The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-07-24
WU ON PATRIOTISM.
The Eloquent Diplomat Talks in 11depen.
dence Square.
philadelphia Eccord.

penOence square waving myrlduS o.
miniature American flags to bursts Of
patriotic music from the Municipa
Band, WI Ting.fang, the Chinese min
lister, was given reception there yes
terday morning that evidenced the
carnestness of his welcome in Phila-
delphia. When he appeared in his
gorgeous Oriental robes. bowing and
smiling to the left and right, a
lusty shout went up for three cheers
and tiger, which were given with
genuine American Gusto.
lIr. Wa appeared as the rcprcscn-
tativc from the worlds Oldest nation,
coming to The cradle Of American in
dependence and addressing the young
est nation on earth. with especial
reference to the day it celebrated
The fnror that fol. owed his address
was spontaneous. Crowds surgcd
around the speaker for congratulations
and requests for his autograph, until
the members Of councils committee
on the Fourth Of July had to protect
him from the friendly onslaught AMI
escort him to his carriage.
When WI Ting-fang was introduc-
cd by Chairman John s. Hammond, as
orator Of the day, cheering continued
for many minutes. The distinguish
ed Chinaman seemed to take child
ish delight in the demonstration and
expressed himself as greatly pleased
with his welcome.
WI Ting.fang $ voice was not strong
enough to be heard all over the large
crowd, but even those who could net
hear remained to watch the emphatic
gestures of the speaker clad in his
wonderful tunic Of crushed strawberry
tint, and every telling point was ap-
plauded. His address in full was as
follows:
Last year was honored with an in
vitation to deliver an address on the
anniversary of the birth of this Re
public on this historic spot. But cir
oumstances beyond my control, which
many of oyou, no doubt, can recall,
and which I need not here repeat,
prevented my appearance as speaker
at the last moment. The renewal Of
the invitation this year is especially
gratifying to me: for I am informed
this is the first time that the people
Of Philadelphia have ever conferred
this unusual honor upon the rcpresen-
tative of any foreign country.
We are assembled to-day to com
memorate the birth of this great ma
tion. That birth was AN event which
has changed the history of the West
ern Hemisphere and has powerfully
Influenced the course of political de-
velopment throughout the world. It
was an event Of so transcendental i'm
portancc in American annals that the
Fourth of July will ever be known and
observed as Independence Day
Strange to say, the Fourth Of July is n
day made specially memorable by
other occurrences Of great national in
tcrest also, so that it may be called a
peculiarly American anniversary.
1t was on that day in 1S2G-cxactly
fifty years after the signing Of the
Declaration Of independence -,ha.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
the two men who had most to do with
the framing and promulgation Of that
famous instrument, took their flight
together to the world beyond. 1t was
on that day in 1863 that the surrender
of Vicksburg to Grant raised the
dropping spirits Of the North in the
gigantic struggle for American Union,
and also on tho same day that the
lifting Of smoke from the battlefield
of Gettysburg revealed the shattered
army of Lee and the shattered hope
of the Confederacy. It was on that
day three years ago that the ne VS. of n
great victory spread like wildGrc
through the country and was in every
body's mouth.
You are right, therefore, in ccle-
brating such glorious anniversary
with the ringing of bells, the firing of
cannon, the singing Of anthems and
the beating of drums. 1t is meet and
proper that all Americans from Sandy
Hook to the Golden Gate and from
the St. Lawrence to the Rio Grande
should join in the national jubilee.
But there is no place throughout
the length and breadth of the land
where an annual observance of the
great day is more fitting than at Inde-
pendencc Hall. 1t was here that the
famous bell from yondcr bclfry first