hail the day
far more happily than we can at present.
Let lis hope for this.