The Irish standard., 1898-07-09
FOURTH OF JULY IN ENGLAND.

Admiral Sampson IN Santiago harbor
caused all loyal Americans to celebrate
the Fourth Of July just past with
more than ordinary enthusiasm. Joy
was depicted on the face of every true
American, whether native-born or
naturalized, when he read on the bull
letin boards Or in the newspapers that
Admiral Cervera's fleet was utterly de-
stroyed while attempting to escape
from Santiago harbor on the morning
OF the Sd of July. The destruction and
capture Of the Spanish ships and their
intrepid commander proved in the most
convincing manner that poor old Spain
is no match for the United States on
sea and the gallantry displayed by the
American soldiers on land in the face
OF almost insurmountable difficulties
showed their superiority over the Span
ish troops. 1t was therefore natural
that the American people should rejoice
and celebrate the natal day of their
independence with more than their
usual enthusiastic patriotism.
We are informed by Atlantic cable
that the English people were jubilant
over our victory at Santiago, and that
for the first time in their lives they
celebrated the Fourth of July in Lon
don. Some Americans who are afflic-
ted with Anglomania and some Eng
lishmen who are eager for an Anglo
American alliance met at the banquet
board and vowed eternal friendship
between the mother country and the
United States. The press of England,
since the beginning of this year, has
been speaking ad nauseum of the ties
of blood and language that bind the
Anglo-SaXon people together, and soma
OF them like the Review of Reviews
recommended that Engishmen cele-
brate their own defeat by shouting for
the Stars and Stripes on the Fourth of
July. 1t is amusing to read the reasons
given by VIM. T. Stead Of the Review of
Reviews, for the celebration of Amer
lean independence by John Bull, and
Wo give them as follows as a literary
curiosity to our readers:
The Fourth of July, when it was
hrst established as national anniyer-
sary, was date which recalled to us
only memories Of defeat and disaster.
1t was many years before the nation
woke up to the conviction that, as often
happens in life, the apparent disaster
had been blessing in disguise. A
hundred years ago we only saw the
disguise; but now has not the time
come when we may recognize the bles-
sing? * * x Looking back upon
the war Of independence, which culmin-
ated In the declaration of the Fourth Of
July, while none Of us wish the separa-
ton had taken place, all of us regard it
as much less evil than would have
been inflicted upon the world had the
British armies triumphed in that strug-
gle. The Fourth of July, therefore,
has every claim to be regarded as one
OF the sacred days in the calendar of
the English-speaking race. Primarily,
no doubt, it is the birthday of the
United States, and as such it is desery-
ing to be held in respectful reverence
by all communities of English-speaking
men. The growth of British sentiment
on this subject comedies with the
growth of what is called the English
speaking sentiment. The term Little
Highlander is now beginning to have a
significance which it never before
possessed. The new Little Englanders
are for the most part those who have
hitherto regarded that term as a spec
ial epithet OF contumely to be applied
to their adversaries, and to those the
Fourth of July supplies conclusive
test. The men who will kick at a
British celebration of the Fourth of
July are those who cannot stretch their
conceptions of England so far as to in
cludo the whole English-speaking race.
They are the parish politicians OF our
world. They think Of their own little
island as it was when George III was
king, and their minds are dominated by
the prejudices and antipathies which
would be dssipated if leaving their
Little England, they were to breathe
for a moment the larger air of that in
formal aggregation of free nations all
round the world which we name when
we drink the health of all English
speaking people who on earth do dwell.
The new test, therefore, for the real
genuine Little Englandcr, who lives
curled in snailshel Of a national
conception which the nation itself has
long since outgrown, is whether or not
he would be willing to celebrate the
Fourth of July. Often and often in the
history of the last hundred years, when
| our statesmen have been tempted by
obstinacy, pride. or what may be called
| the parochialism of the Little Eng
| lander to give the rein to evil tenden-
| cies which would have wrecked our
| empire, they have been restrained by
the salutary memory Of the Fourth of
July. 1t has been as an angel with
| flaming sword which deferred our rul-
ers from ever turning again into for
| hidden paths in which they would
have found not paradise, but destruc-
l