Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-07-12
FOURTH OF JULY.
The anniversary Of american
Independence Appropriate
ly Observed.

Thursday, the Fourth ofJulv, 1895.
opened bright. sunny and warm.
The small boy was omni-present.
and contributed the proper amount
Of enthusiasm and burnt fingers to
the day. People began to come in
early, and by 10 o'clock, the. time for
the parade, the sidewalks were filled
with people clothed in their SUNDAY
BEST"
The parade moved at 10 O'Clock,
and was headed by Chief Marshal
Clyde and aides, Patrick Hayes and
Ira L. Warren, the Harmonic band,
the Select knights, Workman Post,
float of young girls representing
states aud territories, firemen, the
Scandinavian Good Templar's lodge
and citizens.
The procession traversed part OF
the business section and then
gathered before the south side OF the
grand stand. The children ON the
float sang a patriotic song, and then
the Declaration Of Independence was
read by Miss Rose Vasaly in an ex-
cellent manner. The important
points uf the immortal document
were well emphasized.
There was then music by the band,
and Hon. j. H. Rhodes was intro
duced as the orator of the day. Mr..
Rhodes did not deliver a very long
grafton, hut what was said
was good, and literally APP
plauded. His speech was in part as
follows:
Mr., Rhodes said it gave him great
pleasure to speak on such an occa-
sion. They were met to commence
rate the:noble deeds Of their fathers
and to give thanks that the nation
they founded still endured The
struggle for freedom had been h long
one, and had reached it's elimination
in the founding of the United States
of America. Athens, whose great
men had made such mark upon the
history of the world, a small city
which had Influenced civilization
more than the teeming millions OF
China, fell. Rome, eternal Rome,
the fame of whose great men is i'm
mortal, was founded in iniquity,
ruled by corruption and fell, through
ambition. Other nations had risen,
fallen, and given way to others, and
these in turn to yet others, and at
each change there was an advance
in freedom. The fathers of the nation
had fed from unjust government to
found q nation across the sea-
Though England at that time was
the freest of governments, yet there
were cruel laws, laws denying liberty
of speech. of thought, of action
The fathers of the republic founded a
nation which from few scattered
colonies along the Atlantic, had ex'
handed to an immense domain
stretching from ocean to ocean, COM
posed of states each a sovereignty
in itself. But though the work was
well begun, there had yet been the
mOnstrous blot of slavery to be
wiped away. In a bloody war that
stain upon the American escutcheon
was forever erased. When Lincoln
called for troops the whole country
responded, and none more quickly
than the gallant linen OF Minnesota
whose noble First Regiment proved
it's valor on many a bloody field
The war was over, but the example
of these men must ever be inspiring
to the young. They had shown
what it was to do and to dare. II
ever the nation was attacked; If evel
the glorious flag should be insulteo
these men and their sons would rally
under it, resolved to bear it t.
victory, or to die enshrouded in it