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"Freedom's Natal Day"

About This Item

  • Title: "Freedom's Natal Day"
  • Date: 3 July 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01271
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 3 July 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Kevin McMullen Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. ""Freedom's Natal Day"." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01271.xml (TEI)
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"FREEDOM'S NATAL DAY."

Before another copy of the TIMES reaches our readers another National Anniversary will have been celebrated, the usual amount of patriotism and powder expended, and the country be once more settled down into its usual quietude.

Owing to the "4th" falling this year on a Sunday, the celebration will take place on Monday, on which day, in accordance with a time-honored practice, no paper will be issues from this office.

As will have been seen from the program published in another part of our sheet, the occasion will be celebrated in an appropriate manner in our city, the public authorities having been liberal in their provisions and private enterprise having done much towards a due observance of the nation's birthday. The great event will be of course the laying of the cornerstone of the City Armory with the interesting ceremonies incident thereto, and in the evening the fireworks will be the chief attraction, especially to the younger portion of the community.

The various public-schools have, as a general thing, anticipated the day by the exercises held yesterday, a report of which we give elsewhere. There are several affairs however which should be mentioned in this connection, which have yet to come off.

In Greenpoint the Ladies Industrial and Mutual Improvement Society, connected with the Reformed Dutch Church, hold a fair and festival in the church, on Java street, on the afternoon and evening of July 5. The proceeds will be applied to the enlargement of the consistory room, for the benefit of the Sabbath School and the Social, Literary and Christian Union. In the forenoon the exercises will consist of an oration by the Rev. G. Talmadge and the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Andrew J. Provost.

In our own and the Western District a great many pleasant affairs are coming off which will all be noticed in good time.

At the Washington Garden, Mr. Chas. Wetherell, proprietor, there will be music during the day and fireworks in the evening and several other of our public places will make similar demonstrations.

Altogether, the day will be celebrated in good style and worthily kept in every respect.

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