Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-01

Although the Declaration Of Independence
was not signed on July 4, 1776. 1t was first
read to the Continental Congress on that
day. which thus Is properly great one
in the nations history. It Is the anniver-
sary. too. OF moro than ono event which
all Americans should hold in memory.
1t was the death day. In 1926. OF two OF
the republics greatest men. John Adams
and Thomas Jefferson. On July g. 1881,
ave years later. James Monroe breathed
his last Sixty years Later. on July 4. 1891.
Hannibal Hamlin. vice president during
Lincoln's first term. brsathed his last
The death of both Adams and Jefferson
on the day accepted as the nations birth
oay was a strange coincidence. The day
was one neither forgot. for both were among
tns ssgners of tho immortal document which
omciaaiy nrst saw the light just fifty years
peiofe their death: both remembered the
aate. and each was cosnizant of the Others
mortal Illness
., Adams was past ninety; Jefferson was
about seven years younger. yet he had
uved thirteen years more than the three
score and ten years allotted by holy witt.
AT midnight eighty years ago. when indie
Jefferson. even then dying. but with mem
DRY not yet altogether Impaired muttered.
THIS IS the Fourth OF July" In the morn
ins Adams. the same thought apparently
% ask. Does Jefferson stih liver Adams
died a little after midday, Jefferson a few
hours later.
The corner stones of two Of the most
impressive structures to be seen in the
city OF Washington were laid on the Fourth
or July, the Washington monument In 1048
ana the extension OF the Capitol building
In 1851 Daniel Webster was tha orator
on the second OF these occasions, and the
weii-rounded. sonorous sentences Of his ad-
dress reused intense enthusiasm in the ALL
diencs
Birthday Of Hawthorne.
On July d. 102 years ago. Nathaniel Haw-
thorne. held abroad to be the most repre-
sentative American writer. was born at
witch-ridden Salem. and though there are
many among the critical who will not agree
that he OF all our literary lights best re-
veals the national character, II Is agreed
that he 10 one OF the very few Americans
whose work In letters has become classic
;, That ne did wildly portray phase Of the
life of those English colonists who settled
New England Is undoubtedly true, though
he probably used too vivid a brush. but
that, even In the early colonial days, the
somoer existence, the cross approximations
and the grim punishments melted out to Of
tenders against the moral law In New Eng
land We're typical OF all the colonists Ia
absurd. OF course.
In the colony of New York, with It's mix
ed English and Dutch population; in the
colony OF Pennsylvania, where dwe1t the
Quakers: in Maryland, whose people were
Roman Catholics, and in the Virsinias
peopled by oolonists who were utterly un-
like the stern, intolerant religionists of New
England in all these colonies there was
little Of which Hawthorne's writings were
In the least descriptive.
Colonial life in most of these parts of the
great country which IL now the United
States has never been we'll described in lit
erature. 1t was left to Thaokeray, an Eng
lishman, to paint the lights and shadows
of life in Virginia in the immortal pages Of
1.-THE Virginians." Washington Irving in
"Diedirch Knickerbockers equally immor-
tai history. did the same thing for New
York when Il was almost wholly Dutch, but
his picture was as much too grotesQue al
Hawthornes was too grim.
There is no open minded student Of the
records Of either New England or New
York In colonial days whho believes that all
the New Englanders were either strait
laced or superstitious, or that all the pro-
genitors Of those who proudly proclaim
themselves of Knickerbocker stock were as
comic thick" In their head
pieces as "Diedrich Knickerbocker'' por-
trays them
Hawthorne was as singular as he was