Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-04

SiOnS. In the SOuLQ ulls tScLlng Of III
difference toward the Fourth of July
has been ~Occasioned by the President
OF the United States, who "has kept
among us, in time of peace, standing
armies, without the consent Of our
Legislatures :" because she has affect
ed to render the military independent
Of and superior to the civil power 5"
because she has qUartered large bod
les of armed troops among uE;" De-
cause he has protected them "trOm
punishment for any murders which
they should commit on the inhab-
itsuts of those States; - because she
has taken away our charters, abol-
Iished our most valuable laws, and
altering, fundamentally, the forms Of
our Government because she has
suspended our Legislatures, and
declared himself invested with power
to Iegislate for US in all cases whstsO-
ever;n because "he has erected q null
titude OF new Offices, and sent hither
swarms Of officers to harass our peO-
pie and eat cut their substance;'
because she has combined with others
to subject Us to a jurisdiction foreign
to u constitution and unacknowl-
edged by our laws" because his
history is "a history Of injuries and
usurpations, all having a direct oh,
ject-the establishment of an absolute
tyranny over the States;" and because
a President. "whose character is thus
marked by every act which may
define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler
of a free people" These are the
causes which have extinguished the
enthusiasm that once burned Ia the
hearts of the Southern people. And
the s~hOddyites of the North are SO busy
in pIundering the taxpayers, in ca
Illuminating the Southern people, and
in manufacturing Ku-KluX lies, that
they have not any surplus time to
waste ia the old-fashiOned folly of
singing hozannas to the anniversary
Ofthe nations birth.
BigOtTy, hate, fanaticism, and the
lust of Office may deaden the patriot
ism of the American people, but the
day will never come when the Fourth
OF July will be forgotten. Often as
the Declaration of Independence has
been discussed, there is much ignO-
rance in regard to its true history,
even among men of education and
reading. The popular impression de-
rived from the Fourth OF July ora
tions is that the Declaration of indie
pendence was adopted at noon, on the
Fourth Of July, 1776; that the State
House bell announced the inteIh-
gence on that day, and that the people
were seized with a sudden enthusiasm.
The facts which we propose CLEAN
ing, principally from the iourn-
ais OF Congress, fuckers Life
of Jefferson, and the works of John
Adams, will correct many erroneous
impressions in regard to the history of
the Declaration of Independence.
On the 10th of June, 1776, Mr. Har-
of Virginia, reported a Tesolu-
ton, a part of which is said to have
besn a literal transcript of the irstruc-
tions given by the Convention CT Vir-
ginia to the Representatives in Con-
gress by Richard Henry Lee, in these
words:
Res6Iued, That the consideration of
the fist resolution be postponed to
Monday, the first day of July next;
and in the meanwhile, that no time
be lost, in case the Congress agree
thereto, that a committee be appoint
ed TO prepare a declaration to the ef-
feet Of the said first resolution, which
Is in these words: "That these United
States are, and Of right ought to be,
free and independent States; that they
are absOlved from all allegiance to the
Crown; and that all political
connection between them and the State
Of Great Britain is, and ought to be,
dissolved"
This resolution was adopted. On the
18th of June. Thomas Jefferson, John
Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger
Sherman and r. r. Livingston were
appointed a committee to draft the
Declaration. Richard Henry Lee,
Is the original mover Of the res
for declaring the Colo
lies independent, would have
zen named as chairman OF
he committee, but, unfortunately for
himself, he received intelligence Of
iekness in his family, which made it
iecessary for him to be absent before
hat Committee was appointed, JEFF
erson had the reputation of being a
writer, and succeeded to the
lace of honor. The elder Adams, 10
is autobiography, says that be saw
nd read the original draft Of the dec
aration, and he speaks in terms Of
apturous admiration Of it: Il was
elighted with its high tone, and the
ights ofOrstory with whiehit abound
], especially that concerning negro
avery.u etc. He further says of the
ommittee, intimatiug that Jefer-
ms paper had not been read by all
le members. "We were sllin haste
ongress was impatient, and the in
rument was reported, as ] believe,
JehersOn's handwriting"
On the 18th OF June, the Committee
the original declaration,
hich was read for the first lime in
Ongress. On the LIST Of july, this de-
arstion was again read and discussed !
Committee Of the Whole. lIt was :
Irried in the Committee by vote Of !
le States; Pennsylvania and South !
voting against il. John Adj
says, that in the discussion July
I, Dickinson Of Pennsylvania, OPP
,sed the declaration, 5g"in a speech
great length He
the debate not only with .
eat ingenuity and eloquence, but e
iEh equal poiteness and candcr, and :
as answered In the same spirit" re
Dickinson, q brother OF General .
hilemOn Dickinson, of New Jersey, !