The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-04
THE DAY OF DAYS.

While there is to be no formal celebra-
ton in this city today, it must not be in
ferred that the people of Seattle are in
different to the event which the 4th of July
commentaries, or to the principles which
led up to that event. Our people are not
too busy to be patriotic, but they are too
busy for the celebration of the day this
year in manner BETTING the city and the
occasion. Seattle must celebrate worthily
if at all. Next year. PROBABLY. the grand
work of upbuilding and improving will
have made such progress as to permit
fitting celebration.
But after all. gun-fring. band-playing,
professions, fervid orations and the like
give not the only or the surest evidences of
patriotism. These are well enough in their
way, and it is well enough to celebrate the
national anniversary in that way. But on
that day and on every day of every year
there must be reverence for the principles
which this day typifies, without which its
celebration is delusion and a false pre-
tense. At all times there must be a stead
fast devotion to liberty, to justice. to law,
to order and TO the principles OF honest
representative government.
This is what the men who made this day
memorable contended for and were con-
cerned about. They cared less that this
country should become populous and
wealthy than that its people should be
free and honestly governed by a govern
ment of their own free choice II was
their judgment, at variance with the iudg-
ment of all contemporary peoples, that
government thus constituted and admins
tered would be the surest groundwork for
all other OF the most favorable conditions
of human life. They had faith that a peo-
pie thus intelligently self-governed would
by reason thereof attain to the highest
achievements in education. in the arts. the
sciences, invention, moral and religious
progress, and III every branch of material
prosperity.
Their faith has been more than verified.
Their hopes have been more than justified.
The most sanguine of them could not have
anticipated the magnificent results that so
soon have been realized from the bold ex-
pertinent which they made in our behalf at
tue hazard of their lives. There have been
frightful and fateful alterations. All of
the people have not been at all times true 10
the lofty and selt-sacrifcing Americanism
OF ZIG. There have been treasons. and
armed resistance TO lawful authority. and
corruptions, and misgovernment, and
prosututions of the elective franchise, and
all manner of enormities, but through all
this and in spite of it the great mass of the
American people have, with answering
fidelity, adhered to the principles for which
the men of 'T6 risked their all.
There have been frauds upon the ballot
box. but the right to free ballot and fair
count still maintains its hold upon the
American conscience. There have been
violations of pledges and there has been
recreancy on the part of representatives
but devotion TO representative government
survives in the breasts of a vast majority
of the people. And with the spread nj edu-
cation. and with proper restrictions on the
immigration Of the ignorant and lawless OF
other lands, there are no grounds 10 doubt
that a highly patriotic love for freedom.
justice. law and order will grow with the
growth and strengthen with the strength
OF the great republic.