Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-05

to serve as galleries for just such occasions.
The fourth side was bounded by the juno
ton Railroad, a quarter of mile away,
1t was nearly IL o'clock when the Select
Knights Band opened with the American
Overture" a medley of patriotic airs. Sew
eral thousand persons were already assem-
bled, awaiting the opening of the exercises,
and when the strains of music resounded
over hill and dale thousands more tiocked
around the stand and took up positions on
the hilIsides, until Il, 600 were assembled.
The platform was crowded with the Off
cials of both cities, and a number OF ladies
added brilliancy to the scene. At 1l:3O
o'clock Mayor Gourley stepped to the front
of the stage and opened the exercises. he
said:
AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Countrymen and Fellow
Citizens:
WELCOME you on this auspicious day and
occasion and to this old-time patriotic celebr a.
tion of the immortal Fourt b of July. We meet
here to-day to celebrate in a becoming manner
an event which made an epoch in American his
tory-an event which marked the birth of a
nation consecrated TO the fundamental truth,
that all men are created equal and endowed
by Almighty God with certain inalienable
rights, among which are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. We come to celebrate
the day upon which the representatives of the
United States of America in Congress as
sembled gave to a watching, waiting world the
immortal charter of public rights, known as
the Declaration of Independence. We
come to fulfill the prophetic words
ssTbis daV will be celebrated by succeeding
generations as the great anniversary festival,
commemorated as the day of deliverance by
solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty and
solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows,
games, sports, guns, bells, bontires and llluml-
nations. from one end of this continent to the
other from this time forward forevermore"
We come to listen to the reading OF that
noble Declaration, which, in the language of
Buckle, should be hung up in the nursery OF
every king and emblazoned on the porch of
every royal palace. This was the glory OF JET
ferson the concentrated will and resolution of
great people, equal to anything human ever
set forth on parchment or expressed IN the
visible signs of thought" By reference to the
patriotism, wisdom. virtue and valor which
characterized the founders of our nation, we
want to learn lessons of patriotism, virtue and
valor for the future. By our example in meet
ing here to-day we hope TO teach the young oil
our great and prosperous nation to reverence
the heroic achievements of the past and to
honor and revere the starry flag which repre-
sents our free institutions and the great liberty
which we breathe aud enjoy.
ASKING THE DIVINE BLESSING.
The Mavor then introduced Rev. David
Jones, of the First NJ. P. Church, who, in
his invocation OF the divine blessing upon
the occasion, took occasion to refer to the
great kindness and liberality OF Mrs. Schen-
lev and the devotion to the interests of the
people displayed by E. NJ. Bigelow.
At the conclusion o! the prayer the Four
teenth Regiment Band and a chorus of
trained singers under Sheriff McCandless.
the whole led by that excellent leader, Prof.
Carl Retter, rendered the national anthem,
America" in pleasing. style, the audience
joining in with impressive effect.
Prot. Byron King was then introduced,
and read the Declaration of Independence
with a voice that could be heard anywhere
within a radius of 100 feet of the stage and
with delivery that did him great credit
and won him hearty applause.
The Select knights Band next accom-
-panied the audience and chorus in good
rendition of the cred, White and Blue, -
Major A. NJ. Brown, whose speech was fire..
quently interrupted by wild outbarsts of
applause. He said:
A GLORIOUS FLAG.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-I feel good to be
here to-day. My heart is stirred up and over
flowing with patriotism from listening to those
patriotic songs and the reading of the Declara-
tion of Independence. hope each one pres
knowledge that this day is the anniver-
sary OF one that marks the greatest
epoch in the counIry's history, one that should
be reverenced and remembered by every in
habitant of this great and free continent.
That beautiful flag, brilliant with stars from
heaven, radiant with the colors of the earth, is
the proudest flag of the happlest people known
20 the civilized world. No ensign or flag on
earth represents the liberty and glory that 1t
represents, no banner holds out the Joys and
the happiness which it extends. 1t is great
blessing that the Mayor of the metropolis of
Western Pennsylvania naS been prompted by
his patriotic principles to inaugurate this old
time celebration, and he should be thanked
from the bottom of the hearts of the people for
his thoughtfulness. Such occasions stimulate
the patriotism and renew the love of country
that devotion to business for l2-month re-
lakes and causes to be partially forgotten.
Who can resist patriotic thrill when realiZ-
ing that upon this day la years ago a new
nation was brought into the world. and new
era began for the struggling colonists of a
newly discovered country? What.depriVations
were endured, what struggles encountered by
those martyrs of the revolution, who pledged
their word, their fortunes and their sacred
honors in defence of the great principles laid
down in the independent declaration! Who
can resist feeling OF great pride in contem-
plating the result of that great conflict which
evolved the greatest, the freest and the noblest
nation of the worlds history? That combina-
tion of colonies scattered over vast, unknown
territory, infested with sayages whose very
presence was a threat, the whole population
then not eQualllnR InaI OF Tue present hey-
stone State of to-day, has left to us heritage
of freedom and independence that can
never be taken away. That struggling infant
nation, born July the 4th, 1T76, is now the
greatest of the world, and the only one that
has secured honor. freedom and constitutional
liberty to her citizens. Other nations had tried
it but failed and in all the ages of the world il
had never been conceived by man to organize
for
THE DEFENSE OF MAN
- ,,o-no.,,a+o euch q olorious Government as
blesses as to-day. 1t must have been organized
by the great God and he must have put it into
the hearts of the Revolution TO bring harmony,
peace and order out of the chaos of that
time 1t was believed that the republican
form of government proposed at that time was
but a rope of sand that could not endure the
strain which had caused others to break and
roll away with the tide; that there was no
cohesion or force except that exerted bg the
people. 1t was only an experiment, but quar-
ter century ago came the test. A quarter OF a
century has elapsed since the last soldier dled