Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-05-14
ueSiAing History.

To the average American citizen, the dis
cussion of claims of various localities to
pre-eminence in ante-revolutiouary histo-
ry is not of great account. But TO the peo-
pie Immediately interested, these debates
are almost vital. A man who does not run
his genealogical line of descent back to
some old county or town of the thirteen
colonies of America may be excused If he
is not consumed with zeal when the rival
claimants to historical conspicIousness
make themselves heard. But we should
think lightly of Westmoreland County
man who did not defend the right of that
division OF Pennsylvania to be considered
among the first TO declare for American In
dependence. We have entered upon the
centennial orthe events which preceded the
final severance Of the ties which united us
TO the mother country. The current liter.
ture Of the day will be filled with reminis-
cences, historic data, antiquarian research,
debate, and a multitude of doubtful mat
ters now rescued from oblivion, and once
more tested as TO their real value. Great
will be the rummaging among the dusty
archives OF our colonial history, and sew ere
the scrutiny which these records must un-
dergo. Was the first blood spilled in the
Revolution shed in q sea-fight OIL the coast
OF New England3 or at Westminster, VT,
where William French was killed by
liking George the Third his tory crew ?'
or at Alamance, n. c., where the Regula-
tors fought the British troops? or al Lex
inglon aud Concord, whose centennial has
i,,p I
tude of similar questions shall now he final
ly settled, discussion will not have been
Improbable, and those who celebrate in
1875 will he saved world of trouble.
The truth of history ought TO he vindi-
Gated, whatever may become of the local
pride of towns, counties, and individual
States. Since we are supposed to be in
doubt as to what the Pyramids were built
for, who wrote Shakespeare's plays, who
discovered AmericN, and who was the author
of the Declaration OF American Independ-
ence, we may as well do our share toward
settling things for the next generation.
The intention of certain communities TO
celebrate events which are said 10 connect
their localities with the overt acts of the
Revolution, rs sure TO bring out all the his
torical facts on both sides of any dispute
which may arise. The people of West
moreland, Penn, for example, propose to
commemorate, on the 10th of May, the al
legged declaration of Independence made in
that county May l6, l775. 10 be sure, we
can hardy call that n declaration OF indie
pendence which begins with formal aftir-
nation of "the most unsl AIKEN loyalty and
fidelity to his Majesty King George the
Third" Nor does the resolution that the
association shall he dissolved "when the
British Parliament shall have repealed
their late obnoxious statutes sound much
like an assertion of political independence.
But, considering the times in which these
utterances were made, the rigOr with which
contumacy was punished, and the imme-
diate antecedents of the protestants, the ac-
ton of the Westmoreland people was high
ly patriotic as well as courageous. Their
protest, it will be observed, was directed
against tho Parliament rather than the
King. Even earlier than this, several
counties Of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
New York, fired by the news from Lex
ingtOn, had made ardent declaration of
their intention 10 resist tyranny. The Free
holders Of Westchester County, n. Y,
April IL, l77j, before the Lexington and
Concord shot was heard, passed vote of
thanks 10 "the virtuous minority of the
General Assembly Of the Province of New
York" for their endeavors TO preserve the
rights and liberties, and to facilitate the un-
ion OF the colonies. The counties of Mon