Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-07-06
The Fourth OF July.

declares that ait is no very good symp-
tom either of nations or individuals that
they deal much in vaticination. Happy
men are full of the present, for its bounty
sutfices them; and wise men also. for its
duties engage them. Our grand business
undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dim'y
at distance, but to do what lies clearly
at hand" Judged by this rule the Amer
lean people, who celebrate the 10th
anniversary Of the Declaration OF
Independence, are both happy and wise
Still in the power of its youth, and scarce
" more than beginning to enter upon its
magnificent Inheritance, the overlooking
bounty and the innumerable duties of the
present occupy it too fully to permit it to
| frequently forecast the future or to dwell
! often upon the past. We are in the work
ing period of the country's history, and
there is but little time or inclination
either for prophesying or retrospection.
Thirty or forty years ago, when we were
less busy and less practical, this notable
anniversary was celebrated with all the
pomp and Circumstance with which the
enthusiastic patriotism of the day knew
how to honor it. 1t was considered a
sort Of sacrlege then not to m AXE the day
by all possible outward expressions and
manifestations of intense inward devotion
to the principles set forth in tn, great
charter of America. Grown older, and in
many ways wiser, We smile nowadays at
the offerings of more noisy patriotism
and tolerate no longer the forid ora'ory
and formal ceremonies that were once
invariable features of this anniversary.
And yet the busiest national life NAV find
a practical value in occasionally survey
ing the road over which it has passed
and recalling and fixing more firmly in
mind he principles and objects which are
theoretically at least, its guiding motives
"When the Mariner" said Mr. Webs er in
his famous reply to Hayne. 'hss been
tossed for many days in thick weather and
on an unknown sea, he naturally avails
himself of the first pause in the storm
the earliest glance of the sun, to take his
latitude, and ascertain how far the ele-
ments have driven him from his true
course" Happily, our skies are brighter
and clearer than they were in Mr. Web
ster's time, but the spiri, Of his advice is
still worthy of practical remembrance. A
year now witnesses greater Changes and
developments of every character than
were evolved in the slow course of a
quarter of a century in our earlier history,
and it is worth while every now and then
to take our bearings aud to consider how
nearly We are sailing by the national
chart and compass. And whatever else
We may doubt and question in our annual
reflections upon our history aud progress
it is good and Wholesome sign to see
that the great majority Of Americans in
their practice and daily lives still hold
fast to those declaratio 5 II dem rcrscy
and natural human equality which our
sturdy forefathers dared to assert and
maintain against the power of armies. the
prophecies Of old world philosophers, and
the force Of ridicule and contempt After
all this is the great test Of our CONDITION
the all suffi :ient answer to the question
whether We are fulfilling our NATIONAL
destiny. Great dtngers have threa'eued.
ande perhaps still menace the republic
Civil war has shaken il. but its founda-
tions have grown broad. r and firmer since
the storm. Evils of more iusiiious
nature may sill turk within and without
the political elltias which represents the
hopes. the tot 5 AMI tears, the blood and
labor of generation pat aud present. but
there was never time when the adher-
ence to the great foundation principles
of free government WAS IRE general or
more unreserved Our patriotism is less
explosive and less oritorical than In the
past, bat We recognize whit vas not al
ways recognized in the a ,ys OF Clay AMI
Webster--that all man are equl's before
the law. and that the great fields of human
effort and endeavpr are open {, the hum
blest as we'll as TO the most favored A
practical brotherhood b IS been establish
ed, founded on the firm basis Of equal
rights and equal jus ice to all classes and
conditions of men, and the nations lite
has risen to higher and grinder plane
by virtue of the universal realization aud
acceptanc. Of the great i I'm ,crltic princi-
pie which W IS invoked and enthroned by
the founders of our government at the
beginning Of their struggle for liberty.
As long as this principle maiutains its
sway in our legislatures. our courts and
in the daily aft airs of life aud business
we may bc Confident that he have not
wandered far from our course