Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-24
THE COMING FOURTH.


will snap and hiss, and the colors that
have never been trailed will be flung
from thousands of marts and windows.
Professions, music, oratory and literary
exercises will be the melange OF the
day, and our military, fire laddies and
civic societies will join the mechanic
and the merchant and the grocer and
the producer in spectacular parade
through the principal streets. The an
niversary of the Declaration of American
Independence is undoubtedly the dear
est of all our holidays, and its emotions
are more precious than the gems that
once glistened upon the breastplate OF
that ancient architect, Aaron, or III the
crowns OF the Assyrian kings. Every time
we celebrate the anniversary OF the
birth OF our nation, we educate our
children to keep up their respect for the
signers of that mighty paper which is
the bulwark of our Incompatible insti-
tutions, and a symbol of the rarest and
most daring patriotism the world has
ever known. If our youth have never
heard the story of the patriotic ardor OF
one Charles Carroll, we will repeat it:
After Carroll had appended his sigma
ture to that great document, some friend
felicitously said to him: Charles, you
will escape the scaffold should this effort
fail, there are so many Charles CAROLS
in your state" Mr.. Carroll made no
reply; but, picking up the important
paper again, added, ''of Carrollton,"
and then said: ''Let there be no mis-
take about my identityn' This was
great courage, as we'll as magnificent
patriotism, and was typical OF the
spirit which actuated the rest
of the noble signers of that famous roll.
They were inspired by the truest
patriotism and the highest courage, and
it is meet that our men and our women
and our children should do all in their
power to perpetuate the historic event
of the 4th day of July, 1776.
That same declaration of independence
is as sublime and as impressive docu-
ment now as it was ia years ago. Its
merits were based distinctly upon the
enunciation of great and profound prin-
ciples-principles which had previously
commanded the respect of men, but
never of organized governments. 1t has
been termed by many OF the most illus
trious European statesmen and soldiers
as the ablest of all the state papers of
history. We Americans should not hes
itate in our endeavor to perpetuate such
tribute paid to it by those who are not
enjoying its beneficent blessings. And the
best way to do so is to hang out our ban
ners, boom our cannon, discharge our
pistols, fire off our crackers, ring our
bells, toot our horns, put on our regalia
and parade the prominent streets. Every
time we celebrate the Fourth" we
keep alive the patriotic feeling Of '76 and
vindicate the foresight of our revolu-
tionary fathers, who laid the foundation
for the greatest and altogether the best
government on earth, and stimulate the
incipient but growing patriotism of our
children, and emphasize our thankful
ness for the successful 'times that tried
mems souls" and which have already
led our nation onward to grand and
noble destiny.
Let us then, we will repeat, have a
dear, good old stunning celebration.
There is not within the boundaries of
our government today a single slave.
There is perfect tranquility throughout
our land. Only few weeks ago the
warriors who once wore the blue and the
gray together placed floral offerings over
the silent mounds of those who have
gone to that ''undiscovered country"
and the devilish canticles OF the bullet
and the shell have given way to those OF
the poet and the minstrel, and the star
| spangled banner floats over rich, pOpu-
lous and united people. One hundred
and fourteen years ago next 4th of July
modest piece of metal in Philadelphia
sounded the notes of independence, and
although that dear old bell is silent now,
its ravishing reverberations still fill the
patriotic soul with precious meaning. 1t
is said that stones once danced into
walls and houses at the sound of Am
phion's lutte. Who disbelieves it, when
we know that in our own day glorious
republic has come into existence from
the mellifuous intonations of single
| bell?
''Fourth of July" comes once year,
and every time it comes it rekindles the
embers of the love of country. Senti-
ment is the dynamite of the world, and
those who ignore or underrate its power
60 most dangerously astray in their cal
culations. And especially is this true in
affairs OF state, generally. The cohesive
power that binds a people together is the
pathos of patriotism rather than the cold
analysis of probable advantage. AS a
consequence, therefore, our national hol-
idays are philosophical, far-reaching and
auspicious, and the Fourth OF July is
emphatically the most glorious of them
all. Its memories, its associations and
it's suggestions make it so. Ergo, let us
make the coming Fourth gala day with
plenty of music and bunting and cannon
and fireworks, and as much of the hilar-
ious small boy as can be conveniently
spared thrown promiscuously in.
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