The Green Forest tribune., 1910-07-01

ways since the beginning of the colonies Thomas Jefferson was criticized at the tllne LII for lack of originality in the declaration. in document gained all the greater force from US statement of self-evident truths Never was there more masterly presentation Of plll ol grievances than is contained in the Declaratioh' which submits the facts to candid Worla.
 Arraigning the British king for acts of tyr annv it sets forth that he refused ms asseh' to laws the most wholesome and necessary TOT the public good, meaning that Geofge Ill iiau prevented the issue of colonial currency ana bod refused representation to his American sub jects.
 It was desired on the part of the New 1ork assembly to enter into a treaty with the SIX Nations but the governor prevented the nego- tiation of the treaty until he could obtain the consent of the king.
 He did not proceed further because he feared 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 sui 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 un- less those people should relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, right ines timable 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 taxation without the consent of the governed. The Massachusetts assembly was asked to rescind it's resolution in 176S and on it's refusal to do 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 the will of the king for their salaries and, indeed, in 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 was substantial grievance con- plained of, for the king insisted on retaining British regiments here after the French and Indian war at the expense of the coonists, os tensibly for defense but in reality to suppress a 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 Amer cans had been killed in alterations with Brit ish soldiers, who were subsequently put on 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 we'll they were sustained by the arbitrament of war the world knows The nation began celebrating the glorious Fourth from the very beginning. Salutes of 13 cannon were fired by the army in 1777 and the new republic was pledged in wine
 West Point saw significant celebration in 1779, when General Washington issued mar don for all prisoners in the army under sen tence of death. The last celebration of the army of the Revolution such took place on both shores of the Hudson river and grand salute was fired
 More or the nature of a festival dominated the Fourth after 17S3, for then came parades free dinners, toasts, the reading of the Decara 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 statutory holiday in every state and its fame has gone beyond the seas