The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-04-04
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS.
A Letter from Thurlow weed.


To the Editor of the New York Tribune:
In a recent conversation with you /
expressed regrets to have seen, year
after year, diminished and diminishing
interest in our national holidays. For
three quarters of century Fourth of
July was celebrated in the enthusiastic
spirit of the letter written by John
Adams on the day that the Declaration
of Independence was signed. That
glorious anniversary warmed the hearts
and stimulated the patriotism of the
whole people. But this interest has
been gradually subsiding, until these
anniversaries are "more honored In the
breach than the observance"
Until within q few years it was the
custom of city and village newspapers to
republish on the morning or during the
week of the Fourth of July the Declare
ton of Independence, to which most of
them appended the letter of John
Adams, in which he predicted that the
day would be celebrated by firing of
cannon, military parades, fireworks and
iIluminations, by all succeeding genera
tons. In like manner, on the 22d of
February, Washington's Farewell Ad-
dress was reproduced.
It was my own habit during a hal
century of active journalism to republish
annually these stirring appeals to the
better and nobler sentiments and SYM
pathy of the American people. L had
another habit which might very properly
and usefully be observed. This was to
republish every ten or twelve years arti-
cles which, from their historical inter-
est, their eloquence, or from their poetic
beauty, were sure to attract general at
tention and excite general admiration.
These articles would go the newspaper
rounds, and were read not only with in
terest by such as had never before met
with them, but proved fresh and CRATE
full to such as had seen them before. I
think your readers will thank you for
now publishing one of these articles. It
is, as will be seen, very beautiful de-
scription OF the person, manner, habits,
appearance, miracles, and character of
our Savior. This account Is peculiarly
valuable in not only coming from a
contemporary, but from one high in au-
thority:
THE SAVIOR.
Description of Jesus by P,tblus Lentul,ts, Pres
ident of JudeG an the reign of Iiberius
Cesar.
There lives at this time, in Judea a man Of
singular virtue, whose name is Jesus Christ,
whom the barbar1anS esteem as a prophet but
his followers love and adore him as the off
spring of the immortal God. He calls back the
dead from their graves, and heals all sorts of
diseases with a word or touch. He is tall
man, and well shipped of an amiable and rev.
erend aspect his hair of color that can hard
ly be matched, falling into graceful curls, wav-
ing about, and parted on the crown of the head,
running a stream to the front after the fash
ion of the NaZarites, his forehead high, large,
and imposing his cheeks without spot OF
wrinkle, beautiful with lovely red; his nose
and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry
his beard thick and of color suitable to his
hair, reaching below his chin, and parting in
the middle like fork, bis eyes bright blue,
clear and 81 irene; looks innocent, dignifed,
manly and mature in proportion of body,
most perfect and captivating his hands and
arms most deiectable to behold. He rebukes
with majesty, counsels with mjldness, his whole
address, whether in word or deed being elo-
quent and grave. No man has ever seen him
laugh, yet his manners are exceedingly pleas
ant; but he has wept frequently in the pres
ence of men. He 1t temperate, modest and
wise man, for his extraordinary beauty and
divine PROJECTIONS, surpassing the children of
men in every sense.
The Savior is SO seldom recognized in
profane history that this confrmatory
contribution to his projections is espe-
cially valuable. T. W.