The Lake County star., 1876-07-13
Centennial Letter.

~ INrUH8eFs ~ Hc IHU.
From our Regular Correspond-nt.l
PnnADEIrHiA, July ~, 1876.
The Official National Celebra ion
of the Nations Centennial Birth
day-for such the 4th of July GER
emonies at Philadelphia must be
called--was proud affair, the rec
objection of which will doubtless be
transmitted through another cen-
tury. Yet grand as it was, the oc-
casion was not wholly unmarried by
conspicuous defects. The Presl-
dent Of the United States, who, out
side Of all personal considerations,
should have been present as the
head of the government, had to be
apologized for on the platform, and
the National Congress, for which Al
joint session in independence
Square, at noon, had been very APP
propriately suggested, put in no
appearance as u body. The reason
assigned is that the Senate failed
to act upon the resolution passed
by the House, providing for such a
session. The Philadelphia papers
have justly spoken with some bit
terncss OF these defects, for which
no apologies are adequate.
The features of the occasion were
parade, an grafton, n poem and
a chorus. These the simplest elc-
ments Of such u cOmmemoration,
comprised the programme, the rest
being made up by the sovereign
people who were here in hundreds
Of thousands, manifesting the sober
and reverent joy Of patriotism; the
proud glorifcation of the heroic
fathers who one hundred years ago
founded government for the peo-
pie and Of the people. The thous-
ands Of the opening day of the great
Exposition have been more than
cqualled, but the trace of u careless
and cosmopolitan gathering have
disappeared. Men are still here
from all lands. The scion of the
royal house of Sweden stood by
Gen. Sherman on the grand stand,
and the Emperor of Brazil in his
rigorous incognito, sat upon the
platform at later hour. The an.
cicnt and fading Declaration of In.
dependence was taken from its long
seclusion for the first time, and held
with reverent hands by descend
ant Of its promoter. The flags, the
uniforms and the troops of thirteen
united colonies gathered for tho
first time since the Revolution il
this garrison town of the war Of in.
dependence, but their march wss
headed by the towering youth Of
IL national army-thc West Poin,
Cadets-and the long line marched
past thronged and crowded ranks
which showed the accent, the bear
ing, the manners and the habits o.
forty States and Territories, and
naturalizcd citizens drawn from as
many alien nationalities. If the
General Government was absent
the general people were here. i
Congress failed to meet in the ole
hall and round the century with an
other general and Continental Con
grcss, the people from early morn
ing were passing in n constant an,
orderly stream through the ancicn
room. The fraternal greeting witt
which Boston surprised the nation
a year ago, was not the salient fea.
ture of this national gathering. Il
was not needed; but its fruits were
here in full harvest, and men saw
without comment or murmur IA Con
federatc general leading the troop.
of The united colonies through tn;
streets of Philadelphia.
The parade in point of numbers
was the largest ever seen in Phil
adcIphia, though no larger than tn,
writer has seen ut six o'clock in tn,
morning OH the 4th of July in New
York, where the city regiments al
turned out. But it was a brillian
parade, because composed almos
entirely of crack organizations from
all parts of the country. The Cen
tennial Legion received one con
tinued ovation all along the route
and the Southern regiments in it
under command of Gen. Heth, wer,
greeted with applause on ever,
hand. The march was long ant
the heat almost intolerable, whicl
caused number to drop out from
exhaustion, but there were no Sc
rious cases.
The exercises were conducted il
Independence Square, which coult
hold only fraction of the Grove
upon the streets. Upon the plat
form sat the Emperor of Brazil
Dom Pedro, Sir Edward Thornton
the British Minister, Prince Oscar
of Sweden, Governors Hayes ant
Ilartranft, Secretary Cameron, Gen
erals Sherman, Sheridan and Han
cock, and host of other officials
The music was under the direction
of the irrepressible Gilmore AM
Theodore Thomas. Acting Vic
President Thos. W. Ferry preside,
"a tho ahaonco of tho Dra.;Joo,