Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-02
A Cherished Sheepskin.

TN the State, War and Navy Depart
! ment building, one of the finest public
buildings in Washington. there is cher
ished piece of sheepskin. For many years
this treasure, which is now 1874 years
old, was kept in a glass case for every
one to see. Now that it may be pre-
served for years to come it is kept in a
vault, where it is protected from the
light. And why. with so many thousands
of sheep grazing on our great plains
every year, should this favored piece of
skin be so highly valued? 1t is a true
story, but very wonderful.
About 14O years ago this great land
which we now love as the United States
was inhabited by white men only along
the Atlantic coast. People from Europe
were then living here in little colonies,
but all were governed by England, a
country across the sea. In England every
body paid taxes to George III. who was
then king. He also demanded that the
people here in the humble homes should
pay taxes to England on such articles
as tea, molasses and sugar. To make
matters worse the colonists were not al
lowed to send men to England to help
make the laws which they were forced
to obey. The colonists loved their mother
country, England, but they also loved
freedom. Seeking liberty was the thing
which caused so many of the brave colo
nists to face the new land of America with
its wild beasts, forests and Indians.
Matters grew worse and worse with the
people, who began to call themselves
Americans. Every year new laws were
made which were more and more dis
pleasing to the colonists. Every year
more and more relocated soldiers were
sent to subdue the rioting colonists. The
people in America petitioned for their
was time to fight. At first the early
Americans had no thought of independ-
ence, but wished only to enjoy the nber-
ties of Englishmen living in the mother
country. During the war the Americans
of the north and south became more and
more united every day. Delegates from
all of the colonies met at a continental
Congress in Philadelphia in the early
summer of 1916. A feeling of strength
ran through the assembly The mem
bers realized that the people of America
were one people and should be free to
govern themselves A bold stroke should
be made. They would declare them
selves free and Independent.
Now at this convention there were such
men as jolly Benjamin Franklin of Phila-
delphia and the tall, scholarly Thomas
Jefferson from Virginia. 1t was agreed
that Jefferson should do most of the
writing or a document which would an
nounce to the world that the people of
the new land were free. In those days
homemade quill pens were used. Paper
was of such poor quality that all i'm
portant writings were put on sheepskin.
Such wonderful Declaration of Inde-
pendence as those colonists did write on
sheepskin!
AS soon as 1t was adopted by the Con-
gress in Philadelphia the Fourth of July.
17I6, a new nation sprang into existence.
Every man fought with redoubled
strength to gain that liberty which should
make this United States the land of the
free and the home of the brave. Foreign
countries recognized the writing on the
sheepskin. SO began aiding the newborn
nation. Some Europeans loaned money
to the colonists, others sent men who
gave wise council, while from many lands
came brave soldiers who helped the strug-
CLING continental army win their fight
for Freedom