The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1902-07-07

The speaker was Captain w. b. Burke,
who was watching the passing throns
yesterday in front of Miller's book store
on Marietta street.
Yes" was the reply OF newspaper
man. tout of our population of s0.VOo,Ooo
1t is safe to say that hundreds or pleas
ure seekers will die today on land and
water. Some will be killed in drunken
quarrels: some will be the victims OF ac-
cident and others will die from intemper-
ance. imprudent eating and exposure.
Then there will be fatalities caused by
fireworks. the firing of salutes. expios-
ions, etc
I'VE Americans generally celebrate a
great anniversary at a fearful cost, re-
marked an old timer. The record Oh
crime on the Fourth is always Diach
one. Here in Atlanta on that day, In ioh'
there was a mysterious homicide when
was never explained. Mr.. F1nney, the
owner of a carriage factory, killed one
of his workmen in a back room. NO VII
nesses were present. Ffnney claimed that
the killing was in self-defense. out ne
was indicted for murder He was never
tried"
Why asked a bystander.
Because he received pardon from
Governor Bullock before the case could De
heard in the superior court. Bullock WAS
tender-hearted and the statements made
by Finney convinced him that he was
innocent, but might have trouble in salts
fyirg a jury. So he pardoned him. and
Finney paid a large sum of money 10
the family of the dead man.
Was that pardon LAWFUL was the
next question.
Don't know. At that time precedents
were quoted on both sides when lawyers
II
opinion seemed to be against the pardon
but the affair was in the turbulent recon-
struction period and law did not cut mucn
OF figure. Human life was cheap
Yesterdays celebration had the TWO
main requisites-heat and noise. But IT
was comparatively a sober day in Atlanta
This is the most temperate city OF It's
size in the union. and 1t has the best and
most sensible liquor regulations. Even
on days when the saloons are open they
are rarely ever crowded. On Dig holiday
our people patronize the soda founts
and only few indulge In strong drink.
The programme for the day was APP
propriate and satisfactory. Dan carey
read the Declaration of Independence IN
capital style; Reuben Arnold's Grafton
was eloquent and patriotic; Lieutenant
Colonel Clifford Anderson and the Flfih
regiment made fine showing In the pa
rade and in the sham battle; the Vet
Grams of the gray and blue. tiremens
drum corps and other features of the
procession were all that could be desired,
and Charles Hadens address before the
Daughters of the Revolution was an in
teresting contribution to our history.
Still, II was not A systematic, well-ar-
ranged celebration and Atlanta has
never had one.
We spend money enough and have
spectators enough TO make a splendid
show practicable. but we have never had
one on the Fourth.
Over twenty years ago We made Dig
day of It, when John Milledge. the gai-
liant and gifted descendant of historic
line of ancestors, read the declaration To
assembled thousands under the car she'd,
but we have had nothing equal to 1t
since.
Years ago. when l stood In old indie
pendence hall In Philadelphia and viewed
the portraits of the signers of the decla-
ration and took look at the cracked
Liberty Bell / felt thrill of patriotic
pride.
Ii is true that the signers of the char
Ter of our liberty all looked like beefy
Engnshmen, and. in point of fact. were
Englishmen under the law, but / have
always been glad TO hail them as Ameri-
cans.
The declaration itself strikes most of us
as a grand piece of heroic prose, without
a flaw. but this impression is mainly due
to our early training.
The late DIR. III. V. NJ. Miller. states
man. scholar and critic, used TO tear this
document to tatters. He ridiculed ITS
tawdry rhetoric It's surplus verbage and
its exaggerated statements.
The historian who gets his inspiration
from that famous paper will give his
readers about as much romance as re-
ality.
In Virginia and North Carolina our in
dependence was asserted long before the
declaration was signed In Philadelphia.
The spirit of revolt was In the air
years before the Fourth of July. &c,
especially in our southern colonies. which.
according to Edmund Burke and Lord
Chatham. contained a larger proportion
of liberty loving people than the north.
In every early assertion of independence
southern men took the lead-in the Viz
ginia legislature at Mecalenburg, n. -,
and at Philadelphia.
III these southerners did the most CT
the talking and writing at that time they
also did most of the lighting. Every his
torical record containing the facts shows
that the south furnished more troops than
the north in the revolution. The north
was practically licked and was swarming
with tories. when the battle OF Guilford
Court House,. in North Carolina, turned
the tide in our favor. and led 10 the sur
render of CORVALLIS at Yorktown.
The north has always had set Of ac-
tive fellows who were better at writing
history than in making 1t. The scribbleIS
and artists up there have been busy for
generations magnifying the part their
section took in the revolution, and our
southern children are stll studying Their
text books and growing up in ignorance
of the fact that the men of the south
started the war won its decisive battles
saved the colonies. established the union,
formed it's constitution and mapped OUT
the policy which has made this the great
est and most powerful nation on the
globe.
And yet the south had her share of
tories Thousands Of rich and well-to-do
people. from the Potomac to the Florida
line feared the co0fiscatio of their
property. They did not believe that our |
raw militia could successfully fight the
trained veterans of the king. They were
loyal to the crown TO the last, and here
just before the close of the war they