The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-08-04
FIRST DEFIED ENGLAND
An Interesting Historic Document
Shows Norfolk Virginia Citizens
Were Ahead of Philadelphia

NORFOLK, Va. = The coming
jamestown Exposition brings to
mind many historic facts long since
forgotten.
While Ioath to leave the British
Empire the patriots of Norfolk, Va,
were the first to resent the aggres-
sion of the British Stamp Act which
led to the American Revolution I'm
der the name of The Sons of Liber-
ty" they assembled in Norfolk on
March 18th, and in bold and deter
mined phrases announced their in
tention of resisting any further ag-
gression on the part of the English
Parliament. This was two months be-
fore the PRONUNCIATION of the cele-
brated Mecklenburg Declaration of
Independence and nearly FIVE before
the thirteen colonies assembled in
Philadelphia to forever cast off the
authority of the. British Crown and
start the country on a career of pros
perity and splendor which will be
celebrated at the Jamestown Exposi-
ton to be held at Hampton Roads
near Norfolk in 1907.
The Norfolk people did not de-
clare their independence but express
ly affirmed their wish to be subjects
Of King George III. They merely
stated their determination that they
should not be taxed without repre-
sentation
The resolutions read as follows ::
Having taken into consideration the
evident tendency of that oppressive
and unconstitutional Act of Parlia-
ment commonly called the Stamp
Act, and being DESTROYS that our SEN
timents should be known to poster
lty and recollectlng that we are
part Of the colony who first in Gen
eral Assembly, openly expressed their
detestation TO the said Act (Which is
pregnant with ruin and productive of
the most pernIcIouS consequences and
unwilling to rivet the shackles of
slavery and oppression on ourselves
and millions yet unborn,) have unani-
mously come to the following re-
solutions
'First-That we acknowledge our
Lord and Sovereign, King George
the Third, to be our rightful and law
full king and that we will. at all times,
to the utmost OF our power and abil-
lty support and defend his most sa-
cred Person, Crown and Dignity
and shall always be ready, when con-
stitutionally called upon, to assist his
Majesty with our lives and fortunes,
and to defend his just Rights and
Prerogatives
Second Resolved, That we will
by all lawful Rays and Means which
Divine Precedence has put into our
hands, defend ourselves in the full
enjoyment of, and preserve inviolate
to posterity, those inestinable pri-
vileges Of all freeborn British Sub
jects, of BEING taxed only by repre-
sentatiyes of their own choosing; and
of being tried by none but jury of
their peers. And that if we quietly
submit to the execution of the said
Stamp Act all our claims to Civil
subjects in America are deprived OF
the Invaluable Privileges aforemen-
toned
Third Resolved, That commit
tee be appointed who shall in such
manner as they think proper, go upon
necessary Business and make public
the above resolutions, and that they
correspond as they shall see occasion
with the Associated Sons of and
Friends to, Liberty in the other col
onies Of America
AS a result of the adoption of the
resolutions Lord Dunmore, the Brit
ish Colonial Governor, made de-
monstration before Norfolk and sew
eral shots were fired into the city
from the frigate liverpool" AS
result of this and other outrages
the Norfolk people were ready to
throw off all authority and join with
the other colonies when the Phila-
delphia Declaration of independence
was promulgated