Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-06-30

B; llN HSS1 I'LL has become a common heritage or
81 l|[kQ246Sdl1| the people Of our land Many an
5 E5l6lI American considers It part Of
7------1. q patriotic duty to muse upon the
4 imaginative picture entitled "The First Fourth
of July which some historical writer has painted
upon his vision. S@ Ss5 NJ, #is# .
. il fancy he sees Independence hall in Phila-
II delphia and the Continental congress with its
rufHed shirts, long cloth coats, knee pants SIX
e stockings and low shoes sitting with dignity but
listening spellbound to wond erfully strange and
s entirely new document called "The Declaration OF
I. independents" $3.50 r $z %%F
3 III Ii fancy he even hears the popular acclaim
II OF 'That is Just what we all say" and 1T IS.
well worded Mr. Jefferson" Then the mind ptc-s
4 lures the various delegates to congress hasten-
ii ing forward, eager for the honor. OF fixing their
4 signatures to sheepsktn document. &S5
u The scene changes to the ringing Of the great
liberty BELL to the assembling OF the people at
Philadelphia who applauded the reading Of this
bill Of rights and to the final closing OF the day
with every man, woman and child in Philadel.
f phia happy because he is no longer British
4 subject having become free American in =
ii single day. 3I 31sa
= n Such a vision pictures q heroic scene; but the
true record OF events does not affirm that these
so-called happenings took place on that me-
{ fmorable day. BY blotting out the imperfect de-
tails OF the picture the Fourth of July is in no
way robbed Of any of its glory. III G9s s.i $yg II, &
SsT8S% An authentic account OF what transpred at
that time changes the meaning of the Fourth of
July from one day to about sixty in which the
whole history Of our national liberty is told and
i. the heroic heartthrobs of the sorey tried colo
4 nists are keenly felt. @ @55
The day itself properly symbolizes the liberty
for which the patriots Of that time stood ready
81 to sacrifice their lives in order to launch the
N United States as national craft which should
Il be anchored by no weight OF foreign despotism.
B 1t was a time OF danger when brother, friend
n and neghbor became .estranged by reason of
N political opinion. Some colonists still loved the
4 mother country with true English pride, while
Others were SO Filtered by the injustice of the
n sovereign across the seas that they willingly
gave their all to the cause of the people of the
:, new land rs 3sy &3 nj s5Ef5
M IL During the latter part OF 1774 George Wash
Il ington himself wrote that 81 no thinking man
II among the colonists wanted to separate from
i England, and Franklin ridiculed the idea. g
d During the early days OF the revolution the
81 bluecoats never dreamed of separating from the
I: beloved land OF their ancestors In fact. such
s course would have been condemned by Ameri-
ii cans themselves as treason. Jefferson declared
that prior to April 10, 1775 he had heard no whis-
4 per Of the disposition Of anyone to stand from
4 under the governmental power OF Great Britain.
The inevitable however, came with the spring
$aof 1875 when local assemblies began formal dis
scussion regarding the liberty Of colonists. These
legislative bodies possessed but little power but
they did great part in crystallizing the sentf-
4 ment for independence In many quarters and
forcing those opposed to the idea to declare their
81 iinimical attitude. gg & 3 @7 ay- l=s.
$ The good work of these small legislative bodies
was reflected and magnffed as soon as the dele
81 gates were sent to 1.-The Continental congress.
Then the spirit OF liberty permeated the very at
a mosphere$ Of the, national assembly and many an
individual received the courage to align himself
II with the new cause ~ &s(s
$sS II, June q 1776, there had been an extra
paper to have informed the public of the latest
q political news one might have read the faring
L headlines Richard Henry Lee Of Virginia the
y Man Of the Hour" for it was he who that day
B started the Fourth of July. 1t was this south
erner who introduced the first declaration of in
B dependence in congress declaring the American
people free. y%t +7s@s q,.'' +,''
Good Judgment dictated the caution of omit
y ting John Adams name from the minutes. as
the second to that motion, yet the fact is known
today, when there is no army of redcoats wait.
ing to seize patriots as rebels. t,s 49,
n Too much praise cannot be given to the IN
PRODUCTION Of Lees resolution, yet it to the
4 credit OF the Continental congress; that action
was not forced upon such important measure
II at that time 1t could not have succeeded until
all objections had been silenced, all fears of
Engand's success allayed, until all were
: scentiously convinced that the cause Of liberty
was just It was imperative that all should look
the Goddess Of Liberty square1y in the face with
a devotion to follow where she should lead.
AS no agreement could be reached on June
the resolution laid over until the next day,
when 1t was again postponed for consideration
til July 1. II &@j s.,. e,
In order that the cause of liberty should not
be retarded during this wait, congress at that