Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-11-30
Important Letter.

! The following letter written Oy
Hon. j. NJ. H. Beale and published
in the New York Herald, is of m
terest to the Lutheran Church and
of paramount Importance to this
community.
The opinion has long prevailed
with the casual readec and the in.
correct historian thIt the patriots
of Mecklenburg, North Carolina,
'opened the ball Of the Revolutlon.'
The learned divine has assumed
this current belief to b. a fact, and
thus committed historical 5lund-
er. But to the records of the facts;
The Rev. Peter Muhlenburg, a
Lutheran clergyman, from Trappe,
Pennsylvania, removed, in the year
1772, to Woodstock, Dunmore
county, Virginia, and became the
pastor of the church in that village.
He was descended from German
parentage, and, although born IN
Pennsylvania, was elected in Halle,
in Germany. He soon won the
con hdence of his flock ard the af-
lection of the whole German G
family which had settled between
the Blue Ridge. an the Allegheny,
in the now colnues of Page, Shen.
doah and Rock ngbam.
In the early part OF he year 1774
the colonies began to murmus a.
British encrOachments upon col.
onial right, and discomfort reached
Its acme when the news Of The pas
sige of tue Boston port bill was
conveyed throughout the land
W bile there may have been a con
certed movement OF resistance
throughout the State, D1nnOre
county was the fist to step forward
an boldly proclaim its opinions in
reference to great questions then
agitatIng the country. This coun-
ty gives itself a distinct OrgaDiZa'
ton, as contradlStiuguised from its
colonial, and Invested power in a
COMMITTEE of safety the preO g.
atives of which were to erect op,
position to the royal power in case
Of necessity.
The meeting which took these
initial revolutionary st, pj was held
at Woodstock, on the 10th of June
l774, one year before the ceiebrat
ed Mecklenburg meeting, which Oc
Cured in Jane, 1775. The Rev.
Peter Muhlenburg was chosen the
moderator of the meeting, and
after yards, as chairman of the COM
mittee on resolutions, reported a
number of spirited and appropriate
resolutions, the tone of which was
6older than public opinion was
then prepared to sanction. The
following are pIrt OF the noble
sentiments then pat forth by those
patriotic lovers of liberty.
That We will pay due submis
sion to such acts of govern Dent as
his NJ ,jesty has a right by law tc
exercise over his subjects. aud tC
such only.
That it is tue inherent right oi
British subjects to be governed
and taxed by representatives chosen
by themselves only, and that every
act OF the British Parliament re.
spectlng the internal policy OF
America is a dangerous aud un'
constitutional invasion Of our rights
and privileges.
THAT the enforcing the execu
ton of tue said act of Parliament
by a military power will have a
nee .ssary tendency to cause a civil
war, thereby dIssolvlng that union
which has so long happily subSisted
between the mother country and
her colonies; aud shat we will most
heartily and UNANIMOUSLY concur
with our Sufft ftrlng brethren Of BOs
ton, and every other part of NORTH
America, who are the immediate
victims OF tyranny, in promoting
all proper measures to avert such
dreadful calamities, to procure
redress of our grievances, and to
secure our common liberties.'
The other resolutions were com
mon az that period, dcpreclatine
importation or expectation will
Great Britain, and the East India
Company, who are called the SER
viIs tools OF Arbitrary power' Tht
proceedings close by 'pledglnt
themselves tu each other, and t
our country, that VIC will inviola
bly, adhere to the votes OF Thu
day. The Committee of Safety ant
Correspondence appointed for The
county consisted of Rev. Peter
Mnhlenburg, chairman; Francl'
slaughter, Abraham Bird, TaveEe
Beale, father OF the undersigned,
John TiDton. and Abrahm Bow