The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-03
nALzRLL,s rArRIorIsM.

The Prlynte's Reflections ON the oDAePNNhee
OF the National Holiday,
10 Re Editor Ofthe intelligence,
SlR;-Why ths very mention Of this
National holiday should move q smile OF
contempt or derislon wherever 1t 10
named passes all patriotic understanding
True not every one has honored 1t as
John Adams in his letter to his wife
prophesied all future generations should
observe and hallOw 1t with "bontres and
Examinations" TO the end OF time, II Is
also true that few orators have slgnallasd
its annual return with the eloquenCe oil
Obarles Sumner, as on the Fourth Of July,
iSI5. no delivered his powerful Grafton on
1The True Grandeur OF Nations, more
than forty years ago, the grandest Fourth
Of July, speech ever made yet. II has
been well said that the orations pronounced
on our National holiday anniversary are
Of the peculiar sort that neither gods nor
men can tolerate. They are trothy and
iunny, frivolous and hilaluun', lull oil
stale defamation about liberty and "the
fiercs gray bird with the bending beak."
They abound in Qualifications OF our
Yankee universe aA II 1t were the cosmos
itself, and are loud in denounCinR all for
eign States that have not seen tit yet to
adopt our Declaration Of Independence,
our constitution and our starry flag.
Narrowing their sphere still more, they
disgust us most with their sectional mar
rowRess, as If all the good OF the world
were centeTed In the United States; all
the good OF the United States CrystalIzed
In the North; all the good OF the North
concentrated in New England, and oil the
good OF New England revolving like q
Wheel on the hub Of Boston town
BOYS will be- boys, and fools will be fools,
and when either Is chosen orator oil the
day what q deluge OF nonsense must FOL.
low! But when we consider how many
scores OF times the national jubilee
has already been celebrated, and
the vast number Of speeches that
have been made in its honor, by
all sorts Of persons, in all sorts Of places,
and most Of these preserved in the pages
OF the daily press, our wonder Is rather
that 30 many Of the speeches are becom.
ing the occasion than that so few are thus.
All are not hiiilutin. All are not patrl-
otlsm on spree, nor elOquenCe outside OF
the eagle, nor oratory tearing itself to tat
tiers In storm Of passion. Not q year but
what can show lofty specimens oil pStriOtiC
oratory, htly concentrating the birthday
Of a nation and reCounting the glory which
has been won, and the duties that follow,
Good sense, calm thought, subdued pas.
sion, patriotic spirit, elevated tone, beauti-
full expression, make many oil the pro-
ductions for literary Immortality, and
all are not the performances Of
clowns or demagogoes
by any means. American hearts know
how TO gauge the oratoriCal efforts
OF this day oil days. They never make any
mistake. They throb with pride in
American patriotism and American insti-
tutlons, which they feel nothing but dis
gust and contempt for rapid et1usions, OK.
rant and noisy cancellations
Of nothingl The Grafton which most be.
fits the delicate demands OF the glorious
day Is the one that expends but little Of
Its rhetoric on self.government, the
majesty Of the kingly masses, OF uncrown-
ed soyereigns, and the mighty wonders
the age has wrought. Here, as elsewhere,
reserve counts for much, and best pro.
claims the sincerity Of the patriot orator.
II the people are vlrtuous, numerous, in
dustriouB, free, intelligent ingenious, pros.
porous, they will probably have some in.
tination oft before the orator opens his
mouth, and will need but little argument
from him to convince them Of their happy
condition
Patriotism essentially the purest, deep
eat, grandest feeling Of human heart, an
emotion which in its perfection finds itself,
best expressed in silence. No, that Is
hardly truel Its most majestic expression
is IN deeds! How delicate then, Is the task
OF him who would clothe this feeling in
fitting words. Kant said he would have
Germany devote one day year to teach
little children the meaning OF human lib.
erty. 1 wish be had specified who should
be the voters and which words they should
employ 10 illustrate the grand subject Of
Liberty. But with all It's abuses and de-
seCrations, let the noted day OF American
Independence still DO observed. Let 1t
never be pretermitted. Let 1t come on
Sabbath, and so twice hallow the day.
On It's Sabbaths none arc saints, none are
sinners, all are patriots, all observe 1t with
an equally pious zeal and JUNCTION, born In
heaven In the first cast OF human soul,
dying only withit, PRIVATE DALzRLL.