The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-04

Tho fourth Of JaIy.
The American people will have fitting
opportunity to, day to reflect upon the sig
ni6caBCs OF Independence Day" In way
10 which they have not accustomed them
ssyes In the past. We call the Fourth oI
July our day OF national independence,
because 1t Commemorates our formal sb
juraton OF allegiance to and connection
with Great Britain. We made good that
abjuration on the battle field, and
achieved our independence and finally
our nationality.
To the popular mind this was msgnit'
icent performance. We have glOried in
it and greatly msgniasd 1t from the days
Of the revolution down to present times.
The Fourth Of July has been Gn accepted
synonymn OF our free institutions and
republican form OF government. 1t
meant that we had not only divorced our.
sells from subject relation to the greatest
monarchy OF the old world, but also that
We had divorced ourselves from oil mon
archical ideas. 1t meant further that We
had cot npa form Of government on this
western sentiment entirely different from
all the goyeruSDts Of the old world, and
that ye bad estabIisbed q new departure
in the shape OF 70 government OF the
people, by the people and for the people "
This has been our belief and our boost,
and ,a have derided ali the doubts and
reflections cast upon tho aoRl success ot
our experiment by the Htatesm0u oil
Europe.
Our constitution has been in existence
about niuety years, We have made great
progress as separate people. We have
grown rich and powerful as q political
body held together somewhat loosely.
While we have Jared and warred a good
deal among ourselves, we have presented
a strong front TO other nations. We are
apparently nov more closely CompGCted
than ever before. We have fought out our
differences as 10 how our States StOod re-
lated 10 the Central Government, AMI
have agreed that they sra indisSouRIy
bound together under q supreme GentrA
authority representing them all and
chosen by them all. Having reached thlI
agreement by the bloody arbitramcnt o.
war, and having entered on an unprsce
IlOptsd career Of material progress and
wealth, we had right 70 suppose that We
had overcome the last stumbling block In
our career as q great and free republic
True, Ve had had President ASsASsinRted
but that was an event Of the war, and We
claimed that It Sss . last expiring and de-
spairing burst Of the asrCs passion en-
rendered by the war. The timeSI In which
it happened were abnormal, and We vOrf
all ready to believe, and 10 ask others Ia
believe, that inAsnuch as the great and
only issue that could divide Us had beer
eliminated from our body polite, thai
thenCeforLh and forever we Woutd Dol
sEain be humilisted by such diOgtSCeiu
and humiliating occurrence.
hut alas for this belief aud for our com
plncsnt pride. How sad is the spectacle
we present to ourselves and 10 the world To-
day. ln time when there was no strain
npUu our institutions-no excitement
abroad 10 The land-no gaunt famine affect
ing us- no calamity present or prospective
thteatning ~, We STR called 10 look the
nations 10 the face and say, behold We are
"a YOU yourselves are, beset by asSAAsinA
tlons, tho meansst Of oil crimes, and sF
powsrless ss you are 10 nAIutaIn Ell ecu
tive Government in our midst
Fourth Ot July Oratofy will be At .
heavy discount to-day In our own estimA
lion, and sill more in the estimation o.
the rest Of the world. The eyes Of al
uations are upon us In anaEsment as We
how our heads in the dust to-day and con
less, 40 We ought to ContssP, that we have
come face to lace With problem In eel
government that we he'd never expected
10 be called on to confront. They SEQ In
our midst the tplendid machinery Of {
gfea. government. II looks we'll theo'
teetlCslly. II seems to provide sateLy
valve for every possible pressure. vi
have frequent elections. A breath oi thI
reoplo makes and unnaksS our public ser
yasis. Surely we ought to be itee Iron
.Vsry species Of NlhilIsm. !. has nj
missIon on our soil. But lie OhadoN
seems 10 ID upon uS. We are liable Il
sss A dagger raised against every Ex
ecutve we may hereafter elect
when such men as Lincoln ant
Garfield are struck doWu, who
ran possibly be SAieH They werS no