Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-11

lul q nation. But wheels Franeeg where
Is Spaing where is Eollandg-the natural
enemies m OF Great Britdin-where will they
~ y, tlls while? Do you suppose they will
sasnr. ~ ~ . .h and Indifferent spec
VI. be asleep All This " time eS ~
Believe me, no. When Lssu,s wv shall Re
satisfied by our Declaration Of Todenend0
ence' that all prospect Of reeoncilistton Is
gone, then, and not till then, wiz he furnish
us with arms, ammunition and clothing: and
not with those only; but he will send us fleets
and armies to fight our battles for US. He will
form with us,s treaty offensive and defensive
against our unnatural mother. Spain and
Holland will join the confederation; our in
dependence will be established, and we shall
take cur stand among the nations Of the
earth" Prophetic words, indeed
When the time came to put the idea Of
independence into actual life and being,
Virgins, as she did then in everything else,
took the initiative. On May II, 1776, she
boldly Instructed her delegates In the Con
tinental Congress not to cooperate with
others, nor even to vote for others plans,
but to propose IN Congress an immediate
declaration Of Independence" And that this
was no step TO be retraced, she at once es
tsblished for herself a regular independent
State government, with a written copstifu-
tion-the first in the history of the republic.
This instruction to her delegates was
obeyed on June 9TH, 1776. when Richard
Harry Lee, her most honored son, after the
death Of Peyton Randolph, proposed this
resolution: "Thst these united colonies are,
and Of right ought to be, free and indie
pendent States, and that all political con-
nection between US and the State of Great
Britain Is, and ought to be, totally dis
solved" John Adams Immediately sec
ended 1t, and the names OF mover and
second were suppressed from the journals
to shelter them from royal anger, The
resolution was deferred for discussion till
next day June 81, then for three DAYS more,
when Dune III committee was appointed
to draft declaration, and report on the 1st
OF July, when the resolution and declara-
ton would both be discussed. Mr.. Lee
was, OF course, to be chairman of this com
mittee, but the sickness Of his wife hurried
him home to Virginia, and Mr.. jefferson
was made chairman in his plsce-the others
being Adams, Franklin, Sherman and Liv-
ingston. The paper was written by Jeffer-
son at his lodgings, southwest corner of
Seventh and High streets, Philadelphia, and
was amended in a few particulars bV
Adams and franklin, and submitted to
Congress July 1st.
Mr.. Adams says that at the first meeting
of the committee Mr.. jefferson and himself
were appointed the subcommittee, and Mr..
draft. This l declined aud for several
reasons: l. That he was Virglnian and l
a Massachusetts uian. 9. That he was a
Southern man and | a Northern one. 3.
That had been SO obnoxious in my early
and constant zeal in this behalf, that any
draft Of mine would undergo more severe
scrutiny and criticism in Congress than one
OF his composition. 4. And lastly, and that
would be reason enough, If there were no
other. had great opinion of the ee-
gance OF his pen, and none at all of my own.
/ therefore insisted that no hesitation should
be made on his part. He accordingly took
the minutes, and in day or two produced
to me his draft.
The draft of Jefferson was laid before
Congress on July LIST, and discussed for
three days. 1t is well to know that Mr..
Lees original resolution was pass
ed on July %, and that is the
day that should be kept IN
honor Of independence, for on that day
the United Colonies 50eTe declared free and ig
dependent States. The form and phraseology
only Of the State paper called the Declaration
Of independence was made on the 4th of july
This vote, on July 2 !, as said above passed
the resolution, but Pennsylvania aud Della
ware on that vote were recorded in the
negative, or rather, Delaware's vote was d.
vided. 1t was important to get all the Colo
MES unanimous On the final vote, and so an
express was dispatched for Caesar Rodney,
the third delegate, to his home, eighty miles
distant, and he used such diligence that he
reached Philadelphia on the morning Of the
4th. Two OF the Pennsylvania delegates
were absent, and SO at 3 p. m. July Ash, a
unanimous vote OF all the Colonies present
was cast for the Declaration It was then
signed by John Hancock, President, and
without other signatures 1t thus went forth
to the world.
We have all heard the story of the State
House bell, cast In 1852, with the significant
words from Holy Writ engraved upon 1t,
proclaim liberty throughout all the land,
unto all the Inhabitants thereof. ~ Levitt
Gus XIV, 10 1t was not many minutes,
we may be sure, before the startling news
Of the declaration was pealed forth from
this bell, and electrified the eager citizens;
and In the next few hours and days the glad
tidings was proclaimed by courier to all
parts OF the country Washington received
1t at headquarters In New York, and to cheer
and inspire his troops he ordered it read at
q O'Clock p. M, July 9, at the head of every
brigade In his army. This same liberty bell
announced seven years later the end OF the
long struggle that grew out of this dec
laratioD, and many an ear that had heard its
first notes of defiance In 1776 now heard
with Joy and triumph Its victor tones on the
cold air Of midnight October 90, 1881, when
they rang out with cladness and praise the
glorious news OF Yorktown! Patriotic and |
significant bell indeed. Would that it had
never rung even once in the "four sad years"
in praise Of bloody victories over brethren
The declaration was that day ordered to
be engrossed on parchment, but it was not
signed by the delegates themselves till Au-
gust 81, when fifty four names were ap-
pended, and two others (ffty-six In all, |
McKean, Of Pennsylvania, and Thornton, Of |
New Hampshire, did not sign TIL some
months afterward.
Why should Southerners look with cold |
eyes on this great anniversary? Why should |
it cease to excite feelings OF pride and glory |
In our hearts? II there be any part of the |
country where its morning sun should seem |
brighter and more glorious, or where it's |
proud memories should be more gladly wei. |
cOmed surely it should be in this Southern |
land, whose love OF freedom and patriotic |
fervor first foresaw its necessity, whose |
statesmen matured its form and shape, |
whose Jefferson penned its immortal |
charter, and whose Washington carried |
its principles to a triumphant success |
through an eight years. almost hopeless |
struggle, and whose noble patriots bui up |
the glorious fabric of the constitutional |
State, which gave us liberty and glory for |
three quarters of a century.
Let us never, then, put away the record |
that tells US of Sou hern patriotism and |
Southern craftsmanship. part with our |
share in the grandest State paper that the |
love Of liberty ever evoked from human
pen. ClvIs.