Flag of the Union. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1850-18??, 1853-02-11
INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE,
- HON j. NJ. H. BBALE. "a r. -

/ INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE
| s. HON j. NJ. I'll. BBALE. sir I
| sst satasssaeses6 "a Il egsa ~ So 81 u -
House. OF REPR S
january 20, 1852
To kke, Editor ef tie Beap .Yso,sk Herald
i have read in the Herald, Of the 1Tth ult
an address delissred BY The Rev. DR. Hawkes.
before the New York Historical Society, on
the History of North Carolina p in which he
claims for the people Of the county of Meek.
lenburg. of that State. the first movement to-
wards a declaration of American Independence
With no attempt or wish to detract from the
merit of the movement made by the patriotic
people of that portion of our country, it is due
to political justice and the truth of history to
Esay that evidence exists, of the most unmis-
taxable character, which shows that the first
known step taken in the open assertion of
American rights and independence occurred
among the people inhabiting the then county
of Dunmore--so named after Lord Dunnore.
now called Shenandoah the valley of Vir-
ginia. $50 ~s,. ii ..s5a.s..,+ a-.s ,.t
The opinion has long prevailed with the cas-
ual reader and the incorrect historian that the
patriots Of Meeklenburg, n. Carolina, ''open-
ed the ball Of the revolution" The learned
divine has assumed this current belief to be a
fact, and thus committed d historical blunder
But to the records of the facts s.ap.
The Rev. Peter Muhlenburg, Lutheran
clergyman from Trappe, Pennsylvania, remoy-
ed, in the year 177T2, to Woodstock, Dunlnore
county. Virginia, and became the pastor of the
church IN that village He was descended
from German parentage, and, although born
in Pennsylvania, was educated in Halle, in
Germany. He soon won the confidence of
hir. flock and the affection of the whole Ger
manic family which had settled between the
Blue Ridge and the Allegheny, in the now
counties of Page, Shenandoah, and Rocking
ham. sss So
In the early part of the year l774 the col
onists began to mnrInur at British encroach-
ments upon colonial rights, and discomfort
reached its acme when the news of the pass
age of the Boston port bill was conveyed
throughout the land While there may have
been concerted movement of resistance
throughout the State, Dunmore county was
/ the flrst to step harvard and boldly proclaim
its opinions in reference to the great questions
then agitating the country. This county gave
itself distinct organization, as contradistin-
guished from its colonial, and invested power
in committee of safety the prerogatives
of which were to erect opposition to the royal
power in case of necessity.
The meeting which took these initial reyo-
lutionary steps was held at Woodstock, on the
10th day of June, l774, one year before the
celebrated Mecklenburg meeting which occur
red in June, 1775. The Rev, Peter Mullen
burg was chosen the moderator Of the meet
ing; and afterwards, as chairman Of the COM
mittee on resolutions, reported a number of
spirited and appropriate resolutions, the tone
of which, was heldor than public opinion was
then prepared to sanction. The following are,
part of the noble sentiments then put forth
by those patriotic lovers of liberty. I.4r
''That we viii pay due submission to such
acts Of government as his Majesty has a right
by law to exercise over his subjects, and to
such only. si~ j .1*ai ssaa i'3 /
That it is the inherent right of British sub
jects to be- governed and taxed by representa-
tives chosen by themselves only. and that every
act of the British Parliament respecting the
internal policy OF America is a dangerous and
unconstitutional invasion Of our rights and
privileges. es ss-a sa'sas ~
sIhat the enforcing the execution Of the
said act of Parliament by a'militaFy power
will have q necessary tendency 10 cause a eiSll
war, thereby disselying that union which has
SO long happily snbxisted between the mother /
country and her colonies; and that we will
most heartily and unanimously concur with
our suffering brethern Of Boston, and every
other part Of North America who are the i'm.
mediate victims ef.tyranny, in pfomating oil |
proper measures to avert such dreadful calam. /
tiles. to, procure q, redress Of our grievances,
and to secure our common liberties.
+ The other resolutions wero common at that
period, deprecating Importation or exporta-.
ton with Great Britain, and against the East
India Company. who are called a'the servile |
tools of arbitrary power The proceedings
Gloss by "pledging themselves to each other,
and to our country, that we viii inviolably adj |
here to the votes Of fhis day" The Commit
tee Of Safety And Correspondence appointed
for tho county consisted Of the Rev. Peter
Mnhlenbprg, chairman Francis Slaughter.
Abraham Bird, Tayener BeaIe, father Of the |
undersigned, John Upton, and Abraham Bow
man. eso.. members H7a aAssa u
Ths proceedings Of this meeting are pub |
lislaed In full In the Vireinia Gazette for Al.
sast 4, I774. q aile Of which paper is presery.
sdin the Congressional Library at Washing-
Ton City THE late FIRE ct the Congressional
Library may have destroyed it.) 3
/ have thus. Mr.. Editor, given you the re-
eord-proof from the Gazette. then the only |
newspaper, perhaps, which was published IN /
the Virginia colony. But I cannot refrain
from copying as an interesting incident in the |
history of ths times, from letter written BY
the Rev. Peter Muhlenburg 10 bis brother ii
Trappe, Pa, dated Jan. III. Its, which il
still preserved IS ! valuable evolutionary re-
Ii n the. Muhlenburg family. He says
aThe times are getting troublesome with Us.
and begin 81 wear hostile appearance IN
dependent companies are forming II every
country, and politics engross al conversation.
/ had ihroNn up my commission - chairman
of the co,nmitfes On correspondence, and Of
magistrate likewise; but last week ne bad 4
general slsetion ID the sounty lor great com,