Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-07-15


zens had gathered in the
streets of Philadelphia where
congress was assembled, for
it was known that the final
S ~ vote on the Declaration of
independence would be taken
that day. Since the hour Of the as
sembly of congress the old bellman
Of the Liberty Bell in independence
Hall had been in the steeple. he had
placed his little grandson at the door
to give him the word when the an
nouncement should be made. AS hour
after hour passed by and no announce
ment came the old man shook his head
and said sadly, "They will never do
: it,"
Suddenly a shout came up from be-
low and there stood the little blue
eyed lad clapping his hands for Joy
and shouting, ring, grandfather
ringl"
So the old grandsire swung the big
iron tongue and the Liberty Bell,
changing 100 times, sent its brazen
notes throughout the land proclaiming
that the United Colonies were and of
right ought to be free and inedepend-
ent, and there was a tumuIt of re-
joicing in the city.
This in effect is the first Fourth of
July, as many an American schoolbOy
has been taught it. 1t reads well and
there is thrill in it. But it has one
large fault-it isn't true. AS a matter
Of fact there wasn't any real Fourth
Of July Celebration" at all in 1910.
There couldn't be, for the reason that
the Declaration of independence was
a continuing operation that lasted
pretty much the whole summer Of
that year. Incidentally, its culmina-
ton was July 2, instead of July 4.
Moreover, it was not until 1777 that
July was fixed upon as ''the day we
celebrate" And it was in 1777 in
Philadelphia that the first Fourth of
July celebration was held.
To get the history of the Declare
ton Of Independence straight, we must
start with the fact that the American
Revolution was not begun for the
achievement of independence. The
American cOlonists began with the idea
Of securing the right guaranteed them
as Englishmen by Magma Charta, the
Bill of Rights, and their own charters.
The idea of separation and independ-
ence was an afterthought and an out
growth Of the hOstilities faced by the
British at Lexington and Concord.
The historic declaration of the citi-
zens of Mecklenburg county, North
Carolina, in May, 1775, was one of the
earliest manifestations of the trend of
public opinion. In January of 1776,
Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common
Sense" appeared and gave the move
ment tremendous impetus. June Z,
1776, Richard Henry Lee, under in
structions from Virginia, presented to
the continental congress his famous
resolution which reads:
Resolved, That these United Colo
MES are and of right ought to be, free.
and independent states; that they are
absolved from all allegiance to the
British Grown, and that all political
between them and the
state of Great Britain is and ought
to be totally dissolved;
"That 1t is expedient forthwith to
take the most effectual measures for
forming foreign alliances;
'That a plan Of confederation be
and transmitted to the res
Dective colonies for their considera-
lion and appreciation"
Here, in fact. was the Declaration
IF independence in a nutshell. June
;, congress went unto a committee Of
whole to consider the resolution. For
various reasons the delegates were not