The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-04-15
The SS]lIailg= Argns.
Centennial Celebrations.

- Centennial Celebrations.
The Revolutionary centennial cclebra-
tions may be said to have properly begun
with the Boston Tea Party, in Noyember
1873. During the next seven years our
people will again and again be prompted
by greatful remembrance of the time
that tried mems souls. to recognize with
appropriate memorials the important
events which marked the progress of that
struggle. On Monday. April 10, such a
patriotic recognition will take place at Con-
cord, Mass. The ceremonies promise to
be extremely interesting. There will be
a great gathering of people from all parts
Of the Union, those of New England nat
urally predominating. Professions OF cltl.
zens and citizen soldiers will be formed
which will parade through the streets of
the village, and at the public place listen
to speeches and songs commemorative OF
the fight at the old bridge where
sOnce the embattled farmers stood,
And fred the shot heard round the world
In one sense the 10th of April, ITS.
was the natal day of American independ-
ence. The formal declaration read on the
4th of July of the succeeding year was made
inevitable by the shot at Concord whose
echo was heard around the world. Up to
the moment that American blood was spilled
on that April morning one hundred years
ago, severance of the political ties which
bound the colonies to the mother country
was an idea dimly foreshadowed only in
the brains of the most advanced thinkers
| OF the time on this side of the water We
have the testimony of Thomas Jefferson
that, as far as Virginia was concerned,
Before the nineteenth of April, ITS,
never have heard whisper of a dispo-
''sition to separate from Great Britain. ~
The animated page of history tells US how
the news from Lexington and Concord
| fired the hearts of the people from the
granite hills of New Hampshire to the
waters of the broad Savannah. Putnam
abandoned the ploughshare in the field,
the excited citizens of New York met and
issued a call for the immediate assemb-
ling OF provincial congress, and Patrick
Henry, in the house of Burgesses of Wig
mia, Numbered response that reused the
South to arms. Form that time forward
reconciliation was impossible. A nation
had been born, and the events which fol
lowed were the necessary developments OF
its nurture and growth.
American readers will never tire, VIC
trust, of the story of the first armed re
sistance made by their forefathers to the
laggressions Of the power beyond the sea
They will recall how the British troops
eight hundred strong, were sent out O
Boston on the night Of April Is to destro,
the rebel stores collected at Concord, TWEEN
ty miles away; how Paul Revere tool
up the news at Charleston and Dawes a
Roxbury, and sped before the advancin.
column arousilg the people from thei
beds with their hasty cries how the meet
ing house bell was rung at Lexington ant
the minute men gathered on the green ant
loaded their muskets with powder ant
ball; how the British appeared at day
light led by Major Pitcairn, and skirn,
ish ensued which resulted In the KILN,
and wounding Of sixteen of the villagers
while the invaders escaped unframed
how the fight was renewed at the ston
: bridge at Concord, and the British, il
turn, were sent to bite the dust; and how
upon the night retreat to Boston, the pa
triots hung on the TANKS of the flying enc
my, making every road side hedge an am
buscade and every footstep bloody recon
pense, until the breathless and dust black
o ened fugitives reached the loyal lines
The remembrance of the events attendin
the opening conflict of revolution whic
> gave to us country and form of govern
ment the best the world has eyer known
: cannot fail to inspire us with a love of tina
: unity by which alone they can be preserved
and determination to defend ther
against the approaches of the enemies VIII
= more false than the foes of 70 becaus
they come from within) would erect Ger
> tralized despotism on the ruins of fedel
al republic