The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-07-21
HISTORICAL CRITICISM

dependence, III an EDITORIAL on 'i:c !rta :in
adversary:
AS the years lasS ly j, is i'roi,;,l" tl'a
spirit Of tho great event which this da,
commentaries, will become liable TO NOR,
or less Of that pcrversion oi misconcep;iol
which is seen to bc incident to whatever
depends upon human testimony. We
have reason to believe that already some
misstaemcnts pertaining to the surrounl
ngs-cf the great declaration, have become
teepiy seated in the national mind. fvt
lnstancr, it Is common TO read in heally all
htel@ OF the Declaration made in 1916,
that it WAS finally adapted on the Jih Of
July, aud signed by every member Of Con
gress then presnt. except only Mr.. Dir&n
ron, Of Pennsy Ivania. in oiut Of fact
the real Declaration Of American lnlrrtn,
,lcncc' was no. made in connection " ith
the paper which passes under that name.
The real Declaration" WAS uttered in :,
series Of Resolutions to that effect, which,
having been introduced into Congress on
;hc f,h Of June, l77G, hy Richard Henry
Lee, Of Virginia, formed the ,a'lving point
around which Til, great contest WAS wag"d.
The nominal Declaration WAS ci,lc!v sub.
tdiary in its purpose, rs it WAS wholly Sec
~n,lary in lis origin when compared with
the Resolutions VIC lave named Ties.
Irsu'uii".s ""rr rs follows:
RcSolred, That these United Colonies
a,c, au'! Of ,igh, ought to he, free and in,
Iepcnlen, States; that they are ..ls"lvcd
from nil i,,..i;,ncc 10 the British Crown,
and that all political rorncxi"n between
them .n! tue STATE uf Great Britain is and
ought TO l." totally dissolved.
Rssol'td. That /; is cxpr,licnt fourth
viii, To take the most cf]cctual measures for
formin. fo'e;gn alliances
'Rrsoiwa, Tina, Il plan Of Confederation
lie prepared and transmitted to the rcsrcc
five Colonies for their considerations a,.l ap
rrova!.'
These were Evsolul>ns which f,>t
brought l.. 4 i.cus tho scattered ravs Of re-
>o; and formed the nucleus not only q:
Tic .ui ar)n"nt paper kHown under Tie na'nc
&C. tho Declaration, but also Of tho Articles
"' C'i&'''rra,io" TO which they roint"d.-
II n,leiy Subsidiary anI secondary was
~ -. ,iraugh,cd by Mr.. Jefferson will
+;,,r from the "c'y terms Of the rc,nlu,
spn Under which the committee appointed
10 draw il was raised. That committee
wa, nominated on the 1lth cf June, and
WIS Instructed 10 prepare a declaration to
The effect Of the resolutions introduced ly
Mr. Lee four days previously, and for tie
assigned reason that no time IL. .ht be lost
IN case the Compress agree thcreto.' Tie
debate and tie division in Congress upon
the question Of independence t"rnta cn-
'utly up9n the Resolutions Of Lee, rs il
WIS only on their adoption that any occa
sion could arise for tie formal declaration
drawn n, from ~ decent respect for the
opinions OF mankind and no: for any pur
pose of bringing about the great result
which it commentaries. The rcsoluonsil
we're considered in Congress on the S,h aud
on the T0:l, Of June, when they were post.
roncd until the lst Of July. On the 2Sth
Of June, HE drau2l,t Of The Declarations
which the committee was appointed to pre-
pare, and have ready i'll case the resolution
should pass, was reported and !aii upon
had upon It's aloption but on the lst Of
July The H,:sulutions Of Lee came up, ac
rorlinm to order. and were discussed III
Committee Of the Whole, when, as the
lpurnl records the determination thereof
WAS, at the request ct Colony, postponed
till Tomorrow That Colony was South
Carolina whose delegates, being authorized
generally by their instructions to vote for
every measure which they together miM
Il mJoriiy Of the Continental Congress,
shall judge necessary for tho defence, sccu-
lily, interest, anl welfare Of this Colony in
particular aud Of America in general asked
on tho cv: Of this m"mentons vote, that lis
iiua determination he put elf To tie mex,
day whcp, s'Mr. Ru.Ie'lg" explained, he
believed his c"tagu"s, though they disap
proved # the resolutions, would join in i;
for the sake Of unanimiIy.' Accordingly
All the 2l Of July, the Resolutions re-
tpccling independence were put upon ihci'
linal passage and adopted. Then and there
WIS the great step taken in this forwnrt
movement. john A.l.ns, writing on the
Sd o.: Jnlv, rnly said 9 yesterday the
greatest question was decided which eve
WAS debated in AMERICA, and greater per
haps never WAS and never will be decided