Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04

is the great subject Of discourse and
the grand object of imitation" Not
that the love of liberty was anything
new in the thought of the world
or that the rights Of man had never
been the subject OF impassioned dec.
laration, but many smoldering fires
sprang to life at the news of Ameri-
cas- success, and in the roll call of
modern nations July 4, 1875. heads the
list of dates which are celebrated as
the birthdays of independent govern
ments.
The first date after July now hon.
ored as an anniversary of independ-
ence was July IA, 1889, or Bastille
day in France. Next in order came
the declaration of independence by
Haiti, January l, 1904: Ecuador, Au.
gust 10, 1909; Argentina, May 25,
1910; Mexico, September 16, and Chill,
September IS, 1910.
In 1911 there were Paraguay, May
IA; Venezuela. July s.. and Colombia.
July 20. For a date during the next
few years we cross the Atlantic. where
Norway celebrates her separation
from Denmark, May II, 1914. Greece
declared her independence March 25,
1921. and for the New World that
year there are six birthdays-Peru,
July %. and Costa Rica. Nicaragua,
FL Salvador. Guatemala and Hondu-
ras. all September Is.
On the way to the next century
we find Brazil, September Z. 1922;
August 20, 1925: Belgium, July 81,
1881; Dominican Republic, February
q. 1914; and Rumania. May 10, 1877.
First in the twentieth century, the
Republic Of Panama celebrates her
separation from Colombia November
8. 1908. Then came Bulgaria, October
8, 1908, and the Chinese Republic,
October 10. 1912.
In 1917 there were the new king
dom Of the Serbs, Croats and Slo.
venes. July 20: Finland, December 6,
and Poland. Lithuania's date is Febru-
airy 16, 1918; Czechoslovakia, October
%, and Latvia, November IS, 1918.
The present government of Egypt
celebrates March Is. 1923, as indie.
pendence day, and Greece closes the
list with a second declaration on
March 25, 1924.
RAsT1LLE day commentaries q
swift and decisive blow for liberty
rather than the adoption of a set of
written resolutions. June Of 1889 had
been the month for words in France,
according to Belloc. In that month
the House of Commons had declared
itself the National Assembly, and,
driven out from the great hall of their
accustomed meeting place. the mem
bers found in an adjoining street an
empty tennis court at their disposal.
There they met. organized a session,
and took oath that they would not
disperse until they had achieved a
new constitution for France" This
momentous day in the old tennis
court is scarcely less famous than
that a few weeks later when weapons
were substituted for words and the
fall of the old prison under the furi.
GUS assault of the French citizens
symbolized the downfall Of absolute
monarchy in France. July IA, 1893.
The richest colonial possession Of
France at this period was the beauti-
full island of Haiti. 1t was considered
gates to the National Assembly. The
great majority of the inha bitants
were either negroes or mulattoes and
500 Of these mulattoes enlisted under
Count d'Estaing and were with the
French allies who fought for Ameri.
can liberty at Savannah. The Haitian
people, especially those of the better
educated classes, had naturally been
Influenced by the French doctrine of
the equality Of man, and so it was not
strange that Haiti was the first ma
ton of the Western world, after the
United States, to engage in a war for
independence.
TouSSaint pOuVerture, the eX-SlaVe
whose name is derived from the fact
that he overturned the French gov
eminent in the island, was the first
great leader. January l, 1904. Touis.
saints successor. Jean Jacques Des-
salines, promulgated the declaration
of Haitian independence.
THE closing years of the eighteenth
century and the first quarter of
the nineteenth witnessed revolutions ir
all Of the Spanish possessions Of the
South American continent. Ecuador
where the Spanish governor was de-
posed by a revolutionary congress:
at Quito. August 10, 1909. claims the
first definite declaration of independ-
ence against Spain. Argentina s
declaration took a similar form or
May rs, 1910. In the Fall of that
rNme year came the ringing of Mex
soo's liberty bell.
Hanging In the tower Of the parish
sAurch at Dolores, this bell was a,
least 200 years old when Migue
Hidalgo rang 1t to summon his peo-
pie to revolt instead of to mass
Plots against Spain in which the
priest was implicated had been dis
covered, and on that day he hastily
assembled small and badly
equipped patriot army. Their wal
cry, Long live America and death
to bad government" became famous
as the "Grito de Dolores" 1t was a
number of years before the last
, Spanish viceroy was deposed, and
Nfexico's written declaration is dated
1921.
The old bell has been removed
from the church at Dolores and now
hangs from the facade of the ma
tional palace in Mexico City. Tradi-
ton differs as to whether 1t first
rang for independence late Septem'
Der Is or early the next morning
and so, although September 16 Is
celebrated as independence day
every year on the evening of the 15tf
great crowd gathers before the
palace to sing patriotic songs ant
watch the Examinations. AS mid
night approaches the President o,
the republic rings the bell once
more. and again the Critic de Dolore:
is pronounced.
Cathedral bells proclaimed Para
guay's declaration on the evening o.
May 10, 1911. This was not the orig
inal date set for concerted action by
the revolutionists, but their plans
having been discovered by the Span
ish governor, word was dispatched
to the military leader Of the patriot:
to begin the attack. IF we are t.
hang tomorrow" rang the defian
message. "let us rather die today
Tell them that tonight after the las
beat of music we will take the bar
racks"
Although now a republic, BRAZIL
declaration of independence agains
Portugal, the mother country, was a.
en- American empire, and the Portu