Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-04

pourtb OF JuIv. Past and Present.

AS each Fourth OF July comes and
goes we have TO lament that so little at
tention is paid TO the patriotic Observance
Of IL. Prior TO 1851 "the day we celebrate"
vas tremendously observed in each city
ana town. and at every county seat IN
this Commonwealth.
1t was day Of military parades, great
public gatherings. "spread-eagle' oratory'
barlecues. and other festivities. IL was
also the halcyon day of mint juleps. made
from pure whlskey. bought at the retail
price Of about seyenty-iive cents per
gallon.
At the barbecucs there were usually
toasts running the whole gamut OF patri-
otism from th- day jefferson wrote the
Declaration down TO that triumphal day
at Yorktown when CORVALLIS surren-
dered TO Washington. Nor were Andre"
jackson and New orleans forgotten;
nor the stu later victories won by our
troops In Mexico under Scott, Taylor, and
other worthless.
our elderly people are wont to say
that there were never any such four'hs
of July as those. And they are right
from their point of view; but it was youth
which colored the glasses through which
they saw everything. AS a matter OF fact
our country, which then seemed very hap
py and prosperous and peaceful. was
sleeping upon volcano which soon after
burst and deluged the country with blood
and almost altered the face Of nature for
4 while.
Let us comfort ourselves therefore, as
FAR as we may. with the thought that all
that Is passed and gone. and that If we
,an't have genuine 0ld-fashioned
Fourth Of july in 'those degenerate
days" none Of US now living are likely
TO see another war such as that which
crimsoned this land from 1861 to 1863
Lynchburg has resolved to have an old
fashioned celebration to-day, ana VIII
observe the day with much OF ancient
fervor In some other places in virginia
too. we hear of pic-nics. fshfries, &C.
but for the most part the young people
viii feel that their whole duty has been
discharged II they can get to baseball
park and see their favorites win.
Great a man as Tom jefferson was
farseeing as was his vision-little did he
dream that the work which he regarded
as his best title TO fame would be valued
chiefly because of the holiday which II
annually affords at a season Of the year
when the standing of the clubs has
become a matter OF intense moment.
But so IL is. And there are hundreds of
young people who have never read the
Declaration of Independence who kno"
oil about the standing of each club IN
each league: thousands who know little
Of Washington. jefferson. Hamilton, and
all that lot of knee-buckled worthless who
know the history of all the celebrated
pitchers and catchcr5. SIN. We do not
despair OF the republic. No doubt the
fathers of the men who fought at Their
mopylae often said their bows were
worthless set Of dudes Our Patriot
Fathers were men who used TO rob birds ,
nests and play truant from school, and
their sires predicted all manner of evil
things Of them. So. too. at the beginning
Of the late war, II was confidently as
serted by many sages that the days OF
great soldiers had passed; that the boys
had no stamina in them, and that the
women had so debased themselves by
wearing corsets aud foop-skirts that no.
thing sensible was 20 be expected OF
them. And yet Stonewall JacksOn's and
Lees stars we're soon glittoring in our
national armament. Soon. too, We saw
our young men. barefooted and more than /
half starved, charging batteries held by /
innumerat,le hosts. Soon. too, we saw /
che women managing the plantations and /
raising food for Lees army and nursing /
the sick and wounded, and firing every (,
weak spirit with their own indomltable ,
courage and devotion. And SO in turn |
nay these .'rooters" whatever they are /
,urn from their bats and balls and become !
heroes, and do honor 10 their country.
However the mode of observing the !
Fourth Of July may have changed-how- /
ever much the late war curtains US OF I
nom previous cyents-we all know that .
the Declaration OF Independence made, as !
IL were. new day in the calendar and /
gave TO the world a new nation. and We :
can never think without pride that It's :
author was a Nirslnian-this Common I,
wealth having been fortunate in furnish /.
iug 10 the Revolution its sword and pen !