The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-07-06
THE FOURTH OF JULY.

The more general observance of what
our forefathers denominated lndepen-
dence Day, is one of the good signs OF
the times. An intelligent love OF coun-
try and appreciation of oar institutions
is all that is necessary to render our
government permanent, and to pre-
serve it to the world as the beacon
leading on all people to wsrd a treer
lite.
There are stones that beset the path
way and threaten a fall here and
there, but let us hope that discussion
and light may permit us to step safely
over them.
The telegraph tells US that north,
south, east and west the birth day OF
our nation has been observed, with
pyrotechnics and with loud acclaim,
with oratory and song, with games and
expeditions, with all manifestations
that usually accompany delight and ap-
proval, but among all the millions that
have thrown up their caps with shouts
and huzzas how many in truth realize
what the day means? To how many
of the thirty millions OF children oil the
country has it's significance been ex'
planned? How many of the millions oil
foreigners on our shore, a large pro
portion of whom scarcely speak the
language of the country, know whaI
Jefferson meant in the glowing words
of his magma charta to mankind, or in
deed know at all that such a man SIS
Jefferson ever lived?
To those who lead In such celebra'
lions, who give them tone and charac
ter, who set the fashion II you Will, Il
should occur that to big and little. tt
the illiterate and the ignorant iron
whatever cause, the pleasures OF this
day should not 60 by without it's lesson
also.
The spirit of Jefferson should hover
over all. His words of wisdom should
= be dug up as precious stones and sci
before the people TO be cherished ant
admired. That there is q revivali in tn
observance of the day affords the OPP
, portunity. No citizen Of this country
: should fall TO read, or have read t.
him, the Immortal declaration of indie
pendence. As peace reigns once NOR
over u GENTRY whose bonds OF broth
, erhood are fixed with hooks of steel
, after a contest upon fields which wer'
redeemed with fratricidal blood, le
those pages, too, be read which wer'
torn from the record before 1t wa
, made up, which show If M section
Lheld OH to the slave imported to it
FGani, that it was the other section
whose ships imported him; aud that /
, one section sinned in keeping him til
\ ,ther sinned In bringing him into tn
keeping; let the truth Of history b
known, and the mask OF hypocrisy tor
y Jff, that none may be all white Will
= the other is all dark.
Let history tell the truth and not
lie, and admitting that our recent di
D ferences have been the result of unfor
4 tunate circumstances, in which neithe
was altogether right and Meth
or was altogether wrong, let us loo
back to the days of those rare old reb
: els, Henry aud Jefferson and MadisoI
u aud Wythe and Mason and Washingto
aud Lee and franklin and Adams
aud in contemplating their glorior
4 work for our common country, all
o for the world, let us learn to lov
America, aud determine to defend
against all foes, whether they be arme
with invaders from abroad, or merce
! naries from within who attempt to 70
u, US OF our patriotism with money, luxt
= ry and vice.