The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-04
The Fourth OF July.

consideration Of its moral and social aspects
seems most appropriate. In all countries
where personal liberty is esteemed as the high
est of privileges patriotism is moral and
social duty, and with US the Fourth of July,
as the birthday OF our liberties, is Its annual
Sabbath. 1t is q significant sign that after
the lapse OF nearly century, we have not so
far departed from the religious traditions of
the founders OF the Republic as to make "the
day We celebrate" paramount 10 all Others
and that we are ready TO commemorate the
Fourth on the 9th with all the fervor that
should be accorded TO the actual anniversary
1t thus appears that we are not willing TO
allow patriotism to interfere with religion, nor
yet that we ara willing to forego
the exhibition Of our patriotic in
stincts because religion claims this, the
ninety-ninth anniversary of our great
Declaration, as sacred to itself Ii we may
not take our flags and transparencies and
patriotic notices into our churches we may
at least carry with US to these temples of
worship the patriotic emotions which must
dnd a place in cur hearts to-day, and the
clergy cannot perform q higher duty from
their pull pits this morning than to deduce the
lessons which this anniversary will enable
them to teach to the whole people. Political
honor and honesty, wise and faithful public
service, and the duty of all to see that good
and pure men are chosen 10 Office, and that
abuses of power and corruption among public
men are sternly condemned, are fit themes for
the sacred desk on day like this. BY hold
ing up the higher moral tone of the founders
of our institutions much of good may be
attained, and we may even learn TO exemphfy
once more in the public service the sincere
patriotism and political purity Of the earlier
epochs of the Republic.
In considering the moral and social aspects
of an anniversary like this nothing eau be
more torcble than example, and in all
our history there il mono so noble
or so conspicuous as that of Washington.
Yesterday was the centennial Of bis assump-
ton OF the command of that little band of
patriots which he was destined to lead through
many trials and much suffering to complete
and glorious victory. Almost untried himself
he bore his part so unostentatiously and yet SO
wisely and firmly that through all these hun
dred years his fame may be said to have been
only ripeniDg into nobler immortality. Look
where we may We can find no one to be COM
pared with him in all that goes to form the
ideal character OF the leader of o great and
free people. 1t is trite saying that he was
first in war. first in peace and first in the
hearts of his countrymen; but no other phrase
so well describes the complete and perfect
roundness of the man. AS soldier he
was prudent and skilful, and as q statesman
be was not only wise in his measures of pol
icy, but pure in his administration Of affairs
He never even so much as stopped to conquer.
In all this he left to his country the rich leg
acy Of his example. and nov, after one
hundred years Of national life and growth, we
cannot celebrate the anniversary of the
nations natal day without drawing new les
sons Of wisdom and instruction from that
bright and glorious career which began under
the historic elm at Cambridge, July g. ITS.
In all the duties Of life, whether in the field
or the Cabinet or the humber sphere of
private and personal duty, Washington's ex-
ample was equally exemplary, and from more
than one pulpit We may bear to-day of the
moral and religious grandeur of bis career.
An old hymn sung in the church of the first
parish in Cambridge just 6.ty years ago
describes that as the place
where in our country's darkest day,
Her war-clad hero came 10 pray.
And we write in commemoration of his virtues
almost within sight of the pew he occupied in
old St. Pauls during part of the time he was
President of the United States. Such an ex-
ample, so perfect in every manly as in every
Christian attribute, must become more pre-
c!ous as years roll round, and with each re-
curing Fourth of July be more and more q
part Of the lesson deduced from its observ-
Rnce.
But while we would hold up the example of
Washington as especially fit for imitation and
reverence we are slow TO believe the Ameri-
can people are as bad as some of our contem-
poraries would have the world believe. II is
true political corruption has become q menace
to our Institutions; but we doubt whether the
danger is greater now than at any time in the
history Of the Republic. Whether this is so or
not it is a duty to combat and destroy it, and
this duty must become an essential feature in
our Fourth Of July morality. Dishonest con-
tractors were found in the Continental army
az we'll as in the armies Of the Union, and
Arnold, before no became full traitor to his
country, was not the only lukewarm
patriot Of tho Revolutionary era. No
public man was ever more virulently
attacked than Washington himself, and Gen
eral Schuyler, who, one hundred years ago
to-day was the favored guest of this metropo-
lis, suffered N sre than Grant or Sherman or
Mcclellan or Pope from the jealousies of rival
commanders. In spite Of all these chickering's
and contentious and many faint hearts In o
great cause two royal armies succumbed To
the valor Of the ill-fed and ill-paid Contnen-
IL