Evening journal., 1915-05-22

The proposition for an equestrian
statue Of Caesar Rodney which has
been agitated recently should receive
the active support OF every true and
interested citizen of this State THE
EVENING JOURNAL is to be congrat-
ulated upon the lead il has taken for
the furtherance Of this patriotic pro-
ject. and It is indeed a privilege to
be able 10 comply NTH your request
for a few words IN support OF the
plan.
Caesar Rodney was an American pa
triot. both as a soldier and a states
man when il meant a sacrifice as well
as a real danger 20 occupy either po-
sition. The styling Of Delaware as
the Diamond State, dates from the
first inception OF the American gov
ernment, and was given 10 our State
because we were known as the dia-
mOnd among the galaxy ofcstars typi-
fed by the original thirteen States.
Our State was thus christened not
because Of our wealth or our size
as compared with our sister States
but because of the influence eXerted
through our men on the floor of the
Continental Congress and on the field
of battle. In this latter connection
Il will be remembered that Delaware
State supplied more soldiers for the
Revolutionary army than any other
State in comparison to its size.
Caesar Rodney together with George
Read and Thomas Mexican were the
Delaware members of the Continental
Congress which was to ratify the Dec
laration of independence. AT that
time the States were the units in vot-
ing and the delegates from the several
States decided by a majority vote
among themselves as TO how their
State was to be recorded on the ques-
ton of ratification of the Declaration
of independence.
In contemplating the events lead
ing up to the promulgation of this
remarkable document the later gen
eratiOns are inclined TO lose sight OF
the fact that IL was anything but an
easy matter to bring about the adop-
ton of the Declaration of lndepen-
dence by thirteen divergent common
wealths. In the Revolutionary period
communication between the several
States was slow and oftentime a
was hard for a proper interchange OF
views to result It thus came about
that greater responsibility and care
was put upon. the men who represent
ed their respective States in the de-
liberations of the Continental Con
gress.
The delegates from Delaware State
were divided in their opinions as tC
which side the vote of Delawar,
should be thrown in the acceptanc,
or rejection of the Declaration. Th,
two delegates from Delaware in at
tendance at the Congress when thu
question of independence was hang
ing by a thread we're on opposing
sides so that the voice of Delaware
could not be effective one way o.
the other.
When Rodney's colleague in tn,
Continental Congress who was favor
able to Independence sent wOri
through a messenger on relays o
horses TO come to Philadelphia i'm
mediately as his vote was needed, on
can we'll imagine the feverish hast
he must have exercised to hav
reached Philadelphia in time. TIL
/ AN0Ao lAAAhMth hAit oAAAN III AAlloN nhl
we're poor and the month of July wa
not the best time OF year for an /
man TO hasten many miles on horse
back with the ever-preSent fear
his mind that he would be too lat
History records the fact, however, ths
Rodney arrived on time and stridin
to his seat reached there in tim
to cast the vote of the Delaware rel
resentatives with the sentence, "Dell
ware casts her vote for independence
Caesar Rodney's responsibility wa
a grave one, but in spite of the il
ness which had held him at his hon
below Dover he arose to a situatio
that would have discouraged mo-
men with less heart and patriotism
In those days a man of action W;
liable to be classed AS a patriot OF