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Show PROUD, GLAD TIME Celebration of Nation's Birth Proper Time tor Rejoicing. JOHN ADAMS' HOPE REALIZED Great Statesman Predicted That the Day Would Be Observed Always as a Time for Demonstrations of Thankfulness and Joy. 1 HE letter has become his- 1 fZ- toric, that one in which ' (-1 -i John Adams predicts the 1 VJy. JjrPjt com'nS celebration of the ' -5fi W3? fourth of- July- "I am yZy apt to believe," he wrote, ' 'yfflff "that u (the day) wm be Jf l celebrated by succeeding ' 3 generations as the great : anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forevermore." His prediction has become so true that now we seek to curt,;! the bombast bom-bast of the day as a rank overgrowth not foreseen by our forefathers. A J proud, glad time, the nation's birth-- birth-- day; a time, not for unworthy and in-ii in-ii jurious celebration, but for renewal of i- loyal citizenship, and for private re-e- joicing in the privilege of American i, citizenship. i The first celebration by congress of jl the Fourth has been preserved to us in a letter to his daughter penned by 1; that same splendid old John Adams, jl "Yesterday being the anniversary of j American Independence, was cele-brated cele-brated here with the festivity and j( ceremony becoming the occasion. I j am too old to delight in pretty descrip-' descrip-' tions, if I had a talent for them, other- ,1 wise a picture might be drawn which would please the fancy of Whig, at ' least. The thought of taking any no-." no-." tice of this day was not conceived until un-til the third. It was too late to have a sermon, as everyone wished, so this must be deferred to another year. Congress determined to adjourn over SI that day, and to dine together. The general officers and others in town were invited, after the president and council and board of war of this state. " Celebrations on the Ships. '! "In the morning the Delaware frig- ? ate, several large galleys, and other it continental armed vessels, galleys and ti guard-boats were hauled off in the 11 river, and several of them beautifully ei dressed in the colors of all nations displayed about the masts, yards and rigging. At one o'clock the ships were j all manned; that is, the men were all ordered aloft and arranged upon the i' topyards and shrouds, making a strik- ; lag appearance of companies of men .fI. drawn up in order in the air." He tells how he went on board with the president and the marine commit-. jjV tee. Each armed vessel fired 13 lt, salutes, then the galleys and gunboats. He describes much shouting and huzzaing "in a manner which gave great joy to every friend of this coun-'"" coun-'"" try, and the utmost terror and dis-s dis-s may to every lurking Tory." Dining at three, they were "agreeably "agree-ably entertained with excellent com-' com-' pany, good cheer, Cue music from the band of Hessians taken at Trenton, e' and continual volleys between every toast from a company of soldiers a drawn up in Second street before the dtf city tavern, where we diued." maneuvers maneu-vers on the common by light horse and trains of artillery, and a thousand thou-sand infantry filled the day agreeably l'! for the crowd. jl "In the evening I was walking about it'1 the streets for a little fresh air and toJ exercise, and was surprised to liud the W whole city lighting up their candies nt the windows. I walked most of the evening, and I think it was the most splendid illumination I ever saw ffI a few surly houses were dark, but the lights were very universal. Cou- r; sidering the lateness of the design, and the suddenness of the execution, pf I was amazed at the universal joy and alacrity liat was discovered, and at the brilliancy and splendor of every Part of this joyful exhibition. I had a' forgot the ringing of the bells all day. e' and the bonfires la the streets, and ' 0S did the fireworks played off. Had General Howe been here in disguise, or his master, this show would have given them the heartache." When Enthusiasm Waned. We have ar- account of the Fourth as celebrated in Tyler's administration. administra-tion. Already it lacked the freshness and spontaneity of those early ones John Adams witnessed, one of which he saddened by his own death. "Independence "Inde-pendence forever," he murmured, as he lay dying, his ear caught by the sounds of fireworks. It was the toast he had sent in response to a request for one to be givei in his name at a Fourth of July Mnquet to be celebrated cele-brated many hundred miles from where the sands of life were running swift with him. That of Tyler's breathes nausea of noise and distaste for vapidity. An eye-witness writes, "The Fourth of July passed mucn as usual everywhere; every-where; squibs and popguns and crocked bells, with vapid orations, stupid toasts, and execrable speeches; hot meats and cold wines, the customary custom-ary laudation of the nation, and the quantum of headaches that follow unusual un-usual indulgence." There was a levee at the White House, and the Sunday school children marched through the walks of the capital cap-ital grounds; "Mr. Adams watching them with satisfaction and interest." John Quincj idams, then shared the quiet enthusim of his father. The marine band comes into prominence. Citizens of every class thronged the White House, listening to tne martial airs received by the president. "The deportment of Mr. Tyler was easy and natural, yet sufficiently dignified, dig-nified, placing everyone at his ease. And nothing could surpass the quiet, unaffected grace with which the ladies received and acknowledged the courtesies cour-tesies of all who paid their respects. The throng, comprising beautiful women, wom-en, grave senators, cabinet and foreign ministers, dashing army and navy officers, offi-cers, officeseekers, citizens and loungers, loung-ers, was great from twelve to three. Between five and six about forty gentlemen sat down to dinner with the president." Daniel Webster's Speech. The Fourth in Fillmore's days dawned for the laying of the cornerstone corner-stone of the extension of the capitol. Daniel Webster, secretary of state, in .delivering his oration as speaker of the day, accomplished more than "the customary laudation of the nation." He stepped forward, copy in hand, but extemporized new thoughts and highly interesting reflections. "I have said, gentlemen, that our inheritance is aa inheritance of American Ameri-can liberty. That liberty is characteristic, character-istic, peculiar and altogether our own. Nothing like it existed in former times nor was known in the most enlightened enlight-ened states of antiquity; while with us its principles have become interwoven inter-woven into the minds of individual i men, connected with our daily opinions opin-ions and our daily habits, until it is, if I may so say, an element of social as well as of political life; and the consequence con-sequence Is, that to whatever region an American citizen carries himself, he takes with him, fully developed in his own understanding and experience, our American principles and opinions, and becomes ready at once, in co-operation with others, to apply them to the formation of new governments." |