Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-06-28

Carolina and Georgia were decided for sep
aration; but that six others still hesltateo, u
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 II,
referred the further discussion to the ISL Oh
July appointing in the meantime committee
to prepare Declaration OF independence q
second to form Articles of Confederation OF
the States and third to propose measures
for obtaining foreign aid.
"On the 2Sth of June the Declaration OF In
dependence reported TO the house, ana was
laid on the table for the consideration Oh the
members. On the 1st day of July they resolved
themselves into a committee OF the Wnoie' anu
resumed the consideration of the motion or 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 mem
bers present was divided. The delegates from
New York declared they were for 1t, and their
constituents also; but that the instructions
against it which had ben given them WE'VE
month before, were still unrepealed; that their
convention was to NEST in a few days, and they
asked leave to suspend their vote till they could
obtain a repeal of their instructions observe
that all this in committee OF the Wnore
Congress- and that according to the MODE OF tnelr
proceedings the resolution OF that commlttee 10
declare themselves independent was to be put
to the same persons reassuming their forms as
Congress.
1T was now evening the members exhausted
by debate Of nine houre, during which all the
powers of the soul had been distended Win 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 ulti-
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, 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 Tor the
resolution Thus IL states voted for 1t at the
time of its passage, and the delegates or 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 28tn 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 national birthday
took place in Philadelphia four days after the
adoption of the Declaration Of Independence,
July 8, 1776, with all the cIamor and rejoicing
that today herads it's approach. Amid the huz-
zas of the people the kings arms were torn down,
the troops paraded and the commons the
proclamation was read before each OF the five
battalions. Bonfires bIazed IN the evening, can
were fired. bells 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 no statue upon which
to vent ITSELF SO the enthusiastic oyalists tore
down the lion and the unicorn from the east wing
Of the State house.