Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-06-30
|AN11E[RlGMAS
R[E!.pyaIl:|.EqsU1E[P
5*AAsDAM15A1zss
H1N4lZzT VIHZT N MZ-AlE
i1/kzLS Or CElp Hic1Z2DT 4
hIkLLS ar CNlp /Z1ZL9IT 4

We all know the history of that
pivotal Fourth of July from which all
others have become conspicuous. We
know how conflicting interests and
emotions had commended. How Han
cock and Samuel Adams, who had
burned the bridges behind them. and
been proclaimed traitors by Great
Britain, urged on, their cautious breth-
rem. How sagacious Franklin, long
headed John Adams and fery-hearted
Richard Henry Lee, together worked
and planned. coaxing, persuading and
arguing with their conservative col.
leagues, day after day, until they par
took of their dare-all, endure-all spirit.
How that patriotic Congress eventu-
ally put aside every interest, every
consideration, save that of liberty and
love of the right. How, with bold
John Hancock in the chair, the indy
ing fifty-siX, on July 4, 1776,s signed
the Declaration of Independence. We
know that the deadly seven years
struggle that followed, that carried
that Declaration at the swords point,
and made the world accept It as true
The liberty Of America was born on
that July day at the state house in
Philadelphia. That date shines aloft
blazing star against darkened
armament. Let the small boy shout,
whistles blow, bells ring, and can.
non roar! Never too loudly can the
good story be told At Saratoga and
Stony Point, Yorktown and Valley
Forge, our fathers won ne right for
their childrens children to the last
generation to burn powder and make
uproarious din upon this national day
of days.
John Adams, the second president,
first prophesied that the anniversary
of the signing of the Declaration of
| independence would become a festal
| day. Boston has the honor of holding
the first real Fourth of July celebra.
| ton. The war was over The United
States were free and Independent and
Boston proposed in 1888 to celebrate
the event in great style. So there
were marchings and parades and flut
tering of flags, and shooting of mus
kets and cannon. The Declaration
of independence was read aloud, and
DR.. John Warren, Professor of hnato
my in Harvard college, made strongly
patriotic speech. The custom, sc
beautiful and appropriate, was adopt
ed everywhere throughout the land
and the plan OF these celebrations has
always been closely modelled after the
pattern first set
Exactly ten years after, July 4, 1893
John Quincy Adams was the orator o
the day at Boston. He had not We
reached his twenty-siXth year, but hi
father was Massachusetts mos
prominent son, and his son wa,
counted as in a sense his representa-
tive. That day John Quincy Adam
showed that he was something NOR
than merely the son of his father. Hi
} address Is yet considered a master
piece. and from that day he was
power in the land, and eventually be
came president,
The morning of the Jubilee Fourth
July, 1926, the fiftieth anniversary q
/ the signing of the Declaration of Ii
dependence, found four of the signer
yet alive. The sunset found but tw,
/ On that day there passed away tn
immortal spirits of Thomas Jefferso
and John Adams. each of whom la
g been president OF the nation he ha
helped to make,
I The morning OF July 4, 1926, foun
both the old comrades sick unit
death. Jefferson sank first, with tn
o words: 81 resign my soul to God. an
4 my daughter to my country" MeaI
while in his mansion, John Adams la
gasping his life away. Ninety-or
Y years had not dimmed his intellect {
weakened his courageous spirit. II
S heard the noise of the days celebr
ton. and asked what day it wa
g After he had been told he lay for
k while lost in thought, his mind r
verting to those stirring times fif