Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-07-07
wing. always celebrated

~ IL July they would have made it a NOV
able day. like Easter and Thanksgiving always celebrated
on Sunday. But unfortunately il took century and a
halt for Plymouth rock to grow into the Bunker Hill mon
umentt employ figure which may be excused IN the
light Of the spread eagelsm associated with the day
The conjunction Of Sunday and independence day is
lust the right mixture Of the salient ingredients which make
up the ideal July the OF the religious and the sec
u'ar which makes this Christian nation in the broad
sense Of the word and yet avoid even the semblance oil
any union OF church and state II gives religion Its par
otic feature and patriotism It's religious tinge without
which neither is complete History is hI ol examples
where the mixture ha not been wisely compounded
where religion has bt en- the reverse OF patriotic and
where natriotism has been amantsbly irreIIgous
Americansm more todav than It ever meant IN
all the 1873 years which have qed since the lndepen
dence bell rung and that old cracked and broken en-
bIem Of our ocsin call tolbery sounds as loud and true
TODAY as when the old deal beImsn pulled the rope Tor
the first time is the fashion OF the demago%ues and
professional reforners decv the blessings which the
country enjoys today to bewail lost liberties to
whine about kings" and slaves but America was never
more truly the land Of the and the home ofthe brave.
The humbes citizen of the republic enovs as the com
monest features of his everyday life only things which
were the uxuries OF the weahies when the nation was
born br countless things which were not even dreamed
of a ce aury half century, twenty-five years, ago WIN
this denne horizcn of everyday exnerence has come
BROADENING vista of intellectual opportunity wider toler-
ance keener recognition of The muualiy OF interests
Lines Of demarkation have disappeared Walls OF sepa-
ration have been RACED Sections have been wiped out
and America is longer heterogeneous composite OF
Puritan and Cavalier Of cowboy and savant OF lumbe r
man AID elite of gold digger AID die ante OF slave holder
NJ cc.nnoa-ycuplesns5 asesnnnen aeope Men
in siIken hose as Colonel Waerson expressed and as
Dickens tauntingly observed longer dance to music
made bv slaves and call it freedom Hester Prynne
longer the redbadged symbol Of religion Blue and gray
are longer the colors Of opposing IDEAS they have
melted into the hues OF the sky that bends above one
country and flag the blue Of peace and prosperity
and the gray Of skies that frown the skies OF every
nation as well of every human lie alternate between
the sunshine and the storm.
The real American Of todav not the Tory who keeps
alive dehroned ideas. He t,sxsot the Fessan who lights
on the side which offers mosfnsSs is not the ghosty
Puritan clad in the garb of hundred years who
seeks to resurrec the ideals Of the bgoed days OF gloom
and intolerance He is not the Cavalier still dancing in
sken hose in the mansions OF the Old South to music
made by slaves He is not the engrafed foreigner who
builds here little Rome or a little Athens little Dub
lin or Berlin or any other citadel of customs and principles
which are un-American He is not the American who
would draw about him the robes OF mmemorla citizen
ship and would shut the doors of opportunity anyone
who comes here as the land of his es great chance to
become part of this splendid civilization which the fused
and welde natonaies OF the earth building he
is not the demagogue who would rebuild the walls that
were shot away raise the sections that have melted
into one.
across the sea- who gores in the Amercansm hat stands
for the highest and best in nations achievements in
its destiny and its history whose purposes keep step to
the music Of that repubcansm that historic democra-
cy and that blood haowed patriotism which, the splendid
trinity of our institutions makes up the rune glory o
Americanism Something Of this spirit must be back oil
every 6recracke and every prayer and every
speech every phase Of the celebrations which take place
wherever there are americans il The Fourth OF July is
celebrated spirit and in truth.