The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-07-05
A THOUGHTFUL THEME.
THE HOME or FREEDOM AND ITS Ma,
Tall DAY.
Pictures OF the Pact aud the Present
How the nay Wac spent ia Nsr-
ginia's SRpttor-Pfc ptcs
nnd xcurstous.

not do more than excite contempt
at the hands Of tho world a. it nestled
suugly in Its swaddling clothes IN
that old cradle.
To-day the eyes Of the world rest in
admiration upon her. and TO her hOspit-
able homo thousands upon top OF
thousands Of the oppressed OF man
kind from all parts of the world tread
the shores Of her home, become drunk
with liberty. ambitious with hope
healthy aud happy, and stand ready to
shout. " Hail Columbia + happy land.
One hundred and thirteen years ago
the experiment Of a Republican Gov
eminent was started by the Continen-
tai Congress in the city Of Philadelphia.
Those were slow moving times, trans
portation by steam was unheard Of
and nothing in the shape Of Burton
heater. an electric telegraph or car,
was ever dreamt of in the philosophy
of the old-ume lads, who had much the
same sort of political humbuggery
about them as the average duiier OF
the present. whose immense concern
for the welfare Of the dear people
causes him to be absolutely willing TO
give NJ . starve. hIm-tO-death profes-
sion or business, and out Of pure love
for his country bear the burden of col
lecting the Doodle that falls into his
empty pockets By reason Of fat Office.
WHY THEY SIGNED.
IL has been said. and Rev. DR.. John ).
Iaffertv Is authority for the assertion,
that on the celebrated fourth Of July
when the Declaration of Independence
was signed, that the weather was eX-
trcmcly hot. and the sun sent steaming
hot streams of light upon the city oil
Brotherly Love co. that Is, this was then
the opinion aDd is now i'm many cases,
that the sun and not the earth l. the
steam heating apparatus Of the world
DR.. LaiIerty saws that in close prOx'
unity 10 Independence Hall, ia which
the Continental Congress was sitting.
fhqre WAS "A livery stable. Philadelphia
was not then what it Is now. Hand by
there were wild woods. and from their
depths came swaTms OF hOrse-iiles 10
fatten and feed upon the horses ihat
had been driven and ridden from dis
lance bv the sage cOunsellOrs IN Con
yrese assembled. There had been q
great deal Of wrangling about the Decla-
ration of Independence. and although
tls superstition of thirteen being AN
unlucky number was known perhaps
To the Congress. vet there were men OF
such ambitious scope of mind as TO be-
Iieve. like Thomas jefferson. who. were
lac alive to-day, would be called IN the
Variance of the times hustler. that
the Thrice n colonies ought TO cut loose
from the mother country and declare
themselves free and indepoi dent. On
the morning mentioned the hOrse-iiics
tired Of horse blood and swarmed
into independence Hall. John
Hancock, the presiding officer,
could not abolish them. The
Congressman wore short breeches
and silk stockings, and the HES
gathered about the calves of their legs,
and sent their sharp bills searching for
blood. The wise men fought maniully
against the flies, and Jefferson and the
friends of freedom fought for Declara-
ton Of Independence. I'm sheer reck-
lessness the declaration was adopted
and signed. and the weary ily-bitten
solons fled from the hall for relief from
their tOrmcntOrs.
The horse fly. instead of the eagle.
should be the emblem of Freedom
AT least so says DR.. Lafferty. We
celebrate now this declaration. but
here comes mistake. to which MIR. Bob
GRAY Yesterday called the attention of
n TINES man. Actual Independence
was not achieved until the seven years
war Lad been fought 10 "a finish and the
thirteen original colonies were duly
recognized by the mother country as "a
free and independent country. There
fore instead of celebrating the lth OF
July as independence Day, 1t would be
more i'm consOnance with the actual
facts in the case were We To celebrate
the day upon which our independence
became a recognized fact by Great
Britain.
TALK OF TO-DAY.
But all these things are Of the past.
Let us talk of the present and the re
cent past.
Previous to the fateful struggle be-
tween the States the lth Of July was
big dav i'm the South Out IN the cOun-
try. the rich owners of vast estates. the
poor aud the proud. met ON common
level, and the savOry OdOr of steamlns
shoat. resting over "a pit OF hickory
Goals on green cross saphugs sqmfrel
stews. aud all sorts of substantial
things to eat and drink. could be found
near some cool spring, in a.
shady grove. Then there would gather
bold and brave men of the day The
Declaration of Independence would be
read. and crOss-TOad orator would
bleat out sophomore Grafton abound
ing in much repetition and redoient
with praise of the great American Eagle
and never once remembering the horse
fiy. The people ate, drank, were
merry. and hurrahed 10 their heart s /
content, for the Star Spangled Banner |
In the cities the military companies
paraded. received visiting military.
fired artillery until the air was filled /
with the smoke Of gun-powder. and /
filled themselves with good. old fash /
toned apply brandy and whisky thar I
was better than any you can get now. /
although it only cost eighteen pence TO ]
buy gallon of the best.
They went home and. dreamed they /
had shot the British.
The war came. internecene war. and /
the South was so oppressed for many ]
wears that il would have been called /
disloyalty 10 have undertaken a repe- /
tition Of the old time 4th of July cele-
bration scenes. and the custom died out.
Time, the upsetler of false theories and
recti6er OF wrongs. has changed this,
and the 4th is again great day IN the
South. but not exactly on the old-time
scale. Business ID suspended, public
Offices are closed, aud on the end Of the
State house the stars and stripes float.
while on the other the proud motto of
Virginia, "Sic Semvcr IyrdHais' Is
shown upon the blue field of the State
flag.
INCIDENTS.