Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-06-28


Carolina and Georgia, were decided for a sep
aration; but that six others still hestated, to
wit: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware Maryland and South Carolina. Con-
gress, DESTROYS of unanimity and seeing that
the public mind was advancing rapidly to It,
referred the further discussion to the list OF
July, appointing in the meantime committee
to prepare a Declaration Of independence a
second to form Articles of Confederation of
the States, and third to propose measures
for obtaining foreign aid.
ION the 28th 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 list day of July they resolved
themselves into a committee of the whole, and
resumed the consideration of the motion of June
7 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 it. Delaware, two men,
bers present, was divided The delegates from
New York declared they for it, and their
constituents Also but that the instructions
against it which had ben given them a twelve
month before 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 ire WnOle
Congress- and that according to the mode of their
proceedings the resolution of that committee to
declare themselves independent to be put
to the same persons reassumng their forms as
Congress
at 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 ult-
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 Pennsy
vania delegation, too who had been absent the
day before, in and turned the vote Of their
state in favor of independence, and third mem
Der 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 u states voted for it at the
time of its passage, and the delegates Of New
York, the thirteenth state, received instructions
within a 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 on the 2Sth of June
The several paragraphs Of that were debated for
three days viz: the I'd Sd and 4th of July In the
evening of the fourth they finally closed,
and the instruments approved by an unanimous
vote, and signed by every member except Mr..
Dickinson"
The first celebration of our national birthday
took place in Philadelphia four days after the
adoption of the Declaration Of Independence,
July s. 1916, with all the clamor and rejoicing
that today herads its approach Amid the huz-
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 Bonfres blazed in the evening can.
non were fired, 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 Bos.
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, the enthusiastic loyalists tore
down the lion and the unicorn from the east wing
of the State house.