Better Than They Knew

There has no doubt been a decline in the formal celebration of the Fourth of July. The peoplo are less disposed than in f oneer times to listen to spread eagle oratory glorifying the republic and recalling the heroism of its founders. There is less of the booming of cannon and the blare of brass bands, and such exuberance of feeling as finds expression in noise is inainly conflned to boys of a smaller or a larger' growth who take pleasnre in the explosión of firecrackers. The general disposition is to rnake a joyous holiday and to indulge in excursions and picnics and the various forms of midsummer "outing. " This may be in part due to the sober - ing effect of national experience and of national inaturity, which tends at once to ïnake the people more confident of the strength of their institntions and more moderate in the expression of their pride. There is at the same time a inore general imderstauding and appreciation of the achievcinents of other nations, a recognition of the advance that has been everywhere made by the principies of freo govemment, and greater modesty in comparing ourselves with others. 'We have to adinit that mistakes may be made nader republican govemment, and that when the people are their own rulers they ar Hable to errors that bring serious penalties. But as we pause at each new niileetone in the career of the nation to take account of our progress and our prospects we have no occasion to hmuble ourselves arnong the nations of the earth or to moderate our gratitude for the brave work of the founders of our institutions. Could they have foreseen the results thus far of the great departure upon which they entered with so much solemnity, they would doubtless have feit less hesitation in taking the momentous step rathor than more. They builded better than they knew and had little conception of the expansión and development which was possible upon the broad lines laid down by thera. Their gi-eatest distrust was of the capacity of the people for self govemment, but the faith upon which they acted has been f ully justified, notwithstanding the unforeseen and unexpected commingling of heretosreneous f oreien elements in our