Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-02-22
WHERE He WAS bora
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

aHHF a-a4N8 4tH
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
A BIT of History hat Is Just Now APP
propriate.
In Philadelphia, in Chestnut street, stands
the famous building now known as ~1ndepen-
denee hall, which used to be called tho state
house. This edifiee is one Of the shrines of
American patriotism for it was in one of its
low rooted, quaint old rooms that the Declar-
alton OF Independence, which made Of the
United States u nation, was debated and de-
cided.
In the month Of May, 1775, the second
Continental congress, which had the author
ity of a general government over the colo.
MES, met in Philadelphia, Lexington and
Concord had been fought the previous April.
In June congress chose as conmander-in-
chief of the American army George Wash
ington, who was present as a delegate from
Virginia. Setting out for Boston in the lat
ter part of that month, he heard of the battle
of Bunker Hill on his way.
Thus there was war. But though the colo
mics were in arms. they were SO rot for sepa-
ration from the British government, but for
their rights under that government. To q
large portion of tho American people the
idea or a final separation from England was
at this timo distasteful. Even after months
of fighting they chung to the hope of q
friendly settlement of differences. Franklin
was an ardent advocate of reconciliation,
andso was Washington, who at a later period
wrote: when l took command of the army
] abhorred the idea of independence
In revolutions things move rapidly, and all
3i,;.,A 4n,.. fan1;,,or 40 11,,aI4,yQ 1y,, eon, - In
swept away. When the Americans saw their
respectful petitions tothe British government
treated with disdain, and fleets and armies
sent to compel them to submit to unjust laws,
their eyes were opened to tho fact that sub
mission was slavery. Washington, who, in
July, t775, had ''abhorred Independence
wrote less than q year afterwards, "Recon-
e~iliation with Great Britain is now impossi-
bic, and | am fully convinced that nothing
but independence will save u.s."
or course this feeling among the people
soon found voice in congress. On the eth of
June Richard Henry Lee, ore OF tho dele
gates from Virginia, offered n resolution
ssthat these united colonies arc, and of right
ought 10 be,ifree II independent states
This resolution was at once seconded by John
Adams, of Observation-Disclosures old John
Adams as he was afterward called.
When, however, a vote. was taken 1t was
seen that congress was not yet prepared for a
measure SO decisive. Seven of the thirteen
colonies voted for the resolution and six voted
against it. AS greater unanimity than this
was necessary, it was agreed that the matter
should stand over for two or three weeks.
In the meanwhile it was thought tho Yeo-
pie of tho colonies would show whether they
were ready for independence or not. And
show it very clearly they did. Before the
end of that month the people Of every colony
but one had either held meetings and voted
that they wished for independence or else
had instructed their delegates to vote for it
During this time of delay congress had APP
pointed a committee to draw up a declara-
ton Of Independence, for it was thought
very important that Lees resolution should
be prefaced by q preamble setting
forth the reasons that lei congress
to adopt the measure. The commit
tee consisted OF Thomas Jefferson of
Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts,,
Benjamin Franklin OF Pennsylvania, Roger
Sherman of Connecticut, and Robert r. Liv-
ingston of New York. Jefferson, though
comparatively young--then s. years of age
was known as a very able man, and as John
Adams tells us, ''had Interpolation of q mas
terly penn Accordingly he was requested by
the committee, after discussing the topics, to
make a draft of a declaration of independ-
ence, In few days jefferson was able to
lay before the committee a document which
proved that he had indeed a mastery pen"
This was the immortal Declaration Of hide
pendence, the most famous political paper
ever written With the exception OF two or
three verbal changes suggested by Franklin
and Adams (which may be seen IN their hand
writing on the original docnmentl the Declar-
alton was adopted by tho committee just as
Jefferson had written it, II on the 2Sth OF
june IL was presented to congress
On the Cd of July the resolution to declare
the colonies Independent, which had been in
troduced tY Richard Henry Lee, the life
long frienil of Washington, was adopted by
congress
The disc assion was long and animated,
some being tinlid or opposed, and the debate
continued until July 4, when news came that
q large British force under Gen. Howe had
arrived at the entrance of New York harbor,
which turned the scale and ut . O'Clock on
that afternoon tho final vote was taken with
the result OF. the unanimous voice of thirteen
states. BY this solemn net the English col
onies had ceased to exist, and q new nation
was bern.
Tie Declaration was signed on the day Of
Its adoption by every member present who
voted for it. Joha Hancock, whose name
HEADED al the others, said. 1--WE must be
L.anirnous; there must be no pulling differ
ant ways; we must NIL hang together
YES, y said Franklin, "we must all hang
tog7theI' or we shall all hangseparately.n
On tho 9th of July, 1910, the Declaration
Of Independence was read to the army. Most
re tba V,,rino had fad from, Na,u yorly