OUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN. THE FOURTH OF JULY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13946, 4 July 1907, Page 2

OUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

THE FOURTH OF JULY.

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS,

[Conducted by Magister, to whom all communications must be addressed.]

[Miqistib will be glad to receive N»tur« notes, marked papers containing educational articles, diagrams, .details of experiments, etc, of scholastic interest to teachers and pupils. Correspondents using a pen name must also ewid name and address.]

To-day is, with us, "Tho Fourth of July," but in tho United States Wednesday, tho third, will not have vanished into tho past'until our Thursday is well advanced. Isn't time counted from the 180 th moridian? and do not astronomers and seamen count a day'as beginning at nooh and lasting until noon next day? At that .rato tho .United States folk must be vpry slow people; in time, at any rate, we can always keep ahead, no matter what activity t'hey show. ' Just note when , news como3 of the Fourth of July celebrations, and note, too, tho character of, them. It lias been said that this day of day 6 for tho Americans sacrifices mow lives than wore sacrified in any of our South African battles. A Fourth of July without fireworks is about as unthinkable as "Hamlet" without the Ghost. But the Americana are throwing oil' their insanity, and in the ladies' Homo Journal for Juno there is an articlo headed "The Fourth of July Without Fireworks," and details are given showing .that, during the past year or two, tho movement is spreading.' The following shows not only how firewol'ks can bo done without, but iiow enthusiastically this historic date is kept up:—, A Town of " Mikutk-me.v " axd " Molly Pitchers."

" lii a Western town where a canvas showed that in 500 families an average of threo dollars a family had beon spent for fireworks, a' committee easily .persuaded each family to contribute a dollar and a quarter to a general f und for celebrating tho Fourth. s prizes wore offered for tho most effective decorations of houses and places of business, and the result was most gratifying. Tho bovs of tho village, clad in a brown drilling uniforni. resembling tho homespun of the Revolutionary period, and bearing wooden' guns, wore organised into companies of ' Minute-man': tho girls. in white, with red' caps and blue sishes, armed with brooms, were formed into a 'Molly Pitehcr' brigade. Tho physical instructor at a gymnasium in a near-by city drilled them.

"On the morning of the Fourth Paul Revere dashed throuch tho strceU. on a Shot-land pony, sounding an alarm. Instantly ' Minute-men ' came hurrving from all directions to meet at tho public square, where they wore joined by tho 'Molly Pitchers.' After a drill they paraded, led by a boys' drum oorps. . "At, noon all went to park, whoro long tables wero laid, and overybody sat down to tho feast in family croups. After thf>' tables were removed another procession was formed, led hv the 'Minute-men.' followed by tho 'Molly Pitchers.' and tho young men and women of the town in costumes representing Revolutionary and Colonial characters. .Tolm Allien was there with Priscilla and, Mi-'cs-SfandiMi; Evnntreline diligently searched, for her lover; Retsy Ross stitched her (lag; Martha and George Washington maintained a suitable dignity; Patrick Henry was there, and Thomas Jefferson carried ithe .Declaration hero and there, seeking sinners; Bcniamin I'rnnWin strolled about with (one rolls of bread under hifl arm and Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton could only with tho greatest -difficulty lie kept from duelling. After posing for innumerable pictures, the merrv partv broke up. : "The entire cost- of this celebration to the committee was about 685 dollars. This included the dniforms for both boys and girls. ~ guns find brooms, decorations at the park, ice cream and lemonade for t-he whole, party, and the fee and expenses of tho man who drilled . the young folk. Everything was so satisfactory that, nobody mourned the absence of fireworks."

And this is a portion of a programme suggested to spread the movement further n-wf still retain the interest ill the day:— Keep there' little hints 111 mind when you mnke your Fourth of July plans:—

Bonfires T/iving flags Burlesque features Bugle calls Bell ringing Moving pictures Flmf.l fetes A:*e.h«ry contests Torchlight parades F.u'ct the signing of the Decoration. If thero are chimes, have "America played. Keep piano-music going all over town. . Print, wi-triolic songs 011 cards lor free distribution. - ■ Sill!! these ssngs n-t all the band concerts. Make it a home-coming day: a family reunion day. -, . Let bays have a camp-fire and cook 'their dinner.

Send 1111 small balloons with "reward" postcards attached.

Have an athletic contest between Uncle Sam and John Bull.

Free entertainments in halls would go fur to make children happy. Exhibit war relics in the town hall: swords, flags, pictures, letters, etc. Each one of thirteen, houses to represent one of the original States. Usij red, white, and blue or. blue and yellow csndlos for lights in tho evening. Children like to put 011 uniforms and march. Let them, it they will go without fireworks. , ' ,

At the sunrise flag-raising have a lot of little flogs rolled up to drop out of.the big one. Good subjects for tableaux are: Washington taking command of tho Amorican .Army; Betey Ross making the Amoricnn flag; the Boston Tea Party; signing the Declatati'on; Washington's farewell to his officers. About town havo banners bearing suoh inscriptions as: " Give me liberty or give me death.' Independence now and independence forI : ever." •• , "Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable." "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto oil the inhabitants thereof." THE LIBERTY BELL. Tf you visit the grounds of the. First Church you will see there an historic bell which should intcerst ail Oiago Presbyterians ; but the interest taken in that, bell can in no way.be compared with the interest Americans tsko in "Tho Liberty Bell," which rang out, declaring American independence 011 .Tulv 4, 1776. Some t.imo o.qo there appeared in tho American Boy a picture of it. accompanied by a 'description. This description .1 givo. with a. poctleal selection from the same periodical. J would suggest, to you to follow this up by reading " Paul Rcvere's Ride." by Longfellow That bell, now hanging speechless, dead, Which rang for Freedom, broke, and rung

no more; ' Broke with the welcome tidings on its tongue; Broke, like a heart, with joy's excessive note—

"fi? well no cause less glorious ere lwtlt rung In silver music from its hallowed throat. " America has 110 relic of the days of tho Revolution more highly prized than the old Liberty Hell, si!ent' since tho year 1835, when it lolled its own death knell along with that of Chief Justice Marshall. A great rent came in its side at that, time, and tho bell has nevor been recast. Thousands of our American boys saw this historic bell at. the St. Louis Exposition, to which it went on a visit. Its home is in t.he old State House in Philadelphia, but now and then it goes on a, journey, and when this happens i 1 travels in state, and hundreds of people gather at, railroad stations to see it. This was tho case when the old bell took a little trip to Boston to bo present at the Bunker' I-lill day celebrations in that eitv on the seventeenth dav of June last year. The Mayor of Philadelphia escorted the bell to Boston, and tens of thousands of people went to Boston Common to see this ancient bell, which stands for so much in our American history —the bell rang for freedom! "This ancient and honourable bell wa6 cast in Whitcchapel, England, and it arrived in Philadelphia in August of t.he year 1752. A year or two later it was cracked and recast.) It rang on a great many important, occasions up to the time \t ceased to ring in the year 1835, but no 'occasion equalled in importance that Fourth of July in tie year

1776 when it proclaimed tho eigiung of the Declaration of Independence. At this time tho bell hung in a tower which was removed not long after the closo of tho War of tho Revolution. The tower you may now seo above tho old State ,Houso in Ph'ildaelphia was built about seventy-five years ago; and it is, with v?ry slight changes, a reproduction of tho tower in which the bell hung when it rang forth its messages of joy or ■sorrow. 60 many years ago, for it tolled solemnly, when men like Washington and Adams and Jefferson and Franklin died, oven as it rang joyfully when events that nmde the ( nation glad came to pass. "On the bell are the words: ' Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof:' "It is rather a curious fact that these words should have been inscribed on the boll nearly a quarter of a century before there was any thought of the colonics severing their relatione with the Mother Country. The words wore lettered 011 the bell under tho direction of the Assembly of Pennsylvania, and that body had no idea that tho words were in a certain sense a prophecy and that thoy would come to have a special significance.- ' " It is a long time since the old bell hung in tlio tower of tlio old State House in Philadelphia; and. when it has not 'gono a-visiting' ■ it stands under a groat glass case in tho State House corridor,' and hero it is an object of interest to thousands who come every year to pay their rcspects to it. Many men take off their hats when in its presence', and more than ono man and woman has stooped ■to kiss it when it has been uncovered.

"The Liberty Bell was to many one of the most interesting objeots at tile great Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1693, and it honoured the Atlanta Exposition by its presence. AYliatevor the failings of the American people may be, thoy are not lacking in patriotism. We honour this silent okl boll as we honour tho flag, and he who would do violence to either would do so at his peril."

Aposthophe to Libert* Bell. By Casper S. Yost, jun. Prom north, from south, from east, from viesi, From every' part of Freedom's land,. The boys have come, O sacred bell, To pay thee tribute; to place a Wreath Upon thy hoary crown, and '.et theo know That youth as well as age beholds in thee The living link that binds us to the past. The splendid past when this our land was born, And thou, 0 hohqiircd bell, announced its birth., ' Who could have guessed thy miesion sweet? What dreamer in a vision could have seen The glorious work that thou would'et have to do? „ ' Yet some unknown, unconscious prohpet writ Upon thy brazen side thy destiny. How thou didst nobly .fill it is a tale Oft told to us; but still it never fails To make tho blood courso swifter through

. our veins. To kindle in oitr souls the living flame Ihnt makes of man a hero. And boys, 0

bell, To-morrow will be men.

We know the tale. And yet, couldst thou but speak, Hciw different would the deathloss story

sound, For thou hast seen and heard and beon &

part In that'great epoch of our country's life, ■Speak to us then, 0 boll! Tell u& of men

and deeds That fi'led tho sceno of action in thy youth. Toll us of thnt grc.v day—that greatest day,

save ono, • That earth in all its history hath' seen,— When from thy belfry in the Quaker town, Thou sent'st the message tinging round the

world, And pealing down the dim and distant years— "All men-are free-and e-qual born-all free!" But no! Thy tongue, is mute. Tliy poor,

■ crackod side Reverberates no more. Ungrateful ones Might call thee naught hut broken worthless bronze; And yet if every grain were purest gold, Encrusted with the richest, rarest gems, Thou could'st not bo more prized by true

Americans. A royal guard surrounds thee night and day, And kings might envy thee the homae© paid. Thou art enshrined in every laya'. heart, And though thou'rt dumb, that voice of long

"go, With broader, better, grander meaning comes In ringing notes that all mankind may hear— "Go toll—the world—that all—iß wellThat free—dom reigns—for ev—ermore— Go tell— Go tell— All's well—

All's well—well—well! Note.—Tho messages of the bell were intoned by the speaker in imitation of the bell.

The Ahemcan Flag, "Old Giort."

This year's celebration, will bo moro important than usual, for a new flag is to be .hoisted, containing ail additional star, to represent the newly created State of Oklahoma. I THE UNITED STATES HISTORY BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. " Pater," in his " Chats with the Boys" in this week's Witness, quotes from an American school history, history lessons on this American War of Independence. And tliey are well worth reading, as showing, in this ease, how history is written in America for junior classes. Perhaps ' Pater" another yoar will quote lessons from senior histories. It is just as well for us to eee ourselves as others isee us, go I am fptlowing "PaterV example, in a way, for I am filling the remainder of my space to-dar with mi artiole from an American educational journal. It shows very little bias, is a very good summary, but puts facts somewhat differently from what wo are accustomed. The article is headed, " The Colonics after the French and Indian War," and might well be road as a history lesson by the senior classes in our public and High Schools THE COLONIES AFTER THE FRENCH • AND INDIAN WAR.' "The colonists wore mado up of almost all nationalities and beliefs. In most of the colonies people could worship as they pleascd. Thoy left the Old Country for dilforent reasons, Somo icanie to get rich, 6omo for the sake of freedom of thought, and others for adventure. All of the English colonies had learned' to think on matters of state. They had learned that laws should bo made for the benefit of .the people as well aa of tho king. Any unjust mile or law thoy were ready to oppose. This was not 60 in the French colonies. There tliey were never permitted to teke a hand in making laws, and they knew no hotter than to leave matters as the king saw fit k> have them. The subjects in the French and Spanish colonies hud always been taught to leave all such matters to the king and his advisers. Tli is was the reason that Canada would not join the other colonies in the revolutionary war. The people had not yot begun to think. Tho King of England had permitted all classes to emigrate' to her colonics and through neglect had largely permitted them to govern themselves, thus giving tfoom a taste of- 'freedom. It was England's desire to have such laws that would enrich England, but the great resistance prevented her from carrying them out. In fact, it was tho resistance that brought on the. war., " As I said, wo had all classes of people. Schools had lwen established and our young men and women had the advantage of colleges. We had orators and statesmen, and we had great preachers. Wo had all classes of men to watch and detcct any movement. 011 the part of England to make any oppressive laws. Tho merchant was educated and ho watched any law that would take advantage of his trade. This was not true in the French and the Spanish colonies. There tliey had no public schools, and in general tho masses of the people' were ignorant. In the English colonies everything was rapidly advancing toward a republican form of government, a government, that, would look to the people and strive to make laws to benefit them. Restrictions Placed on Trado and Resisted by. Colonies. "At an early date England ordered that tlio colonies 6hould ship all their productions to England—that is, thoso productions which she wished to sell. Thoy also required (hat the shipment be mode in cither their own or in English ships. This gave England, the benefit of the colonial trade. It gave her a chance to pay what she pleased for the produce. She evwi prevented the colonies from trading with one another. Tliey oould not sell goods to another colony. This kept the colonists from getting acquainted with one another and prevented union. England went so far as to say that, the colonics could not manufacture anything. They could not even make a horseshoe or liats to sell. Everything bought had to como from England.- This gave a big trade to the ivool growers. England at that time produced a great many sheep. The land was pastured, and this law was made for this olass of people. "So every business interest in England was hoping to have laws made so that they oould profit by them, and get their share of tile profit from America. The colonics had a big trade with tho West Indies. Here thoy got tboir sugar and molasses. England placed a very,high tariff on goods from these islands, so that the merchants could buy cheaper of t-*io English, thus giving the English dealer another profit.'

" When these unjuat laws were passed the peoplo bogan to violate thorn.! i Goods were smuggled in, and foreign sliips wero Been often in tho Amorioan waters. This was u great temptation. A smuggled load of 6ugar and molasses was equal]to a fortune .to the person bringing it ini Jealous politicians atid English officers i\vore all they had to fear. People in mhorol felt that they were not doing wrong in smuggling tho ' goods. . unjust laws tended to make the common' people; hate the Mother Country. Sugar'and molasses wore so higll that the ordinary person could Hot uso t hem. Tho people looked to England ns being the cause. This made all classes talk about the laws It caused the people to unite in order to resist them. It placed thotn iu a .class that was 'being imposed upon. England, knowing that the colonies were smuggling goods, made ; a law that her officers had a right to hunt for smuggled goods. They coidd force their way into the private houses and ox'amine what wasthpre. It they found any smuggled goods they oould arrest the man. This was very unsatisfactory to the people.' They objected to having officers pry into theif private matters. They declared that a man's liou.se was his castle, and no Government had a right to search for smuggled goods without his consent. Before the French and Indian-war it was easy to get the goods in the colonies without paying the duty, for they could be brought through the French ports. But after the war it was much harder and then there were many officers watoliing them. The war being over with France,, the attention 'was direoted toward tho colonies.

, 'It was clear lo tho thinking peoplo that this plan of England would prevent the development of this new country. If they were prevented from niauutacturing anything tho natural resources of the count.iv would ho abandoned. The colonies as a whole would be working for England. Everything that was done in America had to give a profit to England. This was tho plan of England. Indeed, it ma the plan that.' England always had, but she had noglectod to develop it. . But she had neglected, it so : long that freedom had such a hold on the people that it, was impossible,for them to oheck it. The people were determined to prosper in spite of the laws that. wero made.

In most of the colonies the King appointed a'Governor and the people elected the' Legislature. The Legislature and the Governor would make the laws, the Governor having the power to veto. Most, of tho Governors could be bribed. If tho Governor would ' not. sign a bill the legislature would not pav him his salary till he did sign' it. England did not pay the salary of the officers, but had . tho' colonies do it. ; She did hot lq 0 k far onouefh ahead. Even the judge's salary was hold up if he did not decide cases to favour the colonies. Monov being the thinq; that the officers wanted, they were willing to grant the wishes of the Legislature in order to get, it. Thus it was' that tho self-government grew. It grew by evading/the laws. Often the Governors would be recalled ahd the judges dismissed, but, the new ones would soon get in the samo condition. ' Cases of smuggling brought up in'tho courts were dismissed for .want of ovidenco, so the judgo would say. : ' •

"England, seeing: this, determined to pay the officers. This she did by taxing the colonies . a little higher. Even then the judges were bribed, and they cwi!d not' convict -men in America for tho violation of tao unjust. laws. All other offenders were severely . punished. Finally Knt'lnnd pawed a law giving her the rit-lit, to hko t.ho scoiiscd to .England for trial'. This caused much' excitement in America.

Taxing the Colonies Without Their . Consent. ■

' After the French and Indian war was over. England had' a• great' debt to pay. It was a 'burden for her people to pay it. She olaimcd. as the war was waged for the good of the colonics, in order to give tho English., the right to settle the great Mississippi Valley,. the . colonies should help to pay the debt. She therefore went to work to niako laws ,to that effect. Heretofore sho was planning directly for, her business men; now, sho was planning indirectly for them. She wished to plaoo tho burden of tho tax on the colonies. Sho did not ask. the colonies anything ahouit it, That 1 would bo humiliating. Wo must remember that the colonies had no representation in England. They wero not allowed to have any hand in making these laws. They wero., not even consulted about it.!--"With this condition existing, England thought it necossary to havo a standing army in America. Sho said that the standing army was to protect the colonies, and therefore the colonies should pa.y the bill, • But. the colonics know that tho standing, army ;was to prevent an uprising of the ...colonists, ..or'to onforco the law and to punish those persona who violated the laws. Tho .Stamp Act Bill was passed: ' I meant that all legal papers, should have a stamp' on: thom. All news.papers, marriage licenses, deeds, and contracts were included. These stamps wero 'bought of the King'? agents. This again was- another'thrust at (ho common people. Every time a' contract- was made or a couple got married a few cents must bo paid to tho King. "This tho peoplo' resisted, and an wrnnisntion' known as the 'Sons' ,of Liberty' was formed. This was a secret organisation. ; ,No one knew who bolonged, but they forced the stamp agenls to resign and lawyers and all business men agreed not. to .nso the stamps. Even though the law said the deed wa« not good without the stamp, all agreed that':it should 'be considered good. No one bought the stamps. At one time the Governor 'threatened to fire on the organisation- if they did' not desist, but liis threat did no good. Thev made an imane of tho Governor and one of the devil; they seized the Governor's carriage and placed tho two images in tho oarriage, and with a torchlight paraded the city In front of the . Governor's house they Set fire .to the carriago and the images._ "These l?ws cai'axl tho colonies to. organise. Each colony fiad a committee of correspondence, whose duty 'it was to find out what ,was beiuar done in the other cotoraes. This brought on a union of action. Thev; -understood one another, and they all declared that' the Stamp Act was not. in accordance with American ideas. They agreed that they only could be taxed by their own consent. They wore wil!in" "ay the debt, but they demanded tho right to say it. "Many oraiois stirred the people all over the colonies by their fiery denunciation of the acts of England. : Among them were the npted James Otis and Patrick Henry. The oxcitemont ran 60 high that a congress ■was called to discuss the matter. This 1 is known in history as the Stamp Act Congress. This congress mode it plain that tho colonies were determined to maintain their liberty. They declared that they were Englishmen, and must have the rights of Englishmen. They declared that- ' they did not want to have representatives in the British Parliament, but if taxed they must be taxed with their own consent. They demanded the privilege of trial by jury. They protested against • being taken back to England to be tried. The report sent to Parliament of this meeting showed that' they did not want independence, but only tho rights ,of Englishmen. ~ , Our people were determined not to trade with England. They wero willing to do with what they could get in America. The results were that the merchants .of England were losing money,-and. it was their desire that the Stamp Act should be renealod. While they'did not care much for the colonies, they wanted the trade: This could only be gotten by a friendly relation. The pressuro became very strong for the. repeal of the. law. • Many unexpected friends of America were found in Parliament. Also many royalists were found in America. Finally tlio tax was repealed, hut a new law was made to take itj> place. Parliament could not surrender the right oi taxing the colonies. Sho therefore placed a tax on tea, glass, paper, and paints. This tax was small, but the Bamo privilege was exercised. It was thought by Parliament that' this would satisfy the colonics. "But it had the, opposite effect. All America Seemed to bo afire. Tho " Sons of Liberty" was revived and the Massachusetts' Circular Letter was'issued. This letter appealed to the other colonies for united action. It assorted the rights of the 'colonies and also declared their loyalty. When Iho King heard of the letter, lie was furious, and demanded, of the Legisla- . turo that they withdraw the letter, and if not, the Governor was to send them home. He ordered the other Legislatures to treat it with oontempL No one obeyed. "As the King had ' been defied, he ordered troops to Boston. The people in all the colonies'beeamo very indignant, and trouble was at hand. Tho troops in Boston' were taunted and jeered at, and it was evident that there would be trouble. Finally the troops fired in the orowd, and killed several of the colonists. Great crowds immediately gathered, and it was expected to havo a regular battle, hut tho troops jvoro withdrawn to an island near by. '

"In Rhode Island a band of men burned the King's revenue vessel the Gaspo. In Now York the citizens and the soldiers had' a fight' over the liberty poic. This

was known as the Battle of the Golden Hill. In North Carolina tho 'Regulators' fought a ■ battle with the royal Governor at Alamance. Instead of tho law passifying the peop'e, they were stirred to the uttermost, "he tax on tea went to tiie home of every American, and caused almost, every man, » woman, and child to hate England. "All tho toa that was brought to America had to ho brought- through the- English ports. There was a high tariff at tho English ports, also a tatiff at the Amorioan ports, so wo can see that the Americans had to pay & double tariff. Lord Norm now proposed to rake the tariff off the r«v at the English ports. This would.mako the tea. cheaper than they could smuggle it ill for. It would also hold the right to to,, tho colonies. 1 It was a trick, to get the Americans to acknowledge (lie rjght. The law \Vas passed, and a great many shiploads of tea were sent to America. But tho Committee of Correspondence was at. work. Thev had agreed to uso nono of the tea. The dealer found no market, for the tea. Boston demanded that the owner of tho tea take it away, but the Governor refused to let him leave. So a band; of men disguised ns Indians boarded the ship and emptied it in the bay. At. the same time Paul Revere,' tho great oourier of the Revolution,. started to notify tho other colonies of what Boston had done. In man j places the tea was stored in damp cellars, and it spoiled.. At Anaiapolis the rioli Tori was compelled to burn his own tea. "England now determined to strike back. Sho closed the port of Boston. Nothing was to bs shipped to Boston. She took away the charter and abolished town meetings. An officer or a soldiciv who committed murder in Massachusetts could be sent out of the colony to have his trial, Slle also extended the boundary of Qucbco to tile Ohio, thus taking away a groat doal [ of the land from four of the colonies.

"Every colony sided with Massachusetts. Word caino from every side to stand firm. Patrick Henry said, 'We must fight, sir, I repeat it, we iiiust fijtllt.'' George Washington said; 'I will raiso 1000 men,:sllb-' eist- them at \my own expense,' and march myself at the head for the relief of Boston.' • Gadsden, of South Carolina, said, 'Don't pay for an ounce of tea.' ' ' . "It was this pressure that caused tho First Continental Congress to meet./ This Congress was the body of.iueii that directed the war. It was this body of men that appointed a committee to frame tho Articles of Confederation; it was this body, that appointed the committee that brought forth the Declaration of Independence.: It . was this body of men that fired the spirit of' patriotism all over the land, so lliitt it, was possible for the colonists to shuffle off the bonds that hound thorn to the English nation." SCHOOL GARDENS. ■ Last week I promised to give the sohodules for children's exhibits, issued by the Palmcreton North and . Feilding Associations, 1 but I must hold them over. CORRESPONDENCE. V I have to thank two correspondents for budgets of Nature'and Science Kotos. Somp of them I'll use in a week or two.