, 1876-06-30
The Day We Celebrate.

everybody recognizes how great and
blessed people we are; and as the
momentous occasion will have passed
ere another issue of our paper, it is
eminently fitting that we should re.
fer to it. Many, to be sure, Will
hail it with fireworks and ar
tillery,anl others perhaps with just as
explosive orations, but in all hearts,
whatever be the outward expression,
there should be but one sentiment,
and that of grateful joy, for on this
dav, at least, the name of Country
becomes something like that of
Deity. And we might picture, with
out bombast or conceit the vastness
we have attained within the past one
hundred years-picture the wealth
of the varying climates from the hot
swamps of Florida to the SHOWS of
Minnesota, from the pines of Maine
to the palms of the Carolinas, from
the storms of the Atlantic to the
calms of the Pacific, and the varying
peoples inhabiting field and prairie,
crossing deserts and mighty noun
tain ranges, or sailing the inland
seas and rivers, all of whom, from
the Aleutian islander and the negro
to the proud Caucasian, are equals
before one universal and protecting
law. And it is that universal and
protecting law that constitutes our
blessedness among nations. For all
the vastness of our domain would
be but so much added force to the
bolt of our fetters if it we're the do
main of despot; and the chief in
terest attaching to our extent of
area is only that SO large a tract of
the earth has been redeemed to the
purposes of freedom, unhampered
by any oonditious but those of its
own humanity before the law.
In every country save this the
pyramid of power is founded on the
writhing forms Of the euslaved, the
groveling, the. vanquished,, and the
PROSTATE. But no words of ours,
no language of which man is capable
can ever illustrate the pregnant
magnitude Of the auspicious event
which is to be celebrated on the
Centennial Fourth of July next, One
hundred years ago the darkness of
slavery had spread over the nations
its sombre and funereal pail. Hope
for season bade the world farewell
when the sinewy hand Of American
valor, on the 18th Of June, 1775,
unfurled the star -spangled ban
ner, blazing with immortal light,
from the storied SUBMITS Of Bunker
Hill, and in July os the following
year was heralded forth the Decla-
ration that sounded in the gloom Of
slavery like the divine accents in the
ears Of Lazarus, shrouded in the icy
shadow of the sepulchre, 6 Loose
him and let him go!" This young
shout Of Freedom resounding across
the Atlantic shook and thrilled the
heart OF the oppressor with nntteIa-
bic horror and trembling alarm, not
because. it was the triumph of valor
but the victory Of principle; not the
laurel Of the soldier, but the success Of
the philanthropist. II was,the rati-
fication of those humane maxims-
'.iberty, equality, ,ssraternity"-wh which
Franklin had garnered in the sslons
Of Paris and Jefferson has embodied
m the Constitution of our country
Our people should worship with
more sincerity the cherub loveIiness
Of Freedom, born in the bloody
pangs Of war. The entire pro-
gramme Of exercises for celebrating
the centennial anniversary of the day
which inaugurated our Independence
appears elsewhere in this issue, and
we commend to our readers peru
sal Of it. 1t is worthy OF the 'occa-
sion. Let all unite in carrying out
its provisions.
m