New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-04
INDEPENDENTS DAY

INDEPENDENCE DAY.
1t will hardly repress the fervOr with which
patriotic citizens recite the Declaration of In
dependence to their children this morning, and
it may enliven their interest in the solenlnities
OF the season. if they remind themselves that
" the day we celebrate" is the wrong day
after all. 1t may well be held that our indie
pendcnce as Nation dates from the 9Th of
May, 1776, when the Continental Congress
voted to recommend all the Colonies to adopt
new forms of government, as this was the first
formal act of the general Legislature looking
toward q complete separation-an act which
was characterized by John Adams as "lnde-
pcndence ITSELF" 1t was not until the 9TH of
june however, that Richard Henry Lee, of
Virginia, offered the startling resolution that
"These United Colonies are and of right
ought to be free ard independent Statesr
This was declaration at once of freedom and
National unity, and the action upon it
tested the temper both of Congress and
the people, and forced the Colonies through
their representatives, to take stand
at once before the world on this cru
clal question. We can well understand
Why Congress was unprepared for immediate
action on such n capital issue. When patriots
like Governor Livingston, Henry Laurens
Robert Morris, Rutledge, John Dickinson, and
even franklin, were apprchensive lest the step
should be premature, it is not surprising that a
bare majority OF seven out of the thirteen colo
MES could be counted in its favor and that
final action should have been postponed until
the LIST of July. On that day tie great de-
bate was carried on in secret session for nine
consecutive hours, according to jefferson.
without refreshment and without pause.r and
on the I'd of July all the colonies except New
York, whose delegates with single execution
favored the resolution voted in the Affirmative
and the colonies by the solemn act of their
representatives became an independent Nation.
1t was the I'd of July to which John Adams
referred in that famous prophecy SO often
quoted to justify unlimited firecrackcrs, and
which he designated as the great National fes-
tval to be celebrated with pomp and gun
powder in all future time from one end of
the Continent to the other"
What happened on the 4th of July was
simply the report of the committee appointed
to draft " Declaration as q supplement to
the resolution of independence The resolu-
ton was the vital and essential point. The
Declaration, even according to Jefferson, was
only TO place before mankind the common
sense of the subject" 1t was virtually an an
peal to the tribunal of the world to Justify the
great transaction of the I'd, but the sonorous
periods of the paper have made it immortal.
and so thoroughly engrOsscd popular attention
and captivated popular imagination that the
proclamation has effaced the memory of the
specific act which it publishes. But al
though the Declaration was reported on the
18th, it was not signed on thar dav.
as the journal of Congress would seem to shoy
nor is 1t known who signed the original docu-
ment, for this has been lost or was perhans
purposely destroyed. The revcrcd parchment
still In existence was not engrosSed until
nearly month later and on the I'd of
August the members present subscribed their
names Several OF these who are imnortalized
among the " signers" were not in CONGRESS op
the 18th of Jaly. Matthew Thornton did net
sign the Declaration until November. and If
was not until the following January that
Thomas Mexican, of Delaware, added his
name. 1t was plainly used us a sort of fest
oath to certify the allegiance of new Rcprc-
sentatives, and the business of signing might
have been prolonged indefinitely if ccrtilied
copies of the paper with its signatures had
not been sent to the various State Capitals
anu thus hXed 1t as complete document
That the ceremony was not considered a matter
of paramount Importance may be inferred from
the fact that the name of Robert r. Livingston
one of the Committee of Five to draft the |
paper, does not appear, and it should be added |
that one at least of the signers was opposed |
to the resolution of Independence
Nevertheless the 1th and not the ond |
was soon celebrated as the National birthday. |
Washington himself and the Continental Army |
setting the fashion while the war went on. II |
Is a pleasing proof of the pious care with |
which we tread in the footsteps of orr patri- |
OtiV SircS to know that the earliest clori6co
tons assumed the very form which prevails |
to-day. 1t is set down in the diary of Mar |
shall, that trustworthy Philadelphia Quaker.
as long ago us 1880, that there was MARCHING |
of soldiers and burning of powder and fire |
works, and that Gin the State House CONGRESS- |
and the President celebrated all day till even. |
ing, when numbers of them were so DRINK ne
to reel home"