Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations

From ChicagoBoyz, John Adams's letter to his wife Abigail July 3, 1776:
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding 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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.
You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.



5 comments:

Assistant Village Idiot said...

And this is why, despite their many and varied faults and failings, we hold this central batch of Founding Fathers to be exceptional and worthy of our admiration.

Note "continent." That turned out to be prophetic.

Grim said...

We did our best to accommodate him.

Tom said...

And now we must emulate them, although we have the advantage of seeing how things worked out the first time, and we can try to use what's left of their system to right the ship.

Good post, Tex.

Anonymous said...

One of the things I really like about America's patriotic songs is that so many of them are hymns seeking Divine guidance. Although we Americans frequently are accused of being arrogant, I see a great and continuing concern that our country's actions must be just and honorable.

Our choice of a National Anthem is a case in point: It is the story of a young man watching and waiting through a hard nigh, wondering if he will still have a country in the morning. For me, the fireworks always remind me of the bombardment at Ford McHenry, and how each generation since has from time to time gone to bed, wondering if they will really have their country in the morning. The song also closes with a reminder that we want our wins to be for just causes, and that knowing what is just is not an easy matter.

I have read that the lefties, who have been so very revisionist with other aspects of our history and national symbolism, want to replace our National Anthem. I say bring it. I am fully prepared to teach the kiddies what that song really means.

Valerie

douglas said...

" ...and how each generation since has from time to time gone to bed, wondering if they will really have their country in the morning."

Excellent point, and timely to be sure. I've certainly been wondering.

Last night, rather than go to one of the many organized and approved fireworks shows in the area, sat atop a local hill and watched as the city around us exploded with a continuous barrage of fireworks of all kinds for several hours. It was a glorious show of individual freedom and defiance of nanny state laws. I suppose the authorities were stunned that it appeared that not one fire was started by the tens of thousands of rockets we saw set off. That's no exaggeration- From our vantage point, you could see fireworks going off for twenty miles in one direction, until the smoke grew so thick, where we could once see the lights of the downtown skyscrapers just 5 miles away, they had now become obscured. We had about a 160 degree view of a portion of the city, but you could hear the fireworks from all directions. It was glorious. Yesterday truly re-energized my desire to defend the values and ideas that made this country great.