Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-07-05

~ AOAA4& to8 ASfsFt Ws4tSSA
y Hon. ]. N. H. Reale and pub
ished id the New York Herald.
> os interest to the Lutheran
church and of paramount inn
,ortance to this community
The opinion has long prevail-I
d with the casual reader and
he incorrect historian that the
PATRIOTS of Mecklenburg, North
Carolina. opened the ball Of the
Revolution The learned divine
has assumed this current belief
to be \ fact. and thus committed
4 historical blunder. But to the
records of the facts
The Rev. Peter Muhlenburg,
. Lutheran clergyman. from
Trappe. Pennsylvania, removed.
ia the year l772, to Woodstock.
Dunmore County, Virginia, and
became the pastor of the church
in that village. He was de-
seended from German parentage,
and. although born in Pennsyl-
vania. was elected in Halle. in
Germany. He soon won the con-
fidence of his flock and the affec-
.tion of the whole Germanic fam.
lily which had settled between
the Blue Ridge and the Allie
gheny, in now the counties of
Page. Shenandoah and Rocking
ham.
In the early part of the year
t774 the colonies began to MUIR
muir at British entertainments
upon colonial rights, and discon-
tent reached its acme when the
news of the passage of the Bos-
ton port bill was conveyed
throughout the land. While
there may have been 4 concerted
movement of resistance through.
out the State, Dunmore County
was the first to step forward and
boldly proclaim its opinions in
reference to the great question
then agitating the country. This
county gives itself 4 distinct Or
ganization, as contradistinguish-
ed from its colonial. and invested
power in a committee of safety,
the prerogatiyes of which we're
to erect opposition to the royal
power in case of necessity.
The meeting which took these
initial revolutionary steps was
held at Woodstock, one year be.
fore the celebrated Mecklenburg
| meeting. The Rev. Peter Muh.
lenburg was chosen the modera.
tor of the meeting, and after.
wards. as chairman of the com.
miitee on resolutions, reported a
number of spirited and appropri-
ate resolutions, the tone OF which
was holder than public opinion
was then prepared to sanction.
The following are a part of the
noble sentiments then put forth
by those patriotic lovers of lib.
erty.
That we will pay due submis.
sion to such acts of government
as his Majesty has a right by
law to exercise over his subjects,
and to such only.
That it is the inherent right
lof British subjects to be govern.
ed and taxed by representatives
chosen by themselves only, and
that every act of the British Parl
Lament respecting the interna-
policy of America is a dangerous
and unconstitutional invasion of
our RIG hts and privileges.
That the enforcing the execu.
|tion of the said act of Parlia.
ment by a military power will
have a necessary tendency to
cause a civil war, thereby dis
solving that union which has so
long happily subsisted between
the mother country and her col.
onies and that we will most
heartily and unanimously concur
with our suffering brethren of
Boston. and every other part of
North America. who are the i'm
mediate victims of tyranny. in
promoting all proper measures to
avert such dreadful calamities,
to procure a redress of our griev-l
ances, and to secure our common
liberties !.
The other resolutions were com.
mon at that period, deprecatine
importation or expectation with
Great Britain, and the East In.
dia Company, who are called
the servile tools Of Arbitrary
power The proceedings close
by 'pledging themselves to each
other, and to our country, that
We will invioIably adhere to the