Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-04
HOW VE CELEBfATE III.

The glorious Fourth. The safety valve for
the pent-up patriotism OF three hundred and
sixty-four days-a patriotism that finds
vent in spread-eagle oratory at country
school-houses, profuse display of bunting,
the detonations of cannon and anvils. the
sharp bark of pistols and guns, the rattle of
fre-crackers, the whir and siderial effulgence
of sky rockets, the blaze of Roman candles,
the blare of brass bands, and results in
broken fingers, arms shot away, powder
begrimed countenances, scorched eyes, fires
and fatal accidents. This is the day we Gel
citrate and the way we celebrate it. It is a
peculiarly American celebrations comblna-
ton of the customs of the Chinese, the
English, and the Germans, with considera-
BILE originality thrown in. We will have the
whole programme in st. Paul, with the
addition of score of picnics and excursions,
especially designed for the accommodation
of those who wish to escape the noise and
dust of the city.
The anniversary of the declaration of our
national independence should forever be a
red letter day in our calendar, and marked
by revival Of patriotic feeling. But our
present mode of observing it partakes large
ly of the ridiculous. Some men keep all
their religion in reserve for exhibition on
the Sabbath day, and following their exam
pie, the majority of men reserve all their
patriotism for the grand ebullition that is
sure to herald the Fourth of July.
The boy or the man who succeeds
In making the most noise, burning the most
powder, and generally making of his neigh
borhood a perfect pandemonium is esteemed
the most patriotic. He loves his country
best who inficts the greatest discomfort and
the largest number of headaches upon his
neighbors, and if, after q day spent in
shooting pistols, exploding fre-crackers,
and laborious work generally, by which he
may display his patriotic fervor, he returns
home at night with nothing more serious
than broken finger, he swears he has had
glorious time, and loudly defes the Brit
ISL to come over again and show fight if
they want to get badly whipped. It is safe
to say that the men and boys of St. Paul
will work harder today than on any other
day in the whole year, and retire at night
more wearied than ever before, but satisfied
in their own minds that they have performed
a sacred duty they owed to their country by
making all the noise they could, and burn
ing all the powder their money would buy.
If the day shall pass without serious acct
dent or destructive fire, the CITY will be
fortunate.
1t would be useless for the GLOBE to sue-
gest that man can show his patriotism
quite as well, and less to the discomfort of
his neighbors, than by the fendish devices
that they employ nowadays. 1t might as
well attempt to turn the current of the
Mississippi river The cannon, the torpedo,
the fire-cracker and the rocket, are the only
recognized outward symbols of an undyinp
love of liberty and hatred of tyrants, and
these diabolical engines of torture to per.
sons of susceptible nerves will be employed,
even If half the city should be burned and
half the inhabitants manned for life. It
must be understood wherever the American
name is known, that the patriotism of our
citizens is still as earnest as of yore, and there
is no way Of proving it except by commenc-
ing early and continuing late at the work of
exploding everything that will make noise,
and burning everything that will make a
blaze of variegated fire. So as soon as the
cock crows, let loose the dogs of pandemo-
mum and let US have great noise, a long
noise, and noise all together.