Duchesne Courier | 1930-06-20 | Page 2 | Eight "Foreigners" Who Helped Win American Independence

t JJ gr G rL E 1 J 1 d 7 I I By y ELMO SCOTT WATSON III HE Declaration of Independence Independence Inde Imle e Is the charter of ot American freedom and the men who their t signatures to It In Phila Phila- Philadelphia delphia one hundred and four fifty four years jears ago arc are known as Americas 50 GO Immortals S Strictly t r I c t l i y speaking none of these se CO fiG was an American foran for Cor Corall all an of them ns as us' us citizens of oC the British h Colonies In North America were subjects sub sub- 4 jests of ills His Majesty I King lug Geor George e III of England Englund But what Is even e more Interesting Is the fact that eight of them were not even born horn on American soil and because Of of that fact act It may be n accurately stated t that eight foreigners helped win Wui AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican lean Independence by their theil hart part Jn u n the ent e we celebrate on Jul July 4 4 i t Of these eight foreigners three were horn born In Ireland two In England two In Scotland and one In Wales so ever every part of at the British Empire thus contributed to the founding of a anew anew new new nation which should he be deeply rooted in the British tradition A Afew Afew Afew few of them rendered other services to the new republic which guaranteed weir being remembered by the nation which they helped to found but the most of ot them are all ali but forgotten 11 now now- ow So it can cnn he fairly said that their fame rests rest's upon that one oue stroke of or their pens Curiously enough nouh It I Ithe Is the penmanship of ot one which has perpetuated perpetuated per per- per per- perpetuated his name and made it ta familIar fa fa- familiar to thousands of Americans That man Is Button Gwinnett who was born In fn England In 1732 the same year rear that George Georgc Washington ton was born I in this country After being heing engaged en cn- en engaged In business In Bristol for sev se severa sev several eral era years he emigrated to Charleston Charleston Charles Charles- Charleston ton S. S C. C and then removed to SUannah Savannah Savannah Sav SU annah Ga Gai In 1763 where he be became a n general trad trader r. r In 1770 he be purchased a plantation on St. St Catherines Catherine's island and became known as th the leading agriculturist of the colony of Georgia Geor glit O On January 20 1776 Gwi Gwinnett nett was ap ap- lif 4 i ir i v 1 I k r of iJ I if I r i I r l 4 I ii 7 I fI- fI fIffi c J j p pointed a delegate to the th the Continental congress congress and as a r representative e from Georgia signed the Declaration of In In- dependence was re elected in October 1776 appointed a member of at the state government of ot Georgia In February 1777 and Is said to have ha furnished the basis basIs for the state stute constitution that that was afterwards adopted In March of that year year he was appointed president dent of the tile provincial council but was an nn unsuccessful candidate for governor governor gover gover- nor In May He lIe was also an unsuccessful unsuccessful candidate the position of brigadier r general of ot the continental brigade to be levied In Georgia EmbIttered Em Em- by this and irritated by other Incidents In do which his successful opponent opponent op op- Gen Lachland McIntosh fig tired Gwinnett challenged to a duel duei It was fought with pistols at a distance ce of 12 feet on May 15 1777 and both were w wounded und d Gwinnett GInnett Gwinnett Gwin In nett so so sosel sel I that that he died 12 days das later 1 Years ears later v when autograph collectors coHee- coHee tors tois began seeking complete sets bets of or the autographs of the Signers It was discovered that signatures by this Georgia statesman were practically nonexistent none Ills His untimely death had occurred before he had occasion to sign many public documents and und he does not seem to have been a j letter writer As far back hack as us 1856 a Gwinnett autograph sold for Forty years later one brought ht the unheard unheard un un- un- un heard of ot price of But this was only the beginning A short time tune later an another Uler sold for and In InI March I t-ch t 1927 a a aletter letter signed by Button Dutton Gwin nett and 1 live e other Signers was sold for The o other her English born I Signer wa was s I Robert Hobert Morris whose fame rests not so fo much upon his Zits signature either to that document or any other as upon Ills his sen services ices to the patriot lat cause which i gave him the title of at Financier o of f the Revolution He tie was born In Liv Ih England January 20 O 1731 1781 an and d upon emigrating to this country a at it t tIt the age are of thirteen entered the count count- lag ing house of ot Charles Willing a wealth wealtny Philadelphia he lie merchant where e obtained the training that was t to o of ba-of such value to his country later U tin p er of ot Willing s 's so son n r Thomas Morris soon rose to a n position post post- I tion of prominence In the Quaker city and because of his opposition to the stump stamp act net and other oilier measures T lug Ing colonial ri rights ts he be w was s elected a delegate He to the thc Continental congress confess which issued the Declaration of Inde Inde- He was elected re-elected In 1777 1771 and again guin In 1778 As a n member of the ways and means means committee he in more more re than once saved the fie Revolution from financial col col- col lapse Back of the brilliant campaign n of Gen Nathanael Greene in 1780 1750 was the sturdy figure of Morris who I had bad supplied Greene with the munitions muni Lions of or war and in do the snore same year ear he raised which enabled Washington Wash Wash- Washington In ington ton to make his dash against Corn Con wallis mIlls at Yorktown town and bring an m end to the war Elected superintendent of of i r I I r O Uv Jl I finance In 1781 1751 he found the J financial situation desperate The government of ot the new nation was In debt and it seemed that it must fall falleen even een after It had won its dence Morris saved sa it by b organizing the Bank of North America with a capital tal stock of of ot which Morris himself subscribed In 1780 1786 Morris MOllis was elected eJected to the Pennsylvania legislature and in 1787 1757 sat in the convention com com- which framed the United States Constitution In 1788 Pennsylvania honored him by b electing him to the first United States senate a n post which he held he d until 1793 lie I e had been be 1 offered the tile v post sr of o secretary of the treasury In Washington's Wash ington's cabinet but hut declined it and and recommended Alexander Hamilton for forthe forthe i r the position He went Into the East Indian and an China trade with Gouverneur Gouverneur Gouverneur Morris but hut his speculations ended ended end erid- ed ed disastrously And It Is to the eternal eternal eternal eter eter- nal discredit of the nation which he lie helped found and more mOle than once saved caved that for several se several years eus Robert nobert Morris 1 was allowed to languish In in a debtors debtor's cell He lie died in Philadelphia May fay lIa 8 1506 Only a little less Important historically his lils tori cally than the two End English born born lisp were me tile two Signers I I James Wilson and John Witherspoon Both were distinguished d educators as fiS aswell fiSwell aswell well as statesmen Witherspoon as president of ot Princeton college and Wilson as a professor in the Cit City college college col col- col lege Ige of Philadelphia which later merged Into the University Uni of Penn Penn- sylvania Wilson was born bom at St. St Andrews An Andrews An Andrews drews Scotland September 14 1742 1743 1742 and emigrated to this country In 1763 From the first he espoused ed the i- i pa- pa triot cause and after se several seral ral terms 5 d 1 w las l M 7 as provincial representative was chosen diesen chos dies en to the Continental congress to which he was twice re He lle served on several Important commit commit- committees tees of ot congress and and was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs for the middle district At the tIle outbreak of hostilities he became colonel of ot a iI Pennsylvania re regiment of militia nn and I served in n the fire New Jersey Jeney campaign n of 1770 1774 but soon was Vas forced forcell to I retire re reo tire from Crom the field to attend to his many civil duties A After el Independence was ns won he was elected to congress In 1782 1182 and proposed the general plan of pI taxation which wa was adopted the lu follo following year ear In the thc Constitutional convention he supported direct lar lac suffrage an and a n single executive and unel exercised ouch much Influence In n determining de dew the character of at the thc cu Con Cou which was adopted After the new government go went Into operation oper oper- I anon under the Constitution Wilson became n a leader In the Federalist party and In October 1780 Washington Washing Washing- ton him un an associate justice justlee of the Supreme court a u position which he be held until his hIs d death ath In Edenton N. N C. C Ct August 28 23 1798 1703 Jphn Jqhn Il WItherspoon was born In Gifford Gifford Gif Gif- ford Scotland Feb Feb- I February ti 5 1722 The son son sou of a minister ter Witherspoon was w-as graduated from Cd- Cd university In lu 1742 1792 lie He studIed stud- stud led ledl theology and nul was ordained minister minister min ister of the parish of Beith Belth in 17 1 1745 and installed pastor at Paisley in 1757 In he be was moderator of the thes s synod nod of Gl Glasgow V and Ayr Ar He Je de declined de- de lIned dined the presidency of Princeton college In 1766 but accepted the second second sec sec- ond imitation and und came to t the life le United Stat States s and was Inaugurated president of of Princeton Ii in 1765 I W Witherspoon was the leader of ot the thc Presbyterians In n this country and was influential In attaching the Scotch and and Scotch-Irish Scotch population of the the colonl colonies s to the patriot ca cause se Because of his efforts in behalf of colonial rights which caused it It to be he said of him that he was as high a u son of ot liberty as any uny man In America he was was chosen n It member of the convention convention conven en tion that framed New Jerseys Jersey's first constitution a member of of the provin- provin of New cial congress Jersey in 1770 1776 and anti delegate In t the Continental congress con con- congress gress giess from 1776 t to to 1783 1753 During the the Revolution he hehs was hs a member of oi the secret committee of f the congress on the conduct of the the- war Yur and find a I mem member them em ber of f the board of war In 1778 1773 He lIe was also also a a member of ot New Jersey c council mn il I In 1750 of ot the tIle assembly 1783 1753 1790 1789 and of the New Jersey con con- vendon n. n In 1787 to ratify the federal Constitution He blind in 1792 1702 and tiled died near near Princeton September 15 1791 i. i Although h Ireland contributed more of ot these eight foreigners who were Signers none of them subsequently rose to such positions of ot Importance In the new nation as ns did the thc Englishmen English men and previously men men- James Smith was born in Ire- Ire 1 f. f fir I l lit L r l it t j j I I fL 1 Vc land about 17 1720 0 cor conning to t this is country country coun coun- tl try in 1729 1720 when his father emigrated to the Susquehanna countr country in Penns Penn's Penn Penn- s 's sylvania where he became a farmer Young oung Smith was educated at the he College College Col Col- College lege of Philadelphia studied law and settled first fust in S Shippensburg as us a ri a lawyer er and sur e surveyor r and later in York Pork As evidence of ot his versatility Smith i inett next nett engaged in the Iron t tur lad Ing g business and was waSa a a man mun of con con- le property at the outbreak of of the Revolution In 1774 he raised the first company in in Pennsyl Pennsylvania forthe for forthe the purpose of resisting Great Britain and was chosen as a member of the convention which met to consider a n policy of n from flom Lag Eng land laud In 1770 1776 he was ee elected ted to the pro pro- Uncial conference which met to form forma a new government o for Penns Pennsylvania There he distinguished himself by seconding sec sec- ec- ec the motion of of Dr Benjamin Rush In favor of a declaration of ot In in- in dependence This was unanimously adopted and presented present d to the C Conti Continental nU congress a few days ars before the Declaration of In Independence was of of of- offered fereL He lie was a member of ot I he the convention convention con con- that asse assembled in Philadelphia 1 4 V U J LU v 11 iu V iv V i-V Uil i u ne for the state and on Jul July 20 until 1778 1773 lla Having lost his fortune in the war Smith returned to th the practice of ot his profession In which he continued until 1801 He tIe He died in York Ia Pa Jul July 11 1806 1800 George lU career closely parallels par par- that of Smith In many any respects He tie was born in Ireland In 1710 1716 lie Hc Is said to have been heen the son of it ii a clergyman and und to have ha f received a u good education preliminary to to his Ills study of m medicine which he abandoned Honed jn order t to emigrate to America In In 1700 1730 reavin Leaving home penniless and without the knowledge of ot his parents lie he took passage as a n and on his arrival ni in Philadelphia hound bound himself clr to an I lion Iron on manufacturer er Cl in Durham Pa Ta Taylor lor was elected ejected to the provincial assembly that met In Philadelphia Philadelphia- In III 1764 was vas appointed to the committee on IlI grievances vances and had in the a u lending j 1 part art artin debate on the revision slun of ot the f i 1 charter He lie was was- re-elected re successively successively until 1770 when wIlen he returned to toh h his s business which had turned out tobe to tobe tolie be lie unprofitable in Its new location so he went back to Durham Again AgnI he was sent to the the- provincial assembly i and was also placed on the committee of at safety as a's the first r t rumblings Qt the of the o Hc Revolution were ere heard He was a 11 member of the committee appointed to draw up Instructions for delegates to the Contin Continental con congress resS These Thes In In- t forbidding them to vote for fol separation from England were revoked re re- re- re yoked In June Tunc 1776 1770 Bec Because se five of oC the Pennsylvania delegates hesitated to agree to the Declaration of ot Independence Independence Inde Inde- others were chosen in their place on July 29 20 Taylor Talor was one of oi these and taking I his seat the day of his election l he ha had his chance to become become be be- come one of the Immortals when the engrossed copy of the Declaration was presented for the signature of the delegates del- del on n August 2 2 He retired from th the congress in 1777 and died in Enston Easton EastO Ens- Ens tO ton ton I Pa February 23 1781 1731 The third Irish-born Irish Signer was Matthew l Thornton w who 10 was born somewhere on the Emerald Isle about 1714 1711 and who emigrated ted with his father father fa fa father ther to America two or three years ears later The Thorntons first settled In Maine then removed to Massachusetts where Matthew was educated He studied medicine in Leicester and built bull up a profitable practice in Lon- Lon r l 1 n. n i me we r C run ICU en III enand and arid Indian war he went as a surgeon with the New Hampshire troops inthe Inthe in inthe the expedition against Louisburg Later he was appointed a Justice of the tile peace and also served as a colonel of ot the militia Because of ot his active part In the 0 overthrow of ot the thO royal government of New Hampshire at the outbreak of ot the Revolution Doctor Thornton was chosen c osen president of of the provisional pro al convention con in 1775