The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-07-01
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BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN.


O. n ard Henry Lees resOlu-
" ton THAT these united
colonies are and of right
ought TO be, free and independent
states" was introduced in congress
June z, 1776; that it was adopted July
2, and that the document itself was
not made public until July 5, and was
not signed by the members of congress
until August 3 1t was on July 4,
1776, that the vote on the Declara-
ton itself was taken, and the dOcu-
nent ordered authenticated and
printed" So the Fourth of July it is
and ever shall be.
Nevertheless, there are other Dec
larations, and some of them come
pretty near being Declarations of In
dependence, except that they were not
adopted by congress. The truth is
that independence was in the air for
some time before July 4, 1776. The
leaders preferred to say that they were
petitioners in arms" even after Lex
ington and Concord and Bunker Hill,
and many Of them doubtless had no
determination for independence. But
the people In many localities were ripe
for independence. So it is not to be
wondered that some Of them made
declarations.
One of the earliest of these Dec
larations was that of the people of
Mendon, Mass, March 1, 1773. II
speaks for itself, and here it is:
THAT all men have naturally an
equal right to life, liberty and prop
erty.
THAT all just and lawful govern
ment must originate in the free con-
sent Of the people
''That the good, happiness and safety
Of the people is the great end of civil
government
THAT principle of self preserya-
ton, being duly planted by the God OF
Nature in every human breast, it is
necessary, not only to the weIl-being
of the Individual, but also TO the order
of the universe, as attraction and CO
heSion are to the preservation of ma
terial bodies and the order of the
natural world.
THAT a voluntary remuneration OF
any power or privileges included in
or necessarily connected with a princi-
pie of self preservation is manifestly
acting counter to the will Of the great
Author of Nature, the Supreme Legis-
lator, that right TO liberty and prop
erty is absolutely inalienable.
THAT the claim of the parliament of
Great Britain TO the power of legisla-
ton for the colonies in all cases what
soever is abhorrent to the spirit and
genius of the British Constitution, to
the letter Of our charter and to the
most obvious principles of reason and
to the essential natural rights given
US by God Almighty; and. finally,
THAT the introduction of standing
armies in free country in time of
peace, without the consent of the peo-
pie, is a violation of their rights as
free men,"
Then there is the Declaration of the
people of Hanna's Town, May 16, 1775.
On that day The men of that portion
Of the colony of Pennsylvania lying
west of Laurel Mountain and en-
braced in the preseEt limits of the
county of Westmoreland, then, and for
long afterwards claimed by Virginia
TO be within the limits Of Augusta
county, in the Old Dominion, assem-
bled at Hanna's Town, then the seat
of justice, to take counsel on the situa-
ton. The first two paragraphs of
the document adopted are as follows
"At a general meeting of the in