Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-07-03
THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 3. 1902.


century and quarter old tomorrow,
and the anniversary Of its birth will be
celebrated by old and young alike.
While the sentiment the dag should in
spire has in a measure become obscured
in the history of the past two score years
the occasion still thrills many whose
minds are carried back to one OF the
most momentous events ever witnessed
in the New World-the signing OF the
Declaration of independence by the de
termined forefathers Of the country who
in the act took their lives in their own
hands. Generation after generation has
enjoyed the freedom purchased by these
noble men whose names will be reyered
80 long as there is United States. They
were patriotic but thoughtful, and each
realized the seriousness of the part
played Future ages would, were the
movement successful, call them patriots;
should it fail they would be termed trail
tors who had incurred the death penalty.
AS they stood around the table i'll In
dependence Hall in Philadelphia and
the quill was passed from one TO the
other some may have imagined angels
were present and that the God of right
was animating them. Others, more APP
prehensive, doubtless in their minds
eyes saw halters dangling in the air
above their heads. But they crossed the
RubicOn without a tremor, took upon
themselves a grave responsibility and
after battling for seven long years against
terrible odds brought to the birth a
country destined to become world
power, or such as the people at the
beginning Of the tw meth century be-
hold it. The United States started out
in its infancy during the closing years OF
the eighteenth century under puny con-
ditions, with the mother country's pos
sessions frOwning upon it on the north,
the capricious French and naturally
hostile Spanish on the south, the roar
ing ocean on the east and the savage
Indian and unexplored region toward the
PacifcOn the west. Today itmay be liken-
edo 4 huge giant, with its head pillowed
"a DC frigid zone, its feet protruding
inJo the tropics and its arms stretching
from he Atlantic and across the Pacific.
us phenomenal growth is unparalleled in
history, and while the events which
have marked its century and halls
exist nee have often been thrilling the
scene, of the past quaterniOn of years,
,,Ie passing of night as it were in the
history of nation have been moment
5us The Castilian has been crowded
H9l. he New World he discovered and
.he airs and Stripes have hoated from
Zorro Castle at Havana, while the arms
9f the republic have been carried across
tie 'acifc ocean within six hundred
ala- of the Celestial Empire, have
s9u ly invaded that empire and the
far f the country raised upon islands
in ia sea- While many of us sincerely
3epl0'e the new regime which has been
nshered in and the almost total eclipse
N geat principles upon which the gov
euusnt was founded, all realize that
there has been startling transition in
short space of time and that pres
conditions, distasteful as they, be,
i be faced The United States of
.3ay was never contemplated in the
most eXtravagant dreams of our pro-
gen.'ors. Had any one told our fore
.1thaIs a hundred years ago that the
day would come when the festivities in
connection with the celebration of the
De- aration of American Independence
,g3Ol be carried on in the streets of
iou'On they would have deemed the
prophet a fit subject for lunatic
asylum. Yet such has recently taken
place and will doubtless be repeat ed to-
n.orow. The country has made its
hunders in both foreign and internal
poi es, and there are many things in
scction with its past and present
csroer which besmirch its history. A
muniicent heaven has notwithstanding
b'essCd us in basket and store, and the
dove Of peace is now lowering over us.
ic' tomorrow's sun bring with it rejoic-
ns> not over conquests or American
prov cas-, but over the fact that a patient
heaven has borne long with the nations
hnHders and is still propitious toward it.
lie CAUSE of the present cold weather
Ao cloudy, short twilights, according to
winter in the Baltimore Sun, is the
minimum of sunspots from which our
great luminary is now SUFFERING The
treviy of twilight is not due. it Is hold
10 any change in atmospheric refraction |
o Ia, suns rays, but to clouds caused bv
The ontimely chill in the air, and this
ailli IS a sonspot, or, rather, nOn-sun-
spo., phenomenon. ''The sun, he SAYS,
IS Just now in most unusual state.
Gre period of minimum spottedness has