The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-07-17
THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1878.
An Address Delivered Before the
Press Association of Florida at
DeLand, by Judge VIM.
Archer Cooke,

AMID the sylvan scene OF wood
land and garden, of fragrant grove
and fruitful field, of sparkling water
and flowing stream, sacred alike to
nymph and naiad !; not only the sons
and daughters OF the Union, but the
children of this, and distant lands
have gathered, to meet each other
as brothers and sisters; to grasp the
friendly hand; to salute the bright
and beaming eye; and to feel, and to
talk, as man to man, as friend to
friend, irrespective of locality, or
country, on this more than centen-
NAL birthday of July, or American
political and social philosophy of
the liberty it has vouchsafed to man,
under just and we'll administered
law; OF the principles entwined
around the political, legal and moral
system of American liberty, which if
preserved by your morality may, and
doubtless will, long endure to bless
and make happy the sons and daugh-
ters of man here, beneath the sun
Eght's soft smile. where the song of
the breeze and tie song Of the stream
are mingled in one, let us all meet
around the common altar of our
country, in devotion to the well reg
ulated principles of the liberty we
now enjoy.
But if we cease to bring the offer
ing Of high christian virtue and pure
morality, and spread them around
the affairs of our country, in every
public, private and social relation, we
may, like so many other people, at
every age of the world and in every
cline, but realize the sad idea that
government and laws are but temper
AIRY and fuctuating expedients to con-
troll and regulate human society.
The contest between the American
,Colonists and the British Govern
.1nent, which resulted in the establish
1nent of the Constitution and the
Union" has developed the most re-
1markable and the grandest events in
human history, and has led to results
more calculated to instruct, to enlight-
sen and to make happy the race cf men,
than any series of events recorded
in history, excepting only those of
the Reformation-that reformation,
Snd exposition of truth and right,
which opened the pages of the Bible
and the doors of the church to every
one that thirstJad for the waters OF
life.
/ fear I am not able to do justice
to the noble subject on which l would
prefer to address this audience on the
Fourth day Of July,
For more than century the peo-
ple Of the United States have assem-.
bled on this day, in city and hamlet
and country, TO listen im hundreds OF
places to what in the phrase of yer
nacular history, is called " Fourth OF
July Orations." They have abound
ed in high sounding pletho ric rhetorl-
cal sentances of eulOgy on the char
acters of the actors in the Revolution
of I776-with superficial views of the
events of that period, with abundant
illusions to that famous bir(t, the
American Eagle, whose elastic pin
ions enables it from the center OF the
Union to bathe it's plumage at one
and the same time in the placid wat
ers of Pacific. or the wind tossed
waves of the Atlantic.
1t is not my purpose to talk to you
in such terms. There is philosophy
in history; its events unroll and