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Show HERALDS , OF F FREEDOM FREEDOMBY FREEDOMELMO BY BYWATSON ELMO SCOTT SCOTTWATSON cg N THE Jefferson JeITerson tamny family tamnyburyIng familyburying familyburying buryIng ground nt at MontI Monti- Monticello Montl-ccllo Montl ccllo - - . celIo cello , Va , stands a n stone stoneupon stoneupon stoneupon upon which Is engl eugiaved engtaved ved : ' Here lies Hes buried burled Thomas ThomasJetrerson ThomasJefferson ThomasJefferson Jetrerson Jefferson , Author of tho the thoDeclaration theDeclaration theDeclaration Declaration of Independ Independ- Independence Independence Independence - - ence , of the Statute of Vlr- Vlr Vir- Vir VlrInla Virginia Vir-J Vir J - - - , : ginia Inla for Religious Rehglous Freedom Freetom Frce- Frce Free- Free Frcedom - - ' dom tom , , and nnd Father Fatber of the tllo tlloUnIversity theUniversity theUniversity University of or VIrginIa Virginia"No VirginiaNo . . " No American AmerlC'1n AmerlC1n ' would think of dls dis dlsPUtIDg disputing disputing PUtIDg puting any nny of those statements , for forthe forthe forthe the part which Jeffeison JelIelson Jefferson p1'1 p11 plaved played ' ed InwrlUng inwriting In writing wrlUng the Immortal document documentVI documentwhose documentwhose VI whose hose annh anniversary annthersary ersary we celebrate on onJuly onJuly onJuly July 4 Is too well known to cast any anydoubt anydoubt anydoubt doubt on his right to call hImself hImselfthe himselfthe himselfthe the "author author "autllOr autllOr " " of It . Of ot course , he hehad hebad hehad had bad the tlle aid of ot Benjamin rrnnklln Franklin rrnnkllnnnd Franklinand Franklinand nnd and John Adams In preparing prcparlng that thatstatement thatstatement thatstatement statement of ot . the wrongs which the theAmerIcan theAmerican theAmerican AmerIcan colonies had suffered at atthe atthe atthe the hands of ot their king and of thclr their thclrdetermInation theirdetermination theirdetermination determInation to be " "free free " and Inde Inde- Independent inde- inde independent Independent - - pendent states stntes " ' * Jefferson's Jeffersons Jefterson's Jeftersons ' hand hand- handwrItten handwritten handwritten - written draft of ot the Declaration of ofIndependence ofIndependence ofIndependence Independence , which Is preserv preservd preserved . d In Intho Inthe Intho tho the Library I.1brary I1brary . of ot Congress Congrecq CongreC4 : , shows n a nnumber anumber anumber number of ot phrases pllrases marked mar1.ed mar1ed . out an and andnew andnew new ones written In " with "Itb Itb not'1Uons not1Uons notations not'1Uonson notationson notationson ' on the margin : "Doctor Doctor " rranklln's rrankllns I'ranklln's Irankllns rranklln'shandwrlhng I'ranklln'shandwriting Franklin'shandwriting Franklinshandwriting ' ' handwrlhng handwriting ' ' or "Mr Mr " . . Adims Ad'lms Adlms Adams ' ' handn handw hand n " w ntlng rlting citing . , " I 1 Not only was Thomis Thom'ls Thomls Thomas ' Jefferson Jeffersonthe Jeffersonthe Jeffersonthe the 'author author ' " " of ot the Declaration of of"Independence ofIndependence ofIndependence "Independence Independence " In the fact of wrItIng wrItIngIt writingIt It it , , but heas he the \ was \\as as also tlie the "author author " " In Inthe inthe Inthe the splilt sphlt spirit In which It was concehed conceded concehedWIlen concededWhen concededWhen ( , WIlen When Richard ntchard Henry Lee of VIr VIrgInla Virginia Virginia gInla ginia on June 7,17 717 7 , 1770 1'i'ij 1iij ' 76 ' ( , , Introduced In Inthe inthe Inthe the Continental congress his resolu resolu- - - tion tlon declaring tint tll'lt tlllt that ' 'these these ' these United UnitedColonies UnitedColonies UnitedColonies Colonies are , and of right ought to tobe tobe tobe be , free and Independent states , " he heso hesoon hesoon so soon n found tint th'1t th1t that ' other deleg delegates ' es were werenot werenot werenot not yet ready to go so far as to tosever tosever tosever sever the bonds of the colonies "lth lth with "lththe withthe " withthe the Mother Countiy Countly Country . . So his hlS resolution was referred the thenext thenest thenext next nest day to the congress , sitting as asn asa asa n a committee of the whole , , where "here here " it itwas Itwas was ' \ as vigorously debited deb'1ted deb1ted debated ' Lee , Sam Samnel Samnet Samnel nel net Adams , John Adams and espe.y espe espeGEORGE .y y . .yj .yr .yt .yr j t r r t tr tl F r l 4 t . . r 1l t tGEORGE GEORGE MASONcially MASON MASONdally dally cially Jefferson , all of whom "erE erE were wereregarded " woreregaided : regal regarded ded as the 'ladlcals ladlcals 'wdlcals wdlcals 'radicals radicals ' ' ' of the thecongrcsb thecongress thecongress congrcsb congress , urged Its adoption Butthe But Butthe Butthe the "moderates moderates " , , " led by John Dick DickIn DickInson Dickln In Inson on of Ppnn'svlvan'a Ppnnsvlvana Penncvlranla Pf'nn Pfnn ' < : ' .lv'lnl"l .lvlnll lvlnll . ' ' " prrai'i1n1 prraii1n1 prrai'i1n1the J\f1r'1I J f1r'1I f1r1I ' \ pprinidthe ' ' ' ' 1/\ 1 11 1the / \ 1 the congress to postpone action for a alltUe alittle alittle lltUe little \ ulillu while \ hUe lio\\l\ lio l lioitit Ho\\LiLr Ho LiLr liolLr \ \ \ . ' \ Lr r . , the Ull . uun l.1ull l1ull iauu . . u tia tiadid usdid dId prevail upon the congress to ap ap1'0Int appoint appoint 1'0Int 10Int point ' a n committee to draft a dechra- dechra declara- declara declaration dechratlon declara-tlon declara tlon - - tlon tion of Independence Independence , "lest lest " any hme time hmebe timebe timebe be lost In case the congress agree to tothe tothe tothe the resolution : . " ' Four rour I'our Iour ' of this committee-Jefferson committee Jefferson committee - - JeffersonFranklin , Fran1.lIn Fran1lIn Franklin . , John Adams and Roger RogerShermanwere RogerShermanwere RogerSherman Sherman-were Sherman were - were radicals 'radicals ' ' and the"moderates the"moderates the the"moderates "moderatesere "moderates moderates " " \ were \\ere ere \ represented on It itby Itby 'by by It'by ' by only one man , , Robert LlvIng Livingston Livlngtitonof Livingstonof < : ton tonof of New York Yorh Eaih D1lh Daily In thi th their ( > + lr ir ,1\1Ih ,1 1 1Ih drlih drliheratlons ,11IheratIons , dollheratlons ( \ eratIons eratlons the committee assigned as"lned aslned " . ; to toJeffer toJefferson toJefferson Jeffer/ Jeffer Jefferon Jefferson / on the t11e t task 15b < . of pieimiiiio ptepaung lllelJ 1WIJ < the thedraft thedraft thedraft draft of tlie the document 1 7 ' Ihus hus It ItntS Itwas Itwas \ntS ntS was \ that th'1t th1t ' he became the 'luthor luthor "author author "luthor'of luthorof " ' ' of the charter of American Amcncan liberties libertiesI libertiest I t \ As such , the great Virginian Is Isentitled isentitled Isentitled entitled to all the honor that has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been paid p'lld plld ' him But It does not de- de detract detract de detract - - tract from his fame to pay tribute tributeto tributeto tributeto to some of ot the other heralds of free free- freedom freedom freedom - - dom whose work was a necessary necessaryprellminary necessarypreliminary necessarypreliminary prellminary preliminary to Ills his hits For ror tar that rea reason reason rcaeon son , Americans should be more fa famllfar familiar famlllar mllfar miliar than most of them are withthe with withthe \the the lthe withlthe \ the names of four Engllshmi Englichmi Bngll < : hml n- n a- a nIJohn aIJohn n nJohn - IJohn ( John Locke lG321 (1032 1032 ( (10321701) 10321701 ( 1701) 1701 Ot , ) ) , , Algernon AlgernonSIdney AlgernonSidney Algernon.Sidney AlgernonSidney . SIdney (1G22 1G22 (1622 1622 (102283) 102283 ( 83) 83 ) , James H'llrlng Hllrlng Hahriog Hairing'ton Hairington ' Iton ' (1011-77) (1011 1011 77) 77 OGl1-'i7) OGl1 'i7) i7 (1611.77) 1611.77 161177 ( - . ' ) and ' ' Ihomas 'lhom'1s lhom1s 'lhomas lhomas ' Paine PaineU7J71S(9)whose Paine(17J71S09)whose Palne(17371809) Palne17371809 U7J71S(9)-whose U7J71S(9) U7J71S9 whose (17J71S09)-whose (17J71S09) 17J71S09 ( ( ) - whose political phllos phllosophy phllosophy phllosophy ophy was W'1S W1S ' embodied In the De Declara .1ara 1ara < . of Independence . . . I IOf ( Of that document , Jefferson later latersaid latersaid laterisaid , said : "Neither Neither " aiming at orIginal originaljity originalIity Iity ! 1ty of ot principle or sentiment , , nor norIyet noryet noriyct yet copied from any particular partlcuhr or orprevIous orprevious orprevious Iyet [ prevIous writings wrltlngs . , It was Intended Intendedto Intendedto to be an expression expresbion of the AmerIcan AmerIcanmind Americanmind Americanmind ; mind , and to give gI\"e gI "e e \ " to that th.1t th1t . e expression resslon resslon1the 1the 1 expressionIthe the proper proer ! ) tone and spirit cptrit plrIt called forby forby for by the occasion " So even een e\ e \ en though thoughhe thoughhe thoughhe he did not "copy copy " from anv nny any partlcu particn particnlar partlcular partlcnlar lar or pre previous ' Ions writings , " Ills hIs f'lmll flmll famll f'lmlllarity famlllarity ' famlllarity larity " with "lth lth IIarrington's IIarringtons 1I1rrlngton Ilarrington's Ilarringtons ' ' , ; "Ocenna Ocenna "Oceana Oceana " "Oceana(1030) Oceana1030 " ' I (10 10 (1CuG 1CuG ( G ) , . LocJ Lockc's Lockcs Locke's Lockes e's es ' 'Two Two 'T0 'T\\ 'T T ' \ 0 .Trellises Trellises rre'lUses rrelUses reatiscs . ' onGovernment on onGovernment IGoernment onIGoernment Government , " ( (1089) 1089 (1GSD 1GSD ( IGSP ) , Sldne\ Sldne Sidney Sidneys Sldnes \ ' s "DisIcourse "DisIcourse9 "DIs DIs " courses Icourse Icourse9 Concerning Government Governmentt Government(100S Government(1COS Government1COS t ' (100S 100S (160S 160S ( ) and Palne's Palnes Paine's Paines ' ' ' Common Sense Sense(1770) Sense1770 " (1776) 1776 ( l7'iG l7iG ' ) undoubtedly was retle reflected reflectedI reflectedeither reflectedeither ted tedeither either In his writingAmericans writing writingAmericans I IAmerIcans Americans should be more moro famil famil- familIar familiar familiar - iar also with the names of t tvv tw " o 0 other otherVIrginians otherVirginians otherVirginians VIrginians , Edmund Bdmund Pendleton and andGeor andGeorge andGeorge Geor George e Mason , " "authors authors " " of a docu docu- documont docu- docu documont document - - ment mont which was a direct ancestor nncestor ot of otthe ofthe ofthe the Jefferson JelIerson masterpiece . In tact fact tactfully , fully two years before he draned drafted dranedhis draftedhis drattedhis his declaration the Ideot Idei Ide\ Ide idea ' \ of ot ' separa separa- seara- seara searatIon separation separation ! } - tion from the Mother Country had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been gaining strength In the col- col - - 4fr6- 4fr6 r /.dk- .dk / . : J : ) - - 4fr6(7j9 - .dkfJ , / , (7j9 7j9 (7j9L43Z ( ( fJ ( ; L43Z : J JIJl0 % 413 / IJl0 IJl0Ilta ! : Ilta MamQ MamQ32W'e $ 32W'e 32We ' ) ; ) V.JfIIJr VJfIIJr ' JJ4 . ( % G ? 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Perhaps PerIlaps the honor of being the thefir thefirst tliefirst fir first t to utter It belongs to the cltl elti cltlzeus eltiZeus citlzeus zeus of Sheffield Shefleld , Mass l\Iass l Iass \ . ? . , who asearly as ase'lrly asearly e'lrly elrly early ' as January J'lnuary Jlnuary ' 12 12,1773 121773 , 17'i3 17i3 1773 ' , proclaImed proclaimedthe the grievances grlevances and rights of the col colonles colonies colonles onles onies , among them the right of self- self selfgOelnment selfgovernment self-goveinment self goveinment - gO\elnment gO elnment government \ The citizens of Hendon Mpn- Mpn Hen- Hen Mpndon Men-don Men don - don , , In the same S'lme Slme ' colony and In the thesame thesame thesame same year , also passed resolutions resolutionscontainIng resolutionscontaining resolutionscontaining containIng three fundamental prop proposltlons propositions proposltlons osltlons ositions of the Decoration Dec1'lratlon Dec1lratlon Declaration ' of Inde Inde- Independence Independence Independence - - pendence itself : that ' ill 111 all men have havean havean havean an equal right to life and lIbertv liberty libertythat , that this right Is 1s Inalienable , , and andthat andthat andthat that government must originate in inthe inthe Inthe the free consent of the people peopleJohn peopleJohn peopleJohn John Adams had been outspol outspoken en in inhIs inhis Inhis hIs advocacy advoc'lc advoclc ' of Independence for formore formore tormore more than th'1n th1n ' a Sear vear e'lr elr ' before Lee Intro Introduced introduced Introduced duced his resolution In congre congress congressand congre&band congreband & : . and he had a\ a a0 avowed mowed \ 0\\ 0 0cd \ cd It In letters letterswhich , which the British Intercepted In InJulv inJuly InJuly Julv July , 177 1775 13 ; , ' and 'lnd lnd printed In a Boston Bostonne Bostonnewspaper Bostonnewspaper ne newspaper ' , spaper . Howe However Iloweser , er , If we accept a tr'1diUon tr1diUon tradition tr'1diUon"hIch traditionwhich traditionwhich ' "hIch hIch which " seems to have considerable considerablebasis considerablebasis considerablebasis basis of fact , then the ttie firbt first real Dec Declar'ltIon Declaratron Declaration lar'ltIon larltIon laratron ' of Independence was adopt adoptcd adopted adopted cd ed In Mecl Mecklenburg lenbur county . , North NorthCm NorthCarolina NorthCaiolina Cm Carolina olIna , , on May 31 , 17 1775 17'i5 17i5 ' 75 Accord According According AccordIng ing to this storv stor stor3 . , news of ot ' the bat battIes batties batties tIes of Concord and Le\mgton Le mgton Lexington Lemgtonreached Lexingtonreached LcKingtonreached " \ : reached this county while the milItia milItiacompanies militiacompanies militiacompanies companies " were "ere ere met for their regu regular . lar muster . Thereupon the l\Iect.len lIect.len l Iect.len Iectlen Mecklen lIect.lenbur Mecklenburg \ Mecklenburg . bur burg patriots p'ltrlots pltrlots ' most of them Scotch ScotchIrIsh ScotchIrish ScotchIrish IrIsh Presb3 Prcsb Presb ; tenans termns terhans , , passed these theseresoluhons theseresolutions theseresolutions resoluhons resolutions : Resolved That whosoever whocoever ; directly directlyor or Indirectly indlrectly abetted or In any way wayform , form , or manner countenanced , the theunchartered theunchartered theunchartered unchartered and dangerous Invasion Invasionof of our rights , as claimed by Great GreatBritain GreatBritain GreatBritain Britain , Is an enemy to this country country.to countryto . , to America , and to the Inherent ond and ondInallcnnble andinalienable nndInalienable Inallcnnble inalienable right rights * of Man ManResolved ManResoh ManResoh Resoh Resolved ed that we , the citizens of ofMecklenburg ofMecklenburg ofMecklenburg Mecklenburg county , do hereby dlsoh dissolve dis- dis dl- dl disoUe . - solve soh oUe e tlie the political polltlc.l polltlcl ' ! . bands band . ihtch "hlch hlch Shish " , h.ve hve have h.veconnected haveconnected hiveconnected ' ! . connected us to the mother country countryand , and hereby nbnolie obaoh nbsohe e ourticlvca ourselves ourselcea from fromull fromall fromall ull all nllFRlnncc nlleJlnnce |