Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-07-19

INDEPENDENCE DAY


Washington, D.. C.-In view of the
sact that the AZ states of the union, to-
gether with Porto Rico. Hawaii. and
Alaska will celebrate the Fourth of
July as Independence day, 1t is inter-
esting to note how this nation wide
holiday came to be celebrated. and
what it should signify to all Ameri-
ans.
July the Fourth is now a holiday com
memorating the birthday of the nation,
congress of the 13 colonies of America
adopted the Declaration OF Indepen-
dence which proclaimed them free and
Independent states. absolve. from all
allegiance to the British crown. The
original of this birth certificate" writ
ten by hand on parchment, and now,
much worn and faded, is preserved
carefully in an air tight and light proof
case in the library Of the department
of state. Only facsimilies az exhibited
today, the original being far too pre-
cious q document to risk in the light
n air.
A facsimile of the declaration is on
exhibition in the division of history in
the older building of the national
museum at Washington, where there
are also preserved relics and memen-
tos of several of the members of the
second continental congress who
signed this great resolution.
The history of the origin and draft
ing of the declaration is of considerable
interest. In the second continental
congress-. which was meeting in Phila-
delphia, Richard Henry Lee. of Vir-
ginia. on June Z. 1915, introduced the
following resolution, hich was sec
onded by John Adams.
Resolved, that these United Colonies
ara and nf riCHf n,1Oht ia he froa anh
Independent states; that they are alb"
solved from all allegiance to the Brit
ish crown, n that all political o n
nection between them n the state of
Great Britain is, and ought to be, to-
tally dissolved.
That it is e%xpedient forthwith to
take the most effectual measures for
forming foreign alliances.
That g plan Of confederation be pre-
pared and transmitted to the respective
colonies for their appreciation"
Consideration of this resolution was
Jefferson, John Adams. Benjamin
Franklin. Roger Sherman and r.. r..
Livingston were. appointed a commit
tee to prepare a declaration to serve as
a preamble to this independent reso-
luton. This committee. known as the
Jefferson committee, submitted a draft
OF the declaration on June %, which
was laid on the table for later consid-
Grafton. On July 1. congress-. sitting
as a committee OF the whole to consider
the resolution respecting independence.
agreed thereto. and reported it To con-
gress.
On July 2, the resolution itself was
adopted by congress-. and the declara-
ton was considered by the committee
OF the whole, being again taken up the
next day, July s.
On July a, h declaration. which in
cluded the first paragraph OF the reso-
luton was agreed to by the committee
Of the whole, reported to congress and
adopted. The Independence OF the n
ted Colonies was thus declared, and.
thereupon. congress Immediately or
dered that the declaration be authenti-
Gated and printed under the super
vision of the committee previously APP
thereof he distributed to all stats as
semblies and to the commanding Off
GERS of the army
In accordance with the above Or
der. the declaration vas issued as a
printed broadside on July 5, with the
heading: I'm Congress, July 4, 1776. a
Declaration by the Representatives of
the United States of America in General
Congress assembled" 1t bore the name
in print Of John Hancock. president of
the congress, and was attested by Sec
rotary Charles Thompson, but bore no
other names.
On July 10 it was resolved in con-
gress:
THAT M declaration passed on the
4th. be fairly engrossed on parchment
with h title and stile (style) Of The
unanimous declaration Of the 10 United
States OF America n that the same
when engrossed. be signed by every
member OF congress-"
It could not have been headed
Unanimous" on July 4, for the New
York delegates had not then been au-
thorized to agree to 1t. and it was not
the continental congress that the as
sembly of New York had approved the
declaration, and thus made 1t unani-
nous.
On August 2. 1875, the Declaration of
Independence, being engrossed and
those who were not present on August
2 affixlng their signatures at later
dates. all but one signing before Janu-
sry IS. 1871.
1t has been ascertained that Of the
Sc signers, more han one-fourth were
Of them-Thornton, Williams, Rush,
Clymer, Smith, Taylor, and Ross-were
not members on that date. On the other
hand, seven members on that date
George Clinton, John Alsop, r. r. Liv-
ingston. Henry Winser. Thomas Will
ing. Charles Humphreys, and John
Rogers-had not the privilege Of being
signers, for the membership Of all but
n had ceased prior to August 2.
The first official issue of the declar-
alton bearing the names of the signers
was printed as a broadside in Balti-
more under the resolution of January
Is. 1871, ordering that copies be sent to
each of the United States. There arc
only four copies of this issue now
known to exist, one of which is in the
library of congress at Washington. 1t
is authenticated in writing by John