The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-07-13

| redressed; and 1t quieted nobody's fears
about being transported to England for
trial.
| The unbiased reader Is inclined to be-
lieve that Great Britain would have found
1t next to impossible to conciliate her
colonies at this time, by any proposition
| which did not concede the fullest
measure OF local elf-government.
The thought OF being ruled by masters
beyond seas had grown hateful, and
while vast differences Of opinion existed
as to ways and means, policy and man.
agement the people were substantially
united in their determination to make
their own laws and administer their own
affairs.
Professor Charming, who processes and
| writes history at Harvard university,
states that Jefferson succeeded Washing
ton in the Virginia delegation to con
| gress. This is one of the learned pro-
| fessor's numerous errors In that Stud
| ent's' history Of his. At the time that
| the Richmond convention elected Mr. JEFF
| ferson to congress Washington had not
been appointed commander in chief, and
| the Virginians could not possibly nave
| foreseen that there would be such a
vacancy in their delegation. What they
did foresee was that Peyton Randolph
might be called homo from congress to
preside over the Virginia Legislature, and
| Thomas Jefferson was elected to take
| Randolphs place In congress, should that
vacancy occur. Randolph was called
| home, jefferson went forward to take his
| place in congress.
| Mr. Jeffersons reputation at the Time
he entered the congress In ITO was al
| nod colonies,
By those who had kept posted on pass
ing events he was known as a ripe
scholar. an advanced thinker, an ag-
gressive patriot, and forcefui. ready
writer of political papers.
On the day that jefferson took his seat
In congress the news of Bunker fllll
came ringing through the land, thrilling
every patriot soul Five days afterwards
he was placed upon the committee whlch
had in hand the preparation OF an ao-
dress setting forth the American side Oh
the controversy with their king. the
reasons why the colonies were In arms
John Rutledge OF South Carolina mad
drawn up statement which the com
| Inittee did not like,
Mr.. jefferson was now asked to try
his pen Ready as ever, the flowing
sentences Allied page after page and the
| address
mittee was not pleased: the language or
Mr.. jefferson was too strong. Mr.. DICK
inson, Of pennsylvania, was the chle1
Director and 1t was now his turn TO at
| tempt to set forth the reason why MS
majesty's faithful subjects were shoot
ing his majestys soldiers. and blocka0-
ing his ma estys forces In Boston.
His mild, prudent paper was adopted:
Mr.. jefferson, however. drew up the
reply which congress made to Aoro
! Norths conciliatory proposition.
1t was In the committee room that Mr.
Jefferson was the most effective. Here
he felt no embarrassment, and was at
his best His Information was so great
his thoughts SO bold and clear, his read
mess to take hold of the laboring oar
so fraI.k and earnest that he made q
fine impression uron all of his col
leagues.
His temper was conciliatory. He
steered clear of personal feuds. HIS soIt
| answers turned away wrath. HIS read
mess to submit 10 correction disarmed
malice He made parade of his learn
ing He did not sulk in his tent be-
cause his own papers were cast aside
and his own plans condemned. Even
John Adams loved him. And between
Jefferson and Samuel Adams, true dem
ocrats both the relations were so cor
dial based upon such harmony of con
vlction that I, re never was rupture
In Ma, 1f75. George Washington, on
his way to congress- met the Rev. Jona-
than Boucher IN the middle Of the Po-
tomac. While their boats paused, the
Clergyman warned his friend that the
path on which he was entering might
lead to "a separation from England"
Washngtons answer to the preacher
was IN temper and substance: Us thy
servant a dog that he should do this
| thing?"
John Jay Is quoted az having solemnly
declared that prior 10 that second petit
ton of the congress Of 1918 he had never
heard of anybody mentioning such
word as Independence, contemplating
such a thing as separation from Great
| Britain.
Yet the truth is that in 1775 there was,
and had long been. a party in the colo
MES which was aweary of British inso-
lence. British greed and British encroach-
ments.
Southern planters we're tired of being
robbed by English tariffs and English
factors Northern merchants were tired
of navigation acts wNich drove all their
goods, ships and profits to London and
Liverpool. The manner in which Great
Britain had interfered to destroy the
local currency of Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts was resented: the AFRO
giant tone OF superiority in which tory
leaders in parliament had spoken Of the
colonies individually and collectively was
resented: the plain purpose which Eng
! land showed OIL reducing the %AilriItdilH
to submission and taxing them at will
was resented And when she struck at
Rhode Island with high commissions
backed by adnirals and generals. when
she threatened to take away trial by
jury and deport prisoners to England;
when she threw the penalty of death
around brass buttons. tar buckets rope
ends and water barrels belonging to her
men Of war she aroused bitter enmity
in the breast OF every American whg
who could read or think or feel
When she garrisoned Boston with red
coats, when she struck at the Massa chu
setts charter, when she stretched the
boundary lire Of Canada hundreds of
miles southwark. when she closed the
Boston port and began to wreak ven
to punish ore culprit, every colony was
alarmed ind gnant, resentful. swept into
the current IF common cause.
All this was prior to May 1775.
No talk o. independence until after
that second petition Of the second con-
gress? Nobody dreaming OF separation
them
Had not TIE Boston Gazette been adj
vocating separation FOR several years?
Had not Samuel Adams been talking It
all over the town?
On October II. IT'S, this bold democrat
discussed In The Gazette the plan of IAN
Independent state" American com
monwealth" as suggestion that had
often been made.
He did not even claim that he was
the originator Of the idea. He spoke Of 1t
as common property. something which
had been often mentioned and frequently
discussed
The Reverend John Wesley declared