Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-06-25

the British crown and that all political connection
between them and the state Of Great Britain u
and ought TO be totally dissolved"
This of course is the real Declaration Of INDIE
pendence, the document now known as the Declare
ton being adopted two days later. OF the adop-
ton of the Lee resolution John Adams wrote to
his wife the historic letter which says, among
other things:
1.-THE second day of July, 1776 will be the most
remarkable epoch in the history of America.
am apt to believe that 1t win be celebrated by
succeeding generations as the great anniversary
festival. It ought to be commemorated as the
day OF deliveranee by solemn acts of devotion TO
God Almighty It ought to be solmenlzed with
pomp and parade, with shows games. sports, bells,
bonnres 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
the Fourth Of July Is our distinctively 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
Washington's birthday and LincoIn's birthday.
which are also ours alone but 1.-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
screams for everything from the Mayfiower to the
Argonne-fr0m 1920 to November II. 1918
- Armistice day That introduces the pertinenf
pbInt that another change must be made N the
long evolution of the celebration of the Fonrth az
July. For II the Fourth OF July stands for one
specific thing that one specific thing Is 1ust ex
actly what its original name-Independence dav-
signifies. And after Armistice day-and all that
1t stands for-its quite evident that the American
eagle must be taught to COO instead OF scream
when 1t goes to the John Bull part of its perform
ance.
For we have seen our Old-time-two-time--e
fighting for his life and for our lives too against
a foe that would have destroyed ali that we Eng
disappearing peoples IN common hold dear And
after long while we crowded In alongside orr
ancient enemy and got busy to make np for lost
tine. Never mind who won the war; We have
gumption ennngh to know exactly what John Bull
did for Uncle SaH1~Sand are grateful accordingly
And It's quite likely That Uncle Sam came near
enough TO savtsg John Bulls 70 feel something
parts Of our Fourth OF July celebration wiz have
to be toned down from now on.
Moreover it's high time that the American peo-
pie put their mind to fixing up the ebay We Tsele-
brate. For the Fourth OF July celebration ricig@
now is betwlxt and between. The 0ld-fashione3
Fourth was done away with. The "Sane Fourth.
supplanted e. Now the aSane Fourth Is in dan.
ger Of becoming merely holiday. Holiday cele-
brations. like men and nations do not stand sim
And tine Fourth OF Jaly is worth the closest At
tentlon and hest effort OF the American peonle
The first Fourth or July celebration, which vas
held In 17T7 In Philadelphia canot serve Ms n mod
Ell. Its principal feature was a banquet at which
many toasts were drank, each tonst being follow
ed by the discharge Of firearms and cannon Ger
tainIy too "wef" and possibly too noisy
The peace era inaugurafed by the coming az the
Monroe administration and continued during the
'tgentiee was unfavorable to denonstratIve Csle-