Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-05

EIcH. COS TUESDAY. JULY 5, 1921. ly stated in a document they signed in their little ship, known as the MayHower Pact. This is a remarkable state paper in which religion mingles with politics. Two main things are asserted: l. Their object is the, advancement of the Chris tian faith, which they propose to do hv worshiping God according to the die tates of their own consciences, and two, to combine themselves into a civil body polite for the purpose of self-govern- ment by enacting and constituting such lows and ordinances as may be necessary for this purpose.
 Fifteen years before this the James, town colony had been established and already had a legislature presided over by an appointee of the king. But this colony was not in quest of a government l hy the people The New England col onies went farther, electing their own | leeislatl1res and governors and making l their own laws so that from this origin they were practically republics, their al l llegiance to distant kind being one rather. of formality than Of submlsslon
 In 1889 the New Haven colony became so liberay as to give all freemen the right to vote- This principle they em- bodied in a written instrument, the first | known in history drawn up by the people, 1 for their. own government. As no men tion was made in this document of the l English kind it was in effect the con- l stitution of a separate. republic. In 1643
 stems were taken for the formation of a federal republiv by combining the Plymouth and New Haven colonies for
 defense against the Dutch and Indians
 This league was called The United Col
 onies of New England.". In 1754 at Al bany the first attempt was made under the inspiration of Benjamin Franklin to combine all the colonies for defensive l purposes But t>is governmental scheme was rejected as, premature, which was probably wise in view of subsequent
 events.
 But forces were gradually shaping themselves that ultimately were to sever
 organic connaction with the mother country. The close of the old French and Indian war was followed by general
 discontent on the part of the colonists
 with their treatment by the British gov
 ernn1ent It would seem that the navl-
 gation laws against smugglers were to abused that customs oicials assumed the right 70 enter any private domlcue and l search it This caused great excitement
 against the home government, especial lly at Boston, because this liberty was greatly abused At this time in 1f63
 parliament sought to increase the reve-
 nue by a general stamp duty through all the American colonies. Accordingly the
 Stan1p Act of 1765 was passed. This however, was so bitterly opposed that the
 act was repealed in the following year
 but Britain still claimed it's right to tax
 It galled the liberty-loving colonists' tt
 be taxed without representation ana es pecially to be taxed for commodity
 whether they wanted them or not. Tn
 growing power of resistance was so grea
 that the government withdrew all du
 ties except that on tea
 To such a pass had opposition ney
 come that in 1773 when British shi
 loaded with tea attempted landing |
 Boston iharbor prominent citizens dis Il guised as Indians seized the cargoes an t threw them into the sea. retallatlo d the British parliament declared the pol h of Boston closed to all cimmerce, an IT transferred the seat of colonial goverr Is ment to Salem. As this worked a gres Q hardship to the people of Boston it wa Is clearly seen by the leading statesmen ( n the colonies that a conflict was inevi is able. The conflict known throughout tf m world as the American Revolution, ac n ually began in April ,1775, when Sri D, ish force was sent from Boston to d re stroy the military stores at Concord. IT +o British army first attacked the colonis In at Lexington, Tut was subsequently, d. t feated.
 ,,f Events then followed one another if rapid succession The British governs o and army were besieged in Boston by i'll Revolutionary army of 10000 men; Il ,a northern fortress of Ticonderoga ar
 Crown Point were selzed and a Cont +a mental congress which assembled at Ph n adelphia to measures to equip an arn =, and navy, with the immortal Washin . @ ton as commander-in-chief, who had '' ready won fame in the old French al
 Indian war. On June IT ,1775, {
 British attacked the colonists at Bunk nd Hill, which commanded Boston Harb, ms and captured 1t with frightful loss nd life. In the following year they we or forced to evacuate the city and retir st. to Halifax.
 re This success encouraged the coloni
 in their resistance, and it was declaT
 by the thirteen stateg assembled
 congress that the United ColOnes a he and ought to be, free and independe as states; that their political connect he with Great Britain is, and ought to fly dissolved" This resolution was e
 bodied in the immortal Declaration he Independence drawn up by Thomas Jeff Is son and adopted July 4, 1776.
 Ire As soon it was known that this grt ln document was signed-a document u
 will always be classed with the Ten Go mandments and Magma Charta in impo ance-the old Liberty Bell announced the world that a new nation "conceiN in liberty" had been born. And all world heard the peal of that new SO AS long as the world shall endure IT the bells remind us on every succeed Fourth of July of our glorious politi heritage May the bands play, may have our street parades, may our f