Middletown transcript., 1898-06-25


zg"mlm~ \ tury fortunately
have preserved
full accounts of all. Says the Pennsyl-
yania Packet of July s, 1777:
tsLast Friday, the 4th of July, being
the first anniversary of the independence
of the United States of America, was
celebrated in this city with demonstra-
tions of joy and festivity. About noon
all the armed ships and galleys in the
river were drawn up before the city,
dressed in the gayest manner, with the
colours of the United States and stream
ers displayed, and at / o'clock, the
yards being properly manned. they be-
gan the day by discharge of 13 cannon
from each of the ships and one from
each of the IS galleys, in honor of the
IS United States. In the afternoon an
elegant dinner was prepared for con-
gress, then in session at Philadelphia,
to which were invited all distinguished
citizens and strangers of eminence The
Hessian band of music, captured at
Trenton on the 26th of December by
General Washington, attended and
heightened the festiyity with some fine
performances suited to the occasion,
while corps of British deserters, be-
ing drawn up before the door, filled up
the intervals with feux de joie.
Then evening was closed with the ring
ing of bells, and at night there was
grand exhibition of fireworks on the
common, and the city was beautifully
illuminated. = Thus may the
Fourth of July, that glorious and MEM
orable day, be celebrated throughout
America by the sons of freedom from
age to age till time shall be no more. "
About three months after that trst
celebration, it should be remembered,
Philadelphia was occupied by the Brit
ish, and The Packet of July 8, 1778,
has this announcement: "On Thursday,
the 18th ult., the British army under
Sir Henry Clinton completed their eyac-
uation of this city after having possess
sion of it about nine months. y
In the same issue is this card to the
public: 'Notice is hereby given that
the honorable congress does not expect
that the inhabitants Of the city will IL
Illuminate their houses tomorrow even
ing. The excessive heat of the weather,
the present scarcity Of candles and other
considerations induce the council to
recommend the measure. Neverthe-
less, even though there was no Hessian
band to play patriotic airs and no Brit
ish deserters to let off ''feux de joie, !"
yet the honorable the congress held
grand festival at the city tavern, at
which the principal civil and military
officers were present by invitation and
number (13) of patriotick toasts were
drank. - The fourth "patriotick" toast
was, 'The happy aera of the 1nde-
pendence of America" the twelfth,
"May the people continue free for
ever" the thirteenth, "May the Union
of the American states be perpetual. "
Their courage was good those days,
and not only that, but they could afford
laugh. For instance, The Packet for
July quotes: When Sir William
Howe, General Burgoyne and Sir Henry
Clinton embarked for America, in 1775,
the following lines appeared in Lon
don paper:
f'Behold the Cerberus the Atlantic plow,
Her precious cargo. Clinton, Burgoyne, Howell
Bowl Bowl Bowl
"We leave to our readers to deter
mine whether those military dogs Of
war have done anything but bark ever
since they came to America.
Not only in Philadelphia, but in
Boston, Charleston, Annapolis and in
other towns not in possession of the
British, was the day observed in these
and succeeding years. Finally, in 1888,
the colonies have good occasion to re-
joice, for treaty of peace has been me-
gotiated and is in process of defnitive
settlement. The Salem Mass Gazette
of July 10, 1883, publishes letter from
Boston Of date July Z, which chronicles: !:
"The anniversary of our independence
was observed by the citizens of this
town in manner becoming the happy
occasion. The joy CT the day was an
nounced by the ringing of bells and the
discharge of cannon. Our dignitaries re-
paired to the church in Brattle street,
where the Rev. DR.. Cooper, after a po-
lite and elegant address to the auditory,
returned thanks to Almighty God for
his goodness TO these American states
and the glory and success with which
he had crowned their exertions.
The next year, 1854, in Boston !:
"Sunday, the 4th inst, being the anni-
versary Of the political birth Of these
United States as sovereign, free and
independent empire, the same was cele-
brated here on Monday. The firing of
cannon and the ringing Of bells well
coined the joyous morn. At IL o'clock
his honor the lieutenant governor, the
honorable council, the senate and the
house of representatives repaired to the
Old South Meeting House, where an
able and we'll adapted prayer was made
and comprehensive, ingenious, elegant
and didactiek grafton was pronounced,
after which the brigade train dined to-
gether at the Exchange tavern and the
militia officers at the Bunch of Grapes,
where Is patriotick toasts were drunk by
each corps"
| New York, SO long prevented by the
presence Of British troops from indul-
gence in patriotic manifestations, joined
its sister states as soon as freed from the
hated enemy. In 1898 "the militia went
in procession to st. Paul's church,
where the Declaration of Independence
was read by Major Morton, an elegant
and patriotick sermon was preached by
Rev. Mr.. Foster of the Baptist church
| and collection made for charitable
purposes. /"
just 100 years ago, on the Fourth OF