The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-06-27

Carolina and Georgia, were decided for sep
aration; but that six others still hesitated, to
wit: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Delaware, Maryland and South Carolina. Con-
gress, desirous of unanimity and seeing that
the public mind was advancing rapidly to it,
referred the further discussion to the 1st OF
July, appointing in the meantime committee
TO prepare a Declaration of Independence
second to form Articles of Confederation OF
the States, and third to propose measures
for obtaining foreign aid.
ION the 2Sth of June, the Declaration OF In"
dependence was reported to the house, and was
laid on the table for the consideration OF the
members On the 1st day Of July they resolved
themselves into a committee of the whole, and
resumed the consideration Of the motion OF June
declaring independence). 1t was, debated
through the day, and at length was decided in the
affirmative by the vote of nine states, viz: New
Hampshire Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con-
necticut New Jersey Maryland. Virginia, North
Carolina and Georgia Pennsylvania and South
Carolina voted against 1t. Delaware, two mem
bers present, divided. The delegates from
New York declared they were for It, and their
constituents also but that the instructions
against it which had ben given them twelve
month before, were still unrepealed; that their
convention was to meet in few days, and they
asked leave to suspend their vote till they could
obtain repeal Of their instructions. Observe
that all this was in a committee of the whole
Congress, and that according to the mode OF their
proceedings the resouton of that committee to
declare themselves independent was to be put
to the same persons reassuming their forms as
Congress.
ut was now evening the members exhausted
by debate Of nine houre, during which all the
powers Of the soul had been distended with the
magnitude of the object and the delegates OF
South Carolina desired that the final decision
might be put off to the next morning that they
might still weigh in their own minds their ultt
mate vote. 1t was put off, and in the morning OF
the I'd Of July they joined the other nine states
in voting for it. The members Of the Pennsyl'
vania delegation, too. who had been absent the
day before came In and turned the vote Of their
state in favor of independence, and third men,
ber Of the state of Delaware, who. hearing OF the
division in the sentiment Of his two colleagues,
had travelled post to arrive in time, now came In
and decided the vote Of that state also for the
resolution. Thus IL states voted for 1t at the
time of its passage and the delegates of New
York, the thirteenth state received instructions
within few days to add theirs to the general
vote; so that there was not dissenting voice.
Congress proceeded Immediately to consider
the Declaration of Independence which had been
reported by their committe the 2Sth Of June.
The several paragraphs Of that were debated for
three days viz: the 3D. Sd and 4th of July. In the
evening OF the fourth they were finally closed.
and the instruments approved by unanimous
vote, and signed by every member. except Mr..
Dickinson"
The first celebration OF national birthday
took place In Philadelphia four days after the
adoption Of the Declaration of Independence,
July s. 1915. with all the clamor and rejoicing
that today heralds its approach. Amid the huz-
zas Of the people the kings arms were torn down,
the troops paraded, and on the commons the
proclamation was read before each of the five
battalions. Bonhres blazed in the evening. can
fred bells were rung and the populace
celebrated generally The next day General
Washington arrived in New York and took charge
of the demonstrations there.
1t seems to take us into the long ago when we
read that "they hurried the news forward to Ros-
ton. and the messengers made such incredibly
fast time that they reached the Hub by July s."
Here the excitement had statue upon which
to vent itself, SO the enthusiastic loyalists tore
down the lion and the unicorn from the east wing
of the State house