Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-06-12

the gods, and dev0urlng the dam
ties which they had caused to he
spread. The generous call 'C' has
made, "Come one, come all the
native to the manor born. the Ger
man, the Irishman, the Italian the
Engiishman, the Aslatic and the
African ~ would no doubt be re-
sponded to so far as eating was
concerned. And, if each brought
his basket with him, or relied for
an invitation TO eat with some one
who might relish his company as
much as he relished the feast, there
would be no Misunderstanding to
prevent the good feeling, which 'C'
evidently desires, by shocking So
cial prnjudices which would not
fail to obtrude themselves Under
the Barbecue arrangement.
From his mention of number
of the honored names of old citi-
zens as proper TO be called upon to
give the desired intellectual tone
to the occasion, take it for grant
ed that he would prefer the orato-
ry to be open to the call of thespeo-
pie for such as they might most
desire to hear--not confined 10 a
single "oratol of the day Let
there be a number of short and
mainly impromptu speeches, which
shall have drawn their inspiration
from the occasion, not the occasion
Inspiration from single mind
which, after the old style of fourth
of July orators, would treat of the
events of the dead Past, instead of
the duties of the living Present
of the fallen Republics, Greece and
Rome, instead of the rising Repub-
lie of America and the wants of its
people generally, and especially
those of the Valley of Virginis.
remember well how | surpris-
ed an assemblage of my former
fellows citizens, which was occa-
stoned by an address which it was
my pleasure to deliver in the Meth
odist church on King streets the
Fourth of July, 1865, by saying no.
thing about Greece and Rome. In
stead of the ld-fashioned stilted
oratory, / INDUCED in plain ia
miliar talk about the duties Of the
hour. urged the "Unionists'' and
Rebels as they were then class
ed, to consider the war over, warl-
ing them, as / doubt not they have
all come TO see since, that they
could not afford 10 continue the
conflict, even in words, as found
them doing at the time-that the
great questions were, "How
shall the waste places, which the
terrific plough-share of war has
made, be built up most speedily,
bringing social order and Brother
ly recognition with the rebuild
ing ?"
For that address l have had no
regrets, although it disappointed
valued friends. Insisted as / had
been by Unionists to be their ora
tor, / was expected by some of the
less relenting oftheir class to curse
their enemies for them. That /
declined to do. j had come not to
curse but to bless. / was censured
not little. Even the wise and
good and usually dispassienate
John Candy, charged me, in the
Union newspaper, with being too
lenient. In fact, before got away
from the county, there was an OPP
position meeting called at the
Courthouse. and an otator found
for it, who did satisfy those who
desired curses Instead of blessings,
to their hearts content. And of
what class of men does the reader,
not acquainted with the facts, sup-
pose he was? Why's minister OF
the gospel OF ''peace on earth and
good will to men"-a young Meth
odist preacher, who rad been play
ing chaplain in the Federal army,
in West Virginia, about the time
of the "Philippi races" But l re-
peat that | have never had reason
to regret the conciIiatory tone OF
my unstudied 'oration," so called
by courtesy. If the young preacher
can say the same. be itso. Let ev-
cry man stand by his record, if he
can.
la the conciliatory spirit OF the
celebration of 1865, | would have
thafof 1876 turned 10 account so
cially. fl could afford it'll would
come home to assist in the celebrat-
ing the day, IN that temper, sever
al times a year. If so used, feeling
as the boy said he did at Christmas
| would like TO have the Fourth Of
July last all the year-in spirit al
least. j. +. 5.
yNAcrTrNcnoy n ~