The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-07-08
INDEPENDENCE DAY.
Its Peculiar siGnIficance-suggest as to
Its Observance.

Its Observance.
No national holiday kept anywhere
among the peoples of tho world has quite
the significance which we attach to the
Fourth of July. England has no such fete
day. Her development has been slow,
continuous unmarried by any really rad
ical commissions which essentially up
turned her political status. France, it
is true celebrates the taking Of the Bas
tile, which inaugurated the French revo.
luton, but 1t Is In a perfunctory fashion,
which in no way reflects great national
sentiment. Germany makes an imperial
holiday of the date of the self crowning
of Emperor william l at Versailles, but
this is rather glorihcation Of the Hohen-
zollern race, specially dear to the Prus-
sian heart, and only acquiesced in by the
rest Of the dermanic empire, which has
had many kaisers of other reigning fam
lilies before.
The Declaration of independence on
July A, 1776, with us had a peculiar sig
niflcance, far greater than Lexington, or
Bunker Hill, or the storming of Ticon-
deroga, or the first organization of the
continental congress, all Of which occurred
in 1875. The act of political birth was
fully consummated before that solemn
appeal to the world and to history, which
we call Independence day. But all that
year of struggle before the adoption Of
Jefferson's great masterpiece of national
self assertion simply marked US in the
eyes Of foreign nations as rebels fighting
against their rightful sovereign. When
the declaration pealed out its resounding
trumpet tones to humanity, the power
and logic of the plea in justification Of
the taking up of arms at once gave us
new status. 1t was the legal seal which
consecrated and made official the actual
fact Thenceforward the United States
began to be known not as rebellious
mob, but as gallant people, struggling
against tyrannical oppressors. Probably
no political act ever had more immediate
and radical effect than this great docu
ment, far more indeed than its author and
signers ever anticipated. They considered
they owed it to themselves and to the
cause they represented to set forth the rea.
sons for revolt to the world. 1t was at
once glorifed as the magma charta Of a
newborn commonwealth. Thenceforward
it was but natural that our history as
people should date from this time, as it
was the cornerstone, even the whole
foundation, of our nation building.
1t has sometimes been said that the cele-
bration of the independence anniversary
has fallen off in the physical joyousness
and enthusiasm which used to make it
the great day of the year, particularly
children's day. Perhaps this is so in large
cities, where life has become more artifl-
cial and blase. 1t may be that the keen
sense of the peril of fires from the explo.
| sion of Chinese crackers and other fire
works has grown stronger, too, in COM
munities where there is an enormous con-
centration of wealth in buildings. But it is
pleasant to know that in the rural regions
and small towns there are the same old fash
ioned hullabaloo and innocent, simple
minded jubilee of old and young What il
the orator. too, makes the American eagle
spread his pinions wide and emit his most
piercing shrieksl This is as it shoIld be.
Probably a modicurn Of bombast and rhe.
torioal fustian really goes quite as far in
whetting the patriotic appetite as would
the most rational and painstaking exposi-
tion.
The traditional Fourth of July celebra-
ton, with its picnic junketings and social
assemblages and its fireworks, whether
composed of gunpowder or of eloquence, is
wholesome institution, good to encOur.
age May it wave as long as Old Glory
streams above itl One thing may be sug.
gosted in this connection, however, in view
of the fact that it is so much children S
day. The celebration might be made to
stimulate young people to closer and
keener study of American history. Why
should it not he made the occasion of Civ
ing prizes and other public honors to those
pupils of the public schools who shall have
passed the best examination in the history
of their country Such a function as this
might be so managed as 20 invest the day
with tenfold more interest to the old as
well as the young. G. r. +.