The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-06


 l of what the flag represents. The Red, White and Blue" embematic of the blood shed in securing our liberty, the purity of the cause and the freedom achieved, is symbol of our nation, typifying it's dignity and sovereignty, and commanding the respect of all oth- CT nations.
 Floating from school houses, church. es other public buildings and from private houses, the "Star-spangled Banner" stands for all that is great and glorious in our history as a people; and, while it reminds us of the past, it should make us sensible of present en- | joyments, and inspire us to be loyal to the best interests of our country. | We rejoice in our national birthday ] because of what had been accomplished 1 by us as a people in our brief but tri- umphant career.
 | We are proud of the achievements of the first settlers who, escaping from op- pression in the old world, planted the | colonies which, ''in the course of human events" produced the famous self-eVi- dent truths, and for their support mu- tually pledged lives, fortunes and sa- cred honor.
 We treasure the memory of those who were among the first to yield their lives, and whose heroism is so well de- picted in Emerson's lines,
 By the rude bridge which arched the
 flood,
 Their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood, And fired the shot heard round the
 world"
 While 1t is proper to boast of Concord and Lexington, it must be remembered that the first encounter between the colonists and the mother country and the first blood shed took place at a great distance from those historic towns.
 The planters of North Carolina, com posed largely of Scotch Presbyterians fervent opponents of liberty and stout opponents of George III, under the leadership of the Speaker of the Assem- bly,, offered armed resistance to the is- suing of stamps in 1765; and, on the 7th of May, 1771, the first lives were sacrificed in behalf of the cause of American freedom at the battle of Al amance, and their memory is preserved in the tender verses of Whiting,
 'No stately column marks the hallowed
 place
 Where silent sleeps, un-urned, their sa-
 cred dust:
 The first free martyrs of a glorious
 race,
 Their fame a peoples wealth, a nations , trust"
 The county of Mecklenburg, N. C.,
 declared in favor of absolute independ- ence May 20 1775; the North Carolina
 delegates to the Continental congress were authorized, April F, 1776, to de- clare independence of foreign allegi- ance: June 14 Connecticut instructed it's delegates to favor independence and permanent union of the colonies; and July there was added to the galaxy of
 nations new star bright with the ef- fulgence of eternal splendor. The proclamation, "These United Col onies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states" as soon as the measure had been passed announcing
 the confession of faith of the rising empire" was heralded to the waiting multitude outside the state house by the joyful tones of the old bell, bearing
 it's scriptural injunction given by Mos : es thirty-fve centuries in the past , Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" : The young nation was born; and, af- ter struggle of seven years, peace was permanently established.
 The occasion produced the men; and under the guidance of Franklin, Ad- , ans, Putnam and other sterling patri-
 ots, the new government was estab-
 lished and Washington, who had shoWr :. his great qualities as a leader both or !, , the battlefield and in the counci chamber, became the first president.
 The Declaration of Independence was supplemented by that remarkable pro. duction, the constitution.
 Englands great statesman, Glad
 stone, said, "The American Constitu.
 tion is the most wonderful work evel struck off by the brain of man." Under this constitution our country 7 is rapidly becoming the foremost natior
 of the world.
 While we rejoice over the achieve ments of the patriotic founders of oul
 great republic, and accord to them al honor, we also give thanks and praise to the long line of men and circum stances than have helped to establish the perpetuty of our nation When England proposed to carry ou the Right of Search" our country re sisted the imposition; and in the war O , 1872 the United States became strength ened in the eyes of Europe and th' /. mother country has never again pre- stunned to enforce her preposterou , claims.
 The nation asserted and emphasized . it's dignity concerning self-governmen
 and enabled it's people to say, ' "Oh, thus be it ever, when freemel , shall stand,
 Between their loved home and tn
 wars desolation. 6 Blessed with victory and peace ma. Q the heaven rescued land Praise the power that hath made ant
 preserved us a nation" e The crucial test of the stability of tn q nation came with the outbreak of tn Il civil war, whose terrible ordeal result
 ed in the triumph of right over wrong n and the firm establishment of the Un n ion as a government of the people, b, = the people and for the people, n Heroic souls were produced thOI1