Volume 18 , Issue 26

1888 - The Fourth of July

The Times, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dated 8 July 1888, Sunday, page 14, included "Prize Orations" composed by the boys and girls of the public schools. It was young American eloquence. Independence Day celebrated in the Rhetoric of Patriotism. twenty-one orations were judged the best among the many submitted. We are included some of those winners in this weeks OkieLegacy Ezine/Tabloid.

Found on Newspapers.com
The Fourth of July - by Constant E. Pequignot
Ever since the old State House bell pealed forth the welcome news of independence the Fourth of July has been celebrated by the patriotic citizens of the United States. We cannot realize how great must have been the excitement of the people of Philadelphia when, early on that memorable morning, July 4, 1776, the glad news of liberty was proclaimed throughout the land. Their enthusiasm knew no bounds; men shook by the hand those whom they had never before seen, and, in the midst of their rejoicings, the old bell-ringer of the State House died from very joy.

In the early part of 1776, when the colonists were becoming imbued with the idea of liberty, a pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine, was published. It had a marvelous effect; thousands who had been opposed to independence now flew to its standard. It carried dismay into the camp of the enemy and illustrated the truth of the assertion, "The pen is mightier than the sword." It was this pamphlet, more than anything else, that awakened Congress to a sense of its duties. Speeches in favor of independence were made, and at last, on the first day of July, the great stroke was decided upon. With the consent and approbation of all the colonies, the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. After a few slight amendments it was unanimously adopted and was made known to the public on the 4th day of July, a day never to be forgotten in the annals of United States history. We can thus realize the importance of showing our patriotism by properly observing this grand birthday of American liberty.

Children generally associate the Fourth of July with fireworks, the booming of cannon and similar demonstrations, but when they grow older and understand the nature of the celebrations that they witness they fully comprehend their meaning,a nd thenceforth they look forward to the coming of the Fourth of July with feelings of national pride. We can readily see, therefore, that if these patriotic ceremonies were to be discontinued children would never understand the real importance of the great day, and, in the course of time, might forget it altogether.

For some years past the Fourth of July has not been celebrated with the same spirit as of old. It seems, then, to be the duty of every citizen to do all in his power to restore the commemoration of the great day of independence to its former popularity, and in doing so we should all have feelings like the old bell-ringers, of whom it has been truly said:

The ringer's hand has turned to dust,
His hoary head lies low;
But still the Independence Bell
Is left to tell who rang so well
A hundred years ago.
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