The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-07-03

!. ! ! !" i: !:
/ Fourth of July?
NApDWN1Mk The continental congress.
W In session N Philadelphia.
MAH11N passed July .. 1776. the resolu
6,~lW 1NN ton presented I'm behalf of Viz
IG~V VW ginla by Richard Henry Lee
I2E1 S that begins:
WIN "Resolved That these Uni
k.~[I T( ted Colonies and of right
IL MW ought 70 be free and independ-
ent states; that they are alb
solved from all Allegiance 10
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 inde-
pendence the document now known us the Deeiarfl-
ton being adopted two days later. OF the adop
ton Of the Lee resolution John Adnms wrote to
his wife the historic letter which says. among
other things:
"The second dry Of July 1778, win be the most
remarkable epoch In the history Of America. /
apt to believe that II will be celebrated by
succeeding generations the great anniversary
festival. II ought TO be commemorated the
day o. deverance by solemn acts of devotion TO
God Almighty. Ii ought to he somenized with
pomp and parade, with shows. gaInes sports bells
bonfires and illumination from enc end of this
continent the other. from this time forward for
evermore"
Time has proved that John Adams. though he
got his dates mixed was true prophet. Probably
the Fourth of July is our dstinctively Anerican
celebration. All the civilized world celebrities
New Years, Easter Memorial day Thanksgiving
and Christmas In way or another But indie
pendence day Ii alone. To be sure We have
Washington's birthday and LineoIns birthday
which also ours alone but "the Fourth" in
cludes most II not all of what they stand for
In short the Fourth Of July comes mighty near
being our national day when the American Eagle
Far ttsr
Argonne-from 1920 to November H. 1913
Armistice dayl That introduces the pertinent
poLt that another change must he made In the
long evolution of the celebration of the Fourth of
July. For If the Fourth of July stands for one
specific thing that specific thing Is JUST ex-
actly what its original neutrality-suspicious. day
signifies. And after Armistice day-and all that
II stands for-its quite evident that the American
eagle must be taught 10 coo instead Of
when 1t goes to the John Bull part Of Its perform
ance
For we have seen our Observation-Disclosures
fighting for his life and for lives too against
foe that would have destroyed all that we Eng
disappearing peoples in common hold dear And
after long while we crowded In alongside our
ancient enemy and got busy TO make up for lost
time. Never mind who won the war. We have
gumption enough to know exactly what John Bull
did for Uncle sam-and are grateful accordingly.
And is quite likely that Uncle Sam came near
enough 10 saving John Bulls life to feel something
more than a friendly interest in him. So some
parts OF our Fourth Of July celebration VIII have
70 hc toned down from now 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 hetwixt and between The old-fashioned
Fourth done away with. The "Sane Fourth"
supplanted IT, Now the "Sane Fourth" is In dan
rer of becoming merely holiday Holiday colo
hrutions like men and nations. do not stand still
And the Fourth Of July is worth the closest at
rertsan and best effort OF the American people
The first Fourth Of July celebration. which was
held in I717 In Philadelphia canot serve as mod
RI Its principal feature a banquet nj which
many foasts were drank. each toast being follow
ri nv the discharge = firearms and cannon Ger
ralny ION wet and possibly roo noisy
The peace era inaugarated by the coming Of the
Monroe administration and continued during the
fwenfies was unfavorable to demonsrrnfive ceie-