The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-05
ThrilIlng E1ampIe q PatriotIsm.

Thrilling Example OF fAtFiotlsih'
There must have been a thrill of in
creased patriotism permea.Ing the
homes the Register entered yesterday.
With It's editorial on the natal day Of
the republic. There was a plenty OF
cheer in 1t for young Americans, ana
old ones, too. for that matter. It doubt
less caused them to go out and celebrate
the GLORIOUS Fourth" with Joy and
hope in their hearts such as they never
felt before. It made them look upon
the nag with greater devotion. That is,
II did all this, If these readers of the
patriotic Register stopped at the end Of
the hrst paragraph OF the editorial.
which occupied about two inches OF
space. II they read the remaining eight
or nine inches Of the article, they found
not these Inspirations. They found how
It was that all the spirit of the day.
which characterized the rejolcIngs
throughout the whole land. dwindled
out Of the editors fingers with the last
sentence OF the first paragraph, and the
mean spirit of partisanshlp. malice and
demagogy began to flow, on the day
when national unity and forgetfulness
Of party politics subserved all other
thoughts.
Departing from the cheer and the ma
tional sentiment of the opening para
graph the Register editor became a
dyspeptlc, vlndlctive and pessimistic.
and told his readers that the celebra-
tion of the Fourth this year as
mockery In the Philippine Islands" be-
cause our country Us violating the De-
elaratlon Of independence by compelling
the 'FIllplnos to fight for their liberties,
and government OF their own" as we
did when we struck on the shackles of
English domination" and that whoever
read the Declaration of Independence
over there might fnd Its language
sticking In his throat" II a mockery
there, 1t was mockery everywhere.
Then our friend. after having said in
the first paragraph tina: the GLORIOUS
Fourth means much to Americans. and
IS the first and greatest anniversary of
American history" proceeded further to
say. in one of the concluding para
graphs;
"The Declaration of Independence has
been tramped in the mud In those Is
lands, and II IT shall be read there 1t
win strike every American conscience"
freferrinR to our soldiers and SailorO
.'as scathing Indictment for taithless-
ness and TREASON to the spirit Of its
authora etc. The statute OF
the Goddess of Liberty. If one could be
found for the occasion, should be draped
in mourning, and the portraits OF the
slgners. and each American Presldent'
as well as those of several statesmen
(namIng them) should be similarly
drapedlncrepe." The Register also said:
''The portraits Of the leaders Of the Inn
periai party, including Hanna, Alger.
Mckinley, Havemeyer, Rockefeller
Plerpont Morgan. Vanderbilt ct al
should be appropriately decorated as
the dominant power in the newly found
ed American empire. and successors to
the statesmen before named"
These were the cheering, noble, In
spring, GLORIOUS Fourth of July" sem
timents that the Registers constituents
took with their breakfasts yesterday
morning. after the dawn of the "hrst
and greatest anniversary Of American
history" What a pity that the Regis
tsr.s article could not have been read,
along with the "mud-tramped" Declnra-
lion Of Independence, to our brave sol
dlers in the philippines. What splendid
inspiration they would have found for
their duty and pride as American
heroes. What do the Registers readers
think OF its Fourth of July message to
them, on a morning when all the Nation
was rejoicing and the flag was being
hopored by all the civilized world?