Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-07-02

Day-Thc Massacre of Wyoming Val
ley The Amnesty Proclamation of
1s0s.-Trcaties Signed
Not alone as the anniversary of
the Declaration of Independence is
the Fourth of duly entitled to the
attention of patriotic citizens.
Other events of national import
ance are indissolubly connected
with the day, so that, partly by in
tent and partly by pure accident, the
Fourth of July, aside from its pres
tige as the Nations birthday, has
become one of the most distinguished
days in the chronology of our coun-
try.
The first tariff bill that the United
States ever had was signed by Presi-
dent George Washington on the
Fourth of July, 1889 This measure,
which was the first important legis-
lation of tho Congress of the new
Nation, was regarded as eminently
D ltriotic, and that consideration had
much to do with the selection of the
anniversary of the Declaration of In
dependence as the day for the OH
cial promulgation.
At that time the National Con-
gress was sitting in session in New
York city, and carly in April James
Madison, Jr., of Virginia, member
of the house of representatives, made
the proposition TO meet the pressing
financial necessities of the country
by system of impost and tonnage
duties. The subject engaged the
attention of the house until late into
May, when the bill was passed that
with slight amendments was subse-
quently concurred in by the senate
and signed by the president, So
our tariff system as well as our in
dependence began on the Fourth of
July.
Mr. Madison the father of the
measure, condensed in % lines, with
eight or nine words each, the essen
tial principles that governed impost
and tonnage legislation for many
years to come. Specific duties the
rule, ad valorem duties the eXcep-
ton, revenue the object, moderate
duties, the burden of taxation upon
uXuries-these were the character
istics of the measure as proposed
and as finally adopted. The ad val
orem duties ran from to 10 per
cent, the latter figure being fixed foI
pleasure carriages. Specific duties
were also very moderate. The law
was limited TO expire in June, 1896
THE WYOMING MAssACREs.
Thomas Campbell has celebrated
in " Gertrude of Wyoming " one OF
the most tragic and most pitiful
events in our country's early his
tory. The poem, as all know, is in
Chambell's most charming style
The poet sings;
Delightful Wyoming Beneath thy skies
The happy shepherd swains have naught
to do
But feed their flocls on green declivitles
Or skim perohance thy lake with light
canoe
From morn till evenings sweeter pastim,
grew,
With timbrel when beneath the forest
Thy Ioveis maidens would the dance re
And aye, those sunny:mountains half wa.
down
Would echo flageolet from some romanti,
clown
The Wyoming Valley on the Sus
quehanna river was rs beautiful 4
spot 100 or more years ago as it il
now. Possession of the territory
was in dispute between Connection
and Pennsylvania, and strife be
tween contending claimants wa;
frequent. The Tories We're turne(
out, and then under the command
of Colonel John Butler, they allieG
themselves to the neighboring In
dians and returned with a force o
1, 100 men, 800 of whom We're saw
ages. Colonel ZebulOn Butler com
manded the settlers, but he and hi
little army We're enticed out of thei
fort on the plea of parley and, hav
ing been led into ambuscade, wer
slaughtered almost to a man. Tn
fort was then attacked and forces
to surrender, and many of its defen
ders were massacred. IL is salt
that Queen Esther, a half-bre In
dian woman. tomahawked with he
own hand IA persons to satisfy he
revenge for the killing of a favorit
son. And when this dread Fourt
of July ended it looked upon de
wasted valley, ruined homes an
mutilated corpses, while a httl
band of SURVIVORS, or 80 me