Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-07-06
Fourth OF July.

The celebration of Independence
Day yesterday was not different from
those celebrations that preceded it.
The young anticipate the day as a
time when law and order are tempor-
arily suspended and Young America
can burst the bonds of propriety with
impunity. Ninety-nine years ago
Fourth of July dawned with more
solemnity, the Declaration of Inde-
dependence was read, more like the
last will and testament of the Cont.
mental Congress, the toll Of the old
State House bell sounded the funeral
note of many an earnest patriot, and
the day closed with earnest prayers to
the God of Battle for victory to the
patriot army. We celebrate the vic
tory which followed the Declaration,
rather than the announcement of its
principles, for, had not victory blessed
the army of Washington, Fourth of
July would to-day be time of humil-
iation to the patriots of the world,
instead of a day of rejoicing. Our
Democratic institutions have stood the
test of ninety-nine years; we
are on the eve of the Cen
tennial anniversary, with a
Union extending from ocean to ocean,
and from the gulf of Mexico to the
st. Lawrence, and yet our greatest
history is in the unborn future. We
have tried the strength of the fabric by
two foreign wars, and civil strife of
colossal proportions, and the Republic
has survived. The three million pop
ulation of the colonies has swelled to
forty millions and the wealth of the
nation has increased incalculably.
Franklin's idea of free schols has been
elaborated until every hamlet in the
United States teaches its poor, and ed
ucation has become as free as air and
water. The people are not only free,
but intelligent and educated. All
men, poor and rich, are equal under
the law, and the dissemination of
knowledge teaches them to prize their
God-given liberty. No corruption in
politics can taint our intelligent peo-
pie, no usurpation can stand before
them. The hope Of the United States,
as we'll as the world, is in the educa.
ton of the masses. Tyranny builds on
ignorance and superstition, but the
corner stone of this Republic is the in
telligence of the people. Politicians
may plot, parties may battle, but ed
ucation is the strength of the State
and the salvation of the people. With
education we will continue our Won
derful progress as a nation, celebrat-
ing our Centennial, yea, even our
Millenial anniversary; but, with the
people ignorant, vicious and depraved,
the State would disappear, as did
those Republics of ancient history.
In this spirit we believe Los Angeles
celebrated the Anniversary yesterday.
Though in a State absolutely unknown
when the revolutionary conflict shook
the tottering thrones, yet civilization
has given her high place in the his
tory of California. Our enterprising
citizens have laid the foundation of a
future great city. They have based
the hope of the city on the intelligence
and education of the rising generation.
The adobe is giving way before the
palatial mansion; the Indian hut is
superseded by the live city; the desert
trail is crossed by the iron rails, and
the screaming locomotive wakes the
echoes in the mountain wales. And
this is not all. The schools are i'm
planting in the youthful mind the
to grasp at something higher
"a desire for a nobler, better life.
With an educated population, Los
will become better and
brighter; enterprising energy will be
created and the massesimproved politi-
cally, socially and morally. Lay deep
the foundations of your schools. Di-
vest them of all political prejudice and
religious bigotry and superstition.
Teach the children that to have health,
strength and happiness they must be
intelligent, moral and industrious.
Show them that moral purity, physi-
cal activity and mental education
make man happier in this world.
Show them that virtue has its own
reward and vice carries its own sting.
With such mental, moral and physical
education, our liberties will be- safe,
our penal institutions useless and the
world a Heaven instead of He'll.
With such people we will have a
regenerated nation; partizan strife
will be buried In the memory of the
past, and we can celebrate ON the
Fourth of July a new Declaration of
Independence-of o nation free from
national corruption, liberated from
politicians and dedicated to the good
of all mankind.