The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-06-30

"The United States is the only country with
a known birthday. All the rest began hey
knew not how Ii there had been no Independ
ence Day, England and America combined
would not be SO great as each actually , IS rs
Fourth of July-all are Americans: All fee
that their country is greater than their party :"
--.IttReS e.. Btdiie
Acting in accord with the spirit Of
the above, several of the leading news
papers of the country are urging that
the coming Fourth of July be ceie-
brated in the old-fashioned way. Our
older readers will remember how In
dependence Day was observed when
they were boys. Then, as now, in
farming communities, with wheat
ready to be cut, many were obliged to
spend the day leading their hands 10
the rythmical sweep of the cradle. In
the towns, however, it was usual for
venient place, with an American flag
and brass band aud listen to the
reading of the Declaration of indie
pendence. Patriotic speeches were
made, instiling love of our country
and her free institutions into the
minds of the rising generation aud
quickening the spirit of patriotism in
their elders.
Of late years these simple OBJ
servances have given place to costly
displays, picnics and excursions, in
which the significance of the day is
entirely lost. If the change in the
outward form of the day and its cele-
bration were all, that were a small
matter. The contrast between the
past and the present goes far deeper
than that and 1.-The spirit of the age"
is far removed from the spirit of '7G
and the glorious early days of the re-
public. Then no lust for territorial ag-
rulers. The immortal Washington in
his Farewell Address advised his coun-
trymen to refrain from entangling
alliances with foreign nations, and by
implication from everything that
might lead thereto. But the warming
words of the Father of His Country"
are now unheeded and under the
leadership of President Mckinley and
his reckless advisers we are engaged
in a war upon people on the other side
of the globe, who have never injured
us; whose only fault is that for hun
dreds of years they have been engaged
in struggle for liberty, first against
despotic Spain and now against peo-
pie who, enjoying freedom themselves,
profess to desire that all nations shall
have the same blessing.
How shall we have then an "old-fash-
toned Fourth of July" when at the
very opening sentence of the Declare
ton of Independence we, as people,
stand convicted of d violation of its
letter as well as its spirit? Aside from
this, the misery which this wicked
war will bring upon our country is
incalculable. Thousands of our young
men will lose their lives or be brought
back with shattered constitutions; the
day, will pile up a burden of national
debt which will never be paid the tax,
alton to pay the interest alone will be
an appalling sum. The pensions to
survivors and their heirs will add
enormously to the grand total, all of
which must be paid from the wages
of labor and the products of the farm
er. What will be gained if by an
overwhelming force we succeed in con-
quering the Filipiuos We can only
maintain our hold by unceasing war
fare. Possession of the country may
afford opportunities for politicians out
of job to drop into lucrative places,
but of what avail will it be to the
toilers at home who are paying the
cost of maintaining an army on the
other side of the globe? Let halt
be called. We have done wrong in
beginning the war and the sooner the
wrong is righted the better.