Telegram-herald., 1890-07-13

Of 4 readsng l. % furnish background
Ter ths olati0a NBica follows TIE
Dscl4raIioE. belnS iltt4e cFleT and nors
unlnleresfIag thAn the commonplace.
lEssoid Grafton sillch succeeds. Aulrs-
ulY this ume by the hundred years q
our history. ana TAO hundred years :
the result ~ tiale oct.
AID then te- general unsettlinz Of
tie yo1tnIul iaind 0a the saaject of
Iudsoenc -Ece, ss though 4 we're poss.-
Die or t-Slrable Tor auy person, cd or
Young. u be strictly independent. Why
We are al dependent On eaen other for
y a4t we ear and drink aud seaF Ia eur
s0c.al life and IN every way. TIE
vOung person who should start out 10
lie With 3 Fourth OF July independence
0fnperfectlv understood Of course,
aud should endeay0K - carry Il into
practice always aud everywhere, WOud
dOubtless 6ud OuG hls mistake and Doa-
der on II within The walls OF prison.
Then AGAIN tie moral hfc. How very
many Oi the first steps IA the wrong d.
rectl0n have been taken on that day.
The artificial, unhealthy excitement of
the day, the crowds Of people with
nothing 70 DO, waiting for satan % fur
nise them lob. The temptations
fi0cking thick about them. the general
relaxing OF restraint, all help 10 make
the right path difficult and the wrong
one easy The first eigar, the flrst oath,
the first drink Of intoxicating liquor;
how many OF them might be traced TO
that day.
Our fathers complained that the
same old king "plundered their seas,
Taysged their coasts. burnt their towns
and Destroyed the hives of their peO-
pie" 1t they could have looked for
ward and seen the tire-cracker brigade,
which takes Possession OF our towns Tor
TINS one day. and sometimes burns
them, which plumbers the pockets of
every father, which harral ses our peO-
PIE until life ls almost = burden,
tnlnk they would have hesitated, at
least, before they took the decisive step.
They complained that ne transport
ed them beyond seas 20 be tried for pre-
tended offenses."
III they could nave been compelled 10
endure one celebration OF this day,
with al . annOyances and horrors,
think a transportation beyond sea
would have lost It's terrors, and they
would have been ready and willing 10
be tried for, and convicted of, almost
anything, real or pretended.
They complained "that ne had en-
deavored 10 bring on the inhabitants Of
the frontiers the merciless Indian saw
ages whose known rule of warfare is an
undistinguished destruction of all ages,
sexes and conditions" but bv the
side OF several million boys,
armed with the usual demoniac
and destructive emblems and
fully imbued with the celebrating spirit,
the "merciless Indian savages' would
almost seem like angels in disguise, and
the ''undistinguIshed destruction" re-
ferred 10 would almost seem, in the dis
tance, at least, like innocent amuse-
ment.
They complained "that he had con-
strained their fellow citizens to become
the executioners of their friends and
brethren, or to fall themselves by tnelr
own hands" A more accurate des-
cription of the havoc attending the
average celebration 1T would be diff
| cult to give. Our fathers declared IN
| substance that IN view of the evils
which they suffered it was right for
them to throw off all allegiance to the
mother country and that they would
be free and independent"
But from the evils connected with the
celebration of this day who shall de-
| liver us?
1t would seem as though a hundred
years and more of their endurance
might be enough for the strongest
nerves. That the rising generation
one after another would some time be-
come weary of noise and smoke and
offensive odors and the annoyances
connected with a hot, and dusty, and
hungry and tired crowd. That the re-
collections of the preceding year would
some time compel everybody to cry
Hold, enougnl That the thought of
last years celebration would sometime
| begin TO press down like nightmare
| on the celebrating element of the nation
and effectually smother every attempt
IN that direction. Bat has it ever been
the case? Has the oldest inhabitant (oI
the youngest either) ever noticed any
| marked tendency in that direction,
| Does there seem TO be the least glImmel
of an indication that the fourth day OF
July will ever dawn on this country
when weary humanity can sleep ou
their morningnap undisturbed? When
weak and tired nerves shall not be
lacerated and torn by a perpetual dir
and snap and bang and tizz and roar
When the characteristic dangers of the
battlefield shall not on that day find
their counterpart in every home? VIII
the time ever come when YOune
America will by general consent sur
render It's inherited right 10 make q
noise on that day when it will forego
the privileges which a general suspen
son of law and order as far as noise !!
concerned) bring with 1t?
know not, and the worst of it all Il
that this noise has largely lost its mean