| Show w wI I J Jr r r 44 a r T f 9 t Y v y rIv-a I. I w ROM much that historians have 0 p written about the Fourth of ot July 1776 an erroneous Idea of the happenings of that great day has become a common heritage of ot the people of our land Many an ano o a 0 r J D American cons considers ders It a part at ata f fa fa a patriotic duty t to muse upon the imaginative picture entitled The First Fourth of ot July which some historical writer has painted upon his bis vision In fancy tancy he sees Independence h hall ll in Philadelphia Philadelphia Phila Phila- delphia and the Continental congress with Its ruffled shirts long cloth coats knee pants silk stockings and low shoes sitting with dignity but listening spellbound to a wonderfully strange and entirely new document called The Declaration of Independence In fancy tancy he even hears the popular acclaim of That Is just what we all say and It is Js well worded Mr Jefferson Then the mind pictures pictures pic plc- tures the various delegates delegates- to congress hastening hastening hasten hasten- ing forward eager for tor the honor of fixing their signatures to a sheepskin document The scene changes to the ringing of the great liberty bell to the assembling of at the people at Philadelphia who applauded the reading of this bill of rights and to the final closing of the day with every man woman and child in Philadelphia Philadel Philadelphia phia happy because he Is no longer a British subject having become free a American in a a. single day Such a vision pictures a heroic scene but the true record of events does not affirm that these called so-called happenings took place on that memorable me me- memorable morable day By blotting out the imperfect details de de- de tails of the picture the Fourth of July Is in no noway noway noway way robbed of any of ot its glory An authe authentic tic account of what transpired at that time changes the meaning of the Fourth of or July from one day to about sixty In which the whole history of our national liberty is told and and the heroic throbs heart-throbs of the sorely tried colonists colonists colo colonists are keenly felt The day itself lf properly symbolizes the liberty for which the patriots of that time time stood ready to sacrifice their lives in order to to launch the the United States as a national craft cratt which should be anchored by no weight of foreign despotism It was a time of ot danger when brother friend and neighbor became estranged by reason of ot political opinion Some colonists still loved the mother country with true English pride while others were so embittered by the Injustice of the sovereign across the seas that they willingly gave their all to the cause of the people of ot the new new land During the the latter part of 1774 George Washington Wash Wash- ington himself wrote that no thinking man among the colonists wanted to separate from England and Franklin ridiculed the idea During the early days of the revolution the bluecoats never dreamed of of at separating from the beloved land of ot their ancestors In fact tact such a n. course course would have been condemned by Americans Ameri Amerl Americans cans themselves as treason Jefferson declared that prior to April 19 1775 he had heard no whisper whisper whis per per of at the disposition of ot anyone to stand from under the governmental power of ot Great Britain The Inevitable however came with the spring of ot 1776 when local assemblies began formal ormal discussion die dis regarding the liberty of colonists These legislative bodies possessed but little power but but they did a great part in Jn crystallizing the sentiment sentiment senti senti- ment for Independence in many quarters and forcing those opposed to the Idea to declare their inimical attitude The good work of these small legislative bodies was vas reflected and magnified as soon as the delegates delegates dele dele- gates were sent to the Continental congress Then the spirit of liberty permeated the very atmosphere atmosphere at at- of at the national assembly and many an au individual received the courage to align himself with the new cause If It June une 7 1776 there had been an au extra paper to have informed the public of the latest political news one might have read the flaring headlines Richard Henry Lee of Virginia the theMan theMan theMan Man of the Hour for tor it was he who on that day started the Fourth of at July It was this southerner southerner south south- erner who introduced the first declaration of independence independence in in- dependence in congress declaring the Am American people free Good judgment dictated the caution of ol omitting omitting omit omit- ting John Adams' Adams name from the minutes as the second to that motion yet the fact is known today when there is no army of redcoats waiting wait ing to seize patriots as rebels Too much praise cannot be given to the introduction Introduction In in- trod of Lees Lee's resolution yet it was to the credit of the Continental congress that action was not forced upon such an important measure at that time It could not have succeeded until all objections had been silenced all fears tears of England's success allayed until all were Conscientiously con Con- conscientiously convinced that the causo cause of liberty was just It was imperative that all should look the Goddess of ot Liberty squarely in the face with witha a devotion to follow tollow wh where re she should lead As no agreement could be reached on June 7 the resolution was laid over until the next day when it was again postponed for tor consideration until until un un- un til July 1 1 In order that the cause of liberty should not be retarded during this wait congress at that c 2 r Yd yS a t t r e rIV f time appointed a committee of ot five to prepare a declaration of Independence of of the same purport purport pur pur- port as Lees Lee's resolution rin in in the hope that the new doctrine would be unanimously accepted when the matter should be be again taken up In July Policy demanded that a southerner should be chosen to write the declaration in ord order r to Increase the probability of ot its unanimous tion Logically Jefferson was the man to carry this work through for the masterly style of ot his pen was well known With such coworkers though it ca cannot mot be supposed d th that t he alone he-alone alone was waa as the author of the resolution for the responsibility responsibility had been assigned to all five Jointly and nd the counsel and advice e were n necessary c s an However the credit of the phraseology Is given to J Jefferson while J John hn Adams is said said to have h given close attention to the revision and th the amending of the resolution The The entire committee commit tee helped perfect the documents by making it tt the subject of ot critical ri c 1 analysis analysts In allowing the Declaration of Independence t to be ready before its ifs assembly assembly o on June 28 28 c congress pr preceded ceded its schedule Satisfied that all aU were ere acquainted with its contents contents con con- tents the legislature th then n laid the blU billon bil bill bill- on the table until it should come com up t for tor r discussion sion by congress sitting as a committee of the whole By trial vote July 1 only nine hine colonies voted as favorable to the resolution Final legislative action was t therefore deferred deterred until the next day That July 2 was probably the most memorable of ot all dates of our national history During the stormy debate at that time the declaration was both attacked and com com- 1 mended When the vote of ot the day was taken If was found that the declaration had been bee Indorsed indorsed In in- by all of the thirteen les The vote in favor of the the declaration l was not sufficient to m make ke the adoption n of the new resolution resolution resolution reso reso reso- lution complete for tor the next day congress sat as asa asa asa a committee of ot the whole to consider the bill At that time slight alterations wee r made certain clauses censuring England ere England were were omitted and nd others regarding slave trade were left out while whilo other amendments were added On July 4 congress assembled j again ain in and hd immediately im immediately im- im mediately resolved Itself Into a committee for the for the consideration of ot the Declaration of t I Independence d When John Hancock as president of orthe the congress congress con con- gress resumed the chair Mr Harrison great great- grandfather of our our- former president of the United Stated State reported that his committee h had l agreed to the declaration which they desired him to report t What followed this announcement Is largely a aa matter of surmise despite the fact that t the debate debate de de- de bate bato lasted all through the warm day when delegates delegates dele dele- gates either talked or listened swathed In heavy fitting close-fitting stocks If It it had not been for a seemingly trivial incident incident inci inci- dent the debates of ot that day might probably have last lasted d over until the next and so July 5 would have become the birthday Y instead of at July 4 Toward Toward ow rd evening the discomfort o the as as- was increased on account of the swarms of of f flips flies fIl s which came from a nearby livery stable int into the hall of legislature These pests were so audacious in assaults upon the the statesmen that Jefferson said their annoyance helped bring the theat matter at er to a conclusion and Harrison reported the declaration to congress as accepted though In the minutes of that day the declaration was at t first left out on a count of ot the vengeance of E Eng Eng- g. g l land nd Today Independence hall In the old state house houseIn houseIn housein In In Philadelphia remains about as it was on that July 4 4 and so as as s far tar as the setting of the stage the drama is complete but the drama Itself Is la left for us to supply All that we have left of ot the record of ot that memorable day is the text of th the Declaration ol of Independence and as that represents what all brave American colonists were ready to lay down their lives for and what should be handed down downto to us and guarded as courageously as It had been won the Fourth of July has has' amply served its purpose and deserved Its one monument The Tile Spirit of Liberty for tor All Whether or not the Declaration of at Independence Inde lode was was signed on July 4 1776 by any but Continental congress congress congress con con- Hancock as president of the gress and Thompson as secretary is a matter of doubt for the Journal entry records signed by order of and In behalf of congress Jefferson Jefferson Jeffer I son himself made conflicting statements regarding regard ing this question Some contend that the delegates met Informal Informally and signed the docu ly ly on the morning of ot July 5 ment Whether or not the signatures were af at- affixed fixed on July 4 congress' congress act was official on that day that Jeffersons Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was declared acceptable to every colony And so it resolved that copies should be sent throughout the new formed republic The general assemblies conventions councils committees of safety and the commanding officers of the Continental army had to be informed ot oi the independence of the United States These Thes copies were signed by Hancock and Thompson The Congressional Record of July 19 shows that thata a resolution was introduced in the national assembly assembly as as- to the effect that tho the declaration should be engrossed on parchment and presented for tor th the signature of ot every member on August 2 This fact therefore serves as authority that the parchment copy signed on that day in August after it had been compared with the fair tair copy and the latter destroyed is the copy of the Declaration Declaration Dec Dee of at Independence which was considered for so many years the original draft of the great bill of ot rights of the American people It is said that even this tills signing was entered Into with fear and trembling Satisfied that the signed parchment was a lasting evidence of at the birth of the new nation congress took no further official action regarding the Instruments itself until January 1777 By ny that time the new republic began to feel Its strength and congress decided to promulgate the names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence Independence In In- dependence by ordering that printed copies of the document should be e made with the names of the signers added Mary Katharine Goddard a woman who car car- red ried on the printing business on Broadside Baltimore Bal amore probably never heard of womans woman's rights J. J yet t it so happened that it became her right to print these copies of the American bill of ot rights right From these copies numerous others were soot SOOl made until before long every home boasted at al least one copy of at the original document gave life lire to our republic |
