The Phoenix herald., 1880-07-09
The Orafino


 The following is the oration deliy
 cred hy Frank Cox. last Saturday. : < < the Fourth of July celebration: 'i Ladies and Gentlemen, Friend Il and FellOw-citiZens We have as O sembled today to celebrate the On ; Hundred and Fourth Anniversary O
 OUT American Independence. W
 feel, or shGuld feel, that this ami e versary is the one of all, the mos l dear to every true American patriot . When We travel back, down thi
 scale of one hundred and four years ; ;It every step, in each and every year l descending. we mark the contrast ol the present state of our country witl its condition in the past. We note wi -h pride the steady progress and advancement. not alone If the beauty
 symmetry and perfection of our Ma
 tiOnal Government, but the methods . and means adopted for advancing Q
 our science, literature and art. Those , wonderful improvements that have caused the older, the more powerful
 and ciHssIc nations to stand in awe
 and aston!shment, to see a Worli SO
 young that, from it's inception, has
 struggled, fougilt and overriden the
 avalanche Of foreign wratli that has
 been heaped upon it, rise, as il were,
 in its infancy, in one short century, from q disOrderly, dcmoralizcd and
 subjected c0loBial government to inc
 supremacy over all, the admiration and envy of every civilized com
 munIty under the sun.
 : To see our dear Union, thus stand brilliantly illuminated and crowned [ with the inventive genius of the ] world, to see her thus stand first and l foremost in the arts of peace and the science of war, and, while not claim ing to be the Mistress of the Seas, to know that her flag, our ensign, the Stars ard Stripes. floats nlagesiicaiiy
 and prOudly-and dips gracefully in every water of the known worlds the inspiration that nils every Amcri- cin heart with vIlOT and with love !
 We have every reason to know and ! believe that OHr Nation is the nation i of the free. The history of our coHniry is familiar 10 you ail-cvcrv | American school boy knows how, from the first settlement of James i town. in. 1907, and the planting of l the English colony at Plymouth, in | 1620, our forefathe-s-our prOgen- | itors-battle6 with the ever changing ! and uncertain fortunes of war, I'D to | the year 1176, when that product of | American frecmen was issued to ! which you have just listened.
 Our history during that time is one of struggles and triumphs, al- though bestt and besiegcd from abroad and at homo, rcpelling in war the hosts of foreign invaders, and defending against the onslaughts of our American enemies.
 We constantly grew, multiplied and increased in numbers and strength until, when we declared our Independence, we were ready 10 stand arrayed in arnor against the whole x0.i>i But with that decla- ration came no surcease of sorrow The British Lion, blood-thirsty and vengeful, crouche low to make his fatal spring, when America's s sons Haunted in his face this most won derfuI of all political pToclamatiOns Alas, fer the voracity of this foreign beast. he Sprang upon LIS but to be laid low by the unerring aim Of | inc American ycOmen of Concord aEd Lexington, who were the first to meet him when he threatened and | growled in April, 177G. Little they knew, and less they dreamed, that our proud bird. the 'American Eagle, would pluck out the eyes, and tear out the intestincs of their kingly beast when turned loose upon l the soil of freedom. We conquered, as we had always conquered, and our stands to day as it was then, the embc diment of the good, the beautiful, and tie true.
 Indeed, Fellow Citizens, when we look around us, over our broad and beautiful land; when we realize that but few years ago our broad fields and biOssoming gardens were but barren plains. and desert wastes, then, and then only, can we truly ap- Dreciate the meaning of American progress, and american greatness. When we travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, when we see ourselves the canals, railways and then, and not till then, does he grand scheme open out before ] Us ,
 You and I, of Arizona and Salt River Valley, can tell of wonderful ' development and progress, made M )ur own particular portion of this great country. Within the rccollec- i ion of many, of even the younger of you, can we recall the i5olations and dangers in this Territory. And what 1 l change has this short time brought about? Instead of toiling for days ( md weeks through desert sands and Inder tropic sun to reach the fields of Arizona's hidden wealth; we are now, in one day and night, . from the Pacific Ocean to he ancient pueblo of Tucson.
 We see in our Valley, built upon ( he ancient ruins of the AZtecs, fair md beautiful city, Phoenix, lising as ts name would indicate from the { lshcs5 (
 We see this broad valley of the Salt River, that not more than $ l iozen years ago was a desert land, I converted into populous and pro luctive district, and the Stars and ' stripes the beauty and love of the I people.
 Follow Citizens, let not the agita- c 1ons of any of the various political . parties of our country shake your faith in the institutions of our | and forcfathers. We live r md breathe as q nation, the freest, he purest, the most intelligent and | people under the canopy q )f heaven
 Long may we live so. May the Il American Eagle never grow old and f weary, but may he retain his bril- fancy of sight and vigor of flight p md may the Stars and Stripes be fl -our lasting love and joy, from now V .