The Saint Paul globe., 1897-07-04
w by w e Celebrate
This Is the Day When Every Man, Woman in the
sr United States Should Give Thanks.

point eighty miles from PHILADELPHIA.
all night and reached the floor lust in
tlme on July to cast DelaWara's
vote In favor of independence. On that
day, ever memorable in American an
hals, the Declaration of Independence
was ADOPTED by the unanimous vote
OF the thirteen colonies
The enthusiasm of the natriots at
hearing the intelligence was unbound
ed While congress had been discuss
lnS the subject crowds assembled out
slue the hall and in the streets, anx-
lously awaiting the result When it
was announced at noon the state house
neli ON which was inscribed PRO
clam liberty throughout all the lands
unto all the inhabitants thereof" clang-
ell deep and melodiously and the tn: ong
gave vent to long and loud shouts Of
eXultation
The old bell-ringer had been at his
post since early morning. He had
placed his boy below to announce when
the declaration was adopted, so that
not an instant might be lost in trans
ferrlng the glad tidings by means Of
the bell to the awaiting multitude
AS the wearisome hours passed and
no sign came to him, the aged bell
ringer finally exclaimed: "They will
never do it! They will never do itv'
Just then he heard his boy clapping
MS hands and Vociferating at the top
OF his Juvenile lungs: Ring! Ring!''
Inc old hands swayed the sonorous
bell with delirious vigor. It's reverbera-
ton was echoed by every steeple in
the city.
Ihat was a gala day in Philadelphia.
what with rejoicings and bonfires and
1lluminations. The cannon doomed and
messengers rode away / o ly to all quar-
ters to announce the news. Washing
ton then was in New York with the
army. BY his orders it was read to
the soldiers who acclaimed it enthu0
slastlcally. The toWnsfolk on that
night tore the statue of George III.
from its pedestal in Bowling Green.
and 1t was melted into $4,000 bullets
for the patriot troops
yesterday" wrote John Adams to
MS wife, the greatest question was
decided that was ever debated in Amer
lea, and greater, perhaps, never was
or will be decided among men. A
resolution was passed without one dis
senting colony that these United Colo
MES are, and Of right ought to be, free
and independent The day is passed
The fourth of July, 1875, will be mo
morable epoch in the history of Amer
lea. | am apt to believe it will be cele-
brated by succeeding generations as the
great anniversary festival. It ought
to be commemorated as the day of de-
HVerance by solemn acts of devotion
to Almighty God 1t ought to be SOL
emnlzed with pomp, shows, games,
sports. guns, bells. bonfires and illu-
limitations from one end of the CONT
nent to the other from this time for
ward forever
By strange coincidence John Adams
died on July 4, 1926, the fiftieth ami
versary of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. His last words were JET
ferson still survives" But at 1 O'Clock
of the same day Jefferson also passed
away.
Boys and girls for genera tions have
been taught these facts in history; that
is, the boys and girls who have studied
the history Of the United States There
are thousands resident here now who
have never had this opportunity. To
them the Fourth of July. is holiday,
day to. celebrate, a day of enjoy
ment. To the American boy and girl.
who knows what happened here 121
years ago, it is so much more than
that that it is no eXaggeration to say
they enjoy the celebration with twice
the keenneSS that those who are igno-
rant of the country's history could pos.
sibly experience.
Among the oil Ter ones, plenty of whom
have studied history too. there is
host who only know that the Fourth
of July is the day when the Declaration
of independence was made public. That
is what we celebrate to be sure. but
the kindred incidents must be known to
those who would appreciate the great
ness of the day. We love the Star
Spangled Banner. We celebrate the
Fourth of July. To the American cit
izen these two are the Damon and
Pythias of freedom. We wave the
first and we set off fireworks in OBJ
SerVance of the second And then in
cidentally we will make little declara-
ton of i,de,ac ", z aia1a of