River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-06-30

Thomas Jefferson was criticized at the time
for lack of originality in the declaration. no
document gained all the greater force from l'S
statement of self-evident truths Never was
there more mastery presentation OF vi, u
grievances than is contained in the Declara.ion'
which ssuhmits the facts to a candid world.
Arraigning the British king for acts OF TYR
anny it sets forth that he refused MS ASSEM-
to laws the most wholesome and necessary loi
the public good" meaning that George ILL., mao
prevented the issue Of colonial currency anu
had refused representation to his American SUD-
jects.
IT was desired on the part of the New YORK
assembly to enter into treaty with the SIX
Nations but the governor prevented the nego-
tiation of the treaty until he could obtain the
consent of the king.
that such an act would lead to independence
Hence the expression, HE has forbidden his
governors to pass laws of immediate and press
ing Importance"
Grievances of the Massachusetts colony,
which was deprived of representation and sur
fered interference in popular elections because
of it's wish to trade with Nova Scotia, suggest
ed the paragraph:
"He has refused to pass other laws for the
accommodation of large districts of people I'M
less those people should relinqush the right Of
representation in the legislature, right ines
Unable to them and formidable to tyrants
only"
To further humble the Massachusetts colony
and to punish the participants in the tea party
of 1773 the assembly was called in Salem, and
not in Boston Hence the words of the docu-
ment "He has called together legislative bodies
at places unusual uncomfortable and distant
from the depository of their public records"
Massachusetts colony and others had adopt
ed resolutions in their assemblies that there
should be no taxation without the consent Of
Mo h1V
was asked to rescind its resolution in 1853 and
on it's refusal to do so dissolved. The as
semblies of Virginia and North Carolina met
the same fate. This state Of affairs is summed
up in the Declaration in the words, "He has dis
solved representative houses repeatedly for op-
posing with much firmness his invasion on the
rights OF the people"
The Declaration protests against the judges
being dependent on the will Of the king for
their salaries, and, indeed, in some Of the col
onies many of the judges had been impeached
for declaring that they would receive their sal
aries from the royal treasury.
Graphically the authors of the document tell
how the erection Of multitude Of new offices
had impoverished the country, referring to the
collectors appointed to carry out the provisions
of the stamp act. The quartering Of troops In
times of peace a substantial grievance COM
planned of, for the king insisted on retaining
British regiments here after the French and
Indian war at the expense of the colonists, o.
tensibly for defense but in reality to suppress
growing democracy
The words, "He has affected to render the
military Independent of and superior to the civil
power" refer to the position taken by General
Gage, who, with several regiments of British
troops, was in Boston. By. order of the king
he had been made superior to the civil govern
ment
Here and there through the colonies Ameri-
had alterations wit
ish soldiers, who were subsequently put trial
and acquitted. The Declaration accuses the
king of quartering large bodies Of armed troops
and of protecting them by mock trial from
punishment for any murders which they may
commit"
Such were the principles enunciated in the
Declaration, and how well they were sustained
by the arbitrament of war the world knows
The nation began celebrating the glorious
Fourth from the very beginning. Salutes of Is
cannon were fired by the army in 1777, and the
new republic was pledged in wine.
West Point saw significant celebration in
1879, when General Washington issued par
don for all prisoners in the army under sen.
tence of death. The last celebration of the
army Of the Revolution as such took place on
both shores Of the Hudson river and a grand
salute was fired.
More of the nature of a festival dominated
the Fourth after 1888, for then came parades,
free dinners, toasts, the reading of the Declare
ton in public by citizens and more and more
the participation of the younger generation.
Dignity and solemnity marked these early cele-
brations and eloquent speeches were made
The Fourth is a statutory holiday In every
state and its fame has gone beyond the seas.