The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-07-04

INDEPENDENCE DAY.
John Adams. under date Of July ?, i776.
IN regard to the event ws associate with
the Fourth, wrote:
Ian opt TO believe that il viii be celebrated
BY succsedinx generations - the great ami.
vsssssy festival IL ought 10 b commsmorssed
- day OF asiivcssncs By solemn scss Of de-
votion to God Almighty. II ought 70 10 solemn
issd with posnp and parole, with shows, games.
sports, gans, bells, bonnfes and si,umfnasious.
from ons end of this continent TO the other,
from this time forward forever moro
Old John Adams wrote with the in
stinet Of practical Yankee: he was him.
self patriot from pure principle. but he
knew human nature well enough 10 know
that the cessbratIon of the Fourth to live
must be resonant of guns and drums and
cannon must be vocal with music; must
Be picturesque with military parade. The
Fourth OF July must be an object lesson Of
superficial dramatic quality in its cheers,
shouts, cannon and music. because
the great mass OF mankind are caught
and taught by striking object lessons
rather than by sentiment or reflection
Old John Adams knew that he Aimseif did
not need any such celebration Of the
Fourth ~ he deiinessed, bat he knew that
average human nature needed Just this
kind Of celebration: demanded nothing
more and would be content with no less.
This Judgment OF John Adams is iustifi-
cation for the ''Chinesc New Year" side Of
the Fourth. which may sometimes make
judieious lovers Of peace and quiet grisve.
The intellectual, rejecting leaders OF the
congress that framed the famous Declare
tion Of Independence did not need an alb
soluts object lesson Of unexpected or pre-
c,pltate conflict, ike Concord and Bunker
Hill. TO make them ready 10 revolt against
the king: they were ready for revolt long
before that. but the mass Of American
people needed 10 hear Of the actual burn
ing Of powder in the faces OF the soldiers
of King George to make them ardent pa
sriots and ready for insurrection and war.
Much has been said concerning Patrick
Hsnry's eloquence. but II his eords had
not been succeeded by events like Concord
and Bunker Hill his eioqusnce would have
fallen Eat.
The average man IL swaysd by what Is
done rather than by what u said: deed
counts for more than . word. and the con-
clusion - that average human nature Is
taught more by object lessons than il 10
by purely intellectual argument. Suppose
Christ had lived and preached and escaped
death, ss John Wyclif did. would hi.
teachings have been so effective as they
became, dating back 10 his mar,yrdom for
his opinions as = social incendiary? The
Sermon on the Mount was q sublime eth
icsi uttersnce. but the Sermon on the
Mount" conducting its preacher To cruel
only to expectant antiquity. but to aver.
age humanity for all time
The man who does something worth
doing. who suffers something that dirni-
ties suffering. always counts for more than
the man who gays something, does moth.
In. and suffers nothing. This philosophy
OF human nature explains why the edues-
ton of the average American TO patriotism
has been obtained by historical object
lessons rather than by appeal to his
reason The generation tha. framed the
Declaration Of Independence had back OF
them the object lessons of Concord and
Bunker Hill: without them all seciars-
tions concerning the stamp act would have
fallen tat. just rs the object lesson of the
firms on Fort Sumter mean. more 10 the
North and South than the whole a, the
intellectual debate that had preceded il.
Events are inspiration; events, like Con.
cord and Bunker Hin. were the ohIee, les.
sons thar inspired The great Declaration O.
Independence. This much may lie said in
ph,iesorhic defense of celebrating the ami
verssry Of tho Declaration OF indcrena.
encs by object lessons of powder burning.
fireworks. cannon. music. military IA.
radc and musscsry: il i. the be.s method
OF enforcing the lesson OF the day arou
the average American who is net an Also
lutte barbarian with no more ear for Inas,c
than tainsrnan ar an Indian
IL is easy TO say ihA. the bois,erous Aide
OF the celebration Is the boyish aide: il l..
aad IL is just this boyish side Of our reo.
pie thar needs to he literally educated in
the lines Of patriotism. lie. the Fourth
hnscr in the memory Of growing toys a. ,
day Of eejee, lessons Of powder burning
cannon, parade. fireworks. eheess-o,
everything save tears IL Is the how thu,
We are educating ~ patriotic memories
not the reflective man Who il old enough
to hc patriotic from priacirle. and he
hates the racket ct the Fourth" ~ cor.
daily as the emperor Of China does fre<
Institutions
And yes The celebration Of .the glorious
Fourth" might - improved. Julia War,
Howe offers she following programme a.
supplementary - Tire mere hoss;ercus and
childish exercises IT the day:
on the evening 81 sAe ,, 81 July quiet gather.
tars IN halls ~ caUrcnes Ia which the ,rne love
81 ccausEy sAoa.S 20 ssP.sisesi al. illustrated
aew msay RAEae. EAli ~ wholly forgotten.
would tesa 70 secsIls1 frogA oblivion. saa ws,a
~ the iseay sae sacrifice ~ sasne pSnls us~
some essmrsc precious tor the cusaesnatsyr
The mcsniag - .as FcsrsA g. 20 v.hss~s In
~ snss;sas music sad military sl.nlay saf.
fe.ens 60 recall Iae ssrvsses of tire crave r-eu
~be save cur tstavss liberty, A. 70 e'e.ssa ca
issns ia various esesle kuliSinss TIE sasest
speakers 81 tas cszaEaaa ssa.tA G,s.ns faeFr sx,;
- inpsrf ;ss iessea 0f tie Cay Asfa spar
Tar ts&s,. Wholesome sns Eaple. Ne sssuos 70 Re
s>sse1 tasfess Aaa nae - - Esd daring Tie