The National tribune., 1907-06-27
THE FINANCIAL WORLD.
1S Broadway, New York, ". y

the Virginia delegates were instructed
10 vote for independence. Pennsylvania,
Maryland and New Jersey also changed
their minds and instructed their dele
gates the same way. The New YORK
delegation refused to vote; that OF
Delaware was divided, and South Caro-
| lima at last came over to the majority.
The New York delegation would noI
sign the Declaration until July u. and
the Pennsylvania members July 20.
one member from New Hampshire dill
not sign until Nov. 4. The vote of the
Delaware delegation was on1g secured
by Caesar Rodney, the third delegate,
riding so miles in order to get in his
lsignature.
Past 4ths of July.
Naturally with the great hold that
our National birthday has upon the
people, the 4th of July marked impOr-
tant epochs in the war for National ex
istence. The war was fought to. pre-
serve and perpetuate what the 4th OF
July had created. and every coming re
currence of the day we stopped for Il
moment to consider what. progress we
were making. The 4th of July, 1861,
saw the largest army which the Nation
had ever assembled marching out from
Washington to overcome the Confeder-
ate force at Bull Run which had been
gathered to destroy the Government.
At that time only the States north OF
the Potomac and Ohio Rivers adhered
firmly to the Union, while the yet un-
horn State of West Virginia had been
secured by the vigorous campaign OF
the Ohio and Indiana Militia.
A year later-the 4th of July, 1862
we had secured Missouri and Kentucky
firmly to the Union, and McClellan's
great Army of the Potomac was on the
Peninsula within sight of the spires of
Richmond.
Still another year-the 4th of July.
IS63-saw Lees army defeated at Get
tysburg, and beginning to retreat to-
wards Virginia, while Grants mignifi-
cent campaign for the recovery of the
mississippi Valley had gloriously ter
minated by the capture of FicksburS
and Immediately followed By the sur
render of Port Hudson, when. in the
words of Lincoln, The Father of Wa
iers flowed unvexed to the sea-. Great
as these triumphs were, they were not
yet sufficient. and the dreadful war
went on for more than year longer.
The 4th of July 1864, saw Sherman's
army, after campaign of two months
beleaguering Atlanta. Grants army,
lfter two months of the bloodiest fight
ing known in history, was confronted
by' the seemingly impregnable works
around Petersburg and Richmond.
Ehe contest was yet so far from being
decided tiidt coiuLhH SuuueHi! ue-
tached from Lees army was able to
frighten. the people by. its swift
rush upon Washington, from which it
was thrown back by the fighting d.
rcctly under the eye of the President
at Fort Stevens only three or four miles
from the National Capital.
The 4th OF July, 1865, saw the war
definitely ended, with nowhere in the
whole of the great limits of the South
ern Confederacy any band of men dar-
ng to raise a flag or draw a sword in
opposition TO the authority of the
United States. The completeness of the
triumph, after four years of hopes and
Lars that racked every loyal mans
heart, was such as to fill the day with
i swelling joy that no other National
anniversary had ever known.