The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-07-24

MMANY PLAcESI
W T HAT shall we do with the
" ! !: !. !: !: /. ) !
Fourth of July?
HWgVEWNHlM1 Tie continental congress.
M2f(v6M in session in Philadelphia.
Hh8H1 Vi VIN passed July 2, 1776. the resolu-
NN%WTMM ton presented in behalf of Vir
fS~-v VygW ginia by Richard Henry Lee
WITT ~i that begins:
t[@>g| - Resolved, That these Uni
~ ted Colonies aud Of right
Il MNM ought to be free and independ
ent states; that they are alb
solved from all Allegiance to
the British crown, and that all political connection
between them and the state of Great Britain is
and ought to be totally dissolved"
This Of course is the real Declaration Of indie
pendcnce, the document now known rs the Decara-
ton being adopted two days later. OF the adop-
tfon of the Lee resolution John Adams wrote to
his wife the historic letter which says among
other things:
-srhe second day of July, 1776. will be the most
remarkable epoch in the history OF America.
nm apt to believe that it will be celebrated by
succeeding generations the great anniversary
festival 1t ought to be commeinOrated the
day OF deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to
God Almighty. 1t ought to be sonenzed with
pomp and parade, with shows games sports. bells.
bGnfres and illumination from enc end of this
continent to the other from this time forward for
evermore."
Time has proved that John Adams. though he
got his dates mixed was true prophet. Probably
she Fourth Of July is disnctiveiy American
celebration. All the civilized world celebrates
New Years, Easter, Memorial day. Thanksgiving
and Christmas in one way another. But indie
pendence day is ours alone To be sure we have
Washngton's birthday and Lincolns birthday
which are also ours alone but "the Fourth in
Guides most if not all of what they stand for
In short the Fourth of July comes mighty near
being national day when the American Eagle
screams for everything from the Maynowcr to the
Argonue-from 1920 to November H. 1918
-Armistce day. That introduces the pertinent
point that another change must be made in the
long evolution of the celebration Of the Fourth of
July. For IL the Fourth of July stands for one
specific thing that one specific thing is Just ex-
actIy what its original name-Independence day
signifies. And after Armstice day-and all that
it stands for-its quite evident that the American
eagle must be taught to instead of scream
when it goes to the John Bull part of its perform
ancc-
For we have seen our old wo-time-enemy
fighting for his life and for lives too against
foe that would have destroyed all that we Eng
Etsh-speaking peoples in common hold dear And
after a long while crowded in alongside our
ancient enemy and got busy to make up for lost
time. Never mind who won the war. We have
did for Uncle Sam-and grateful accordingly
And it's quite likely that Uncle Sam came near
enough to saving John Bulls life to feel something
Enore than friendly interest In him. SO some
parts of our Fourth of July celebration will have
TO be toned down from on.
Moreover, it's high time that the American peo-
pie put their mind TO fixing up the day we cele-
brate." For the Fourth of July celebration right
now is betwixt and between The cd-fashoned
Fourth was done away With The "Sane Fourth"
snppianted it. Now the "Sane Fourth" is in dan
ger OF becoming merely holiday Holiday cele-
brafiGns, like men and nations. do not stand STILL
49, the Fourth of July is worth the closest at
fention and best effort of the American people
The first Fourth of July celebration. which was
held in 1777 I'm Philadelphia, canot serve as mod
ei- Its principal feature was banquet ut which
xzany toasts were drank each toast being follow
ID by the discharge Of firearms and cannon. Ger
calmly too wet and possibly too noisy.
The peace ere inaugurated by the coming of the
Monroe administration and continued during the
~tWenties was unfav0rabie to deinonstrative cele-