Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-06-23

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BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN.
" HEN in 1916 the president of the
NWI second Continental Congress put his
1AAN John Hancock" to "a Declaration
w 4 pF the Representatives of the United
States of America In General Con-
gress Assembled" he wrote it so large
! ! !. !. : !:
MGfM and SO plain that he then and there
WE11YHSM gave to the American language new
NGyRyDYY and enduring synonym.
ENNINM "There!" said the delegate from
lnNHN)l Massachusetts, George III will he
TNAhW able to read that without his spec
VI taces" And as he touched it up
ana olackened the heavy strokes of the quill he
remarked to his fellow delegates:
But we must be unanimous; there must he No
pulling different ways. We must all hang to.
getler.'
we must indeed all hang together" replied
benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, cor most as
surely we shall all hang separately"
We Americans of 1921 can read LOT between
the lines of these two historic utterances if we
40 little digging into before-the Revolution
american history-enough digging to get clear
ioea OF What brought about the Declaration Of
independence. And it is every good Americans
patriotic duty to do that same digging-and do
~ low. VI course we're not all tarred with the
same brush but-tO use more time-honored Amer
fn fI,off tho
average American doesn't know enough to last
MN across the street about the causes leading I'D
10 the revolution: And as for the Declaration it.
Self he couldn't to save his life tell what half Of
1t means. This is a bad business in itself and it's
especially bad right now.
For are going to have q new kind of Fonrth
OF July celebration in the United States of Amer
lca The Fourth has quit being the day of fire
works and casualties And in the new kind of
Fourth of July celebration the Declaration of In
dependence will come to it's own as the browning
touch of public observance, The American Rev
olutlon is the greatest seppingstone in the march
OF the centuries toward freedom and the Declara-
ton of Independence is it's symbol.
= Enough the Declaration of independence is to
come back to its own, the Fourth will not
be the day when the American Eagle screams and
the orator bawls because Uncle Sam handed John
Bull century and half ago. There are
two reasons for this.
| One is the World war. John Bull and Uncle
Sam now stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of
all that our common race holds dear Of personal
freedom and political IDEALS
The other is tile fact that the Revolution was
not quarrel between two peoples-the British
people and The American people. 1t was, in Its
earlier stages at least, strife between two diff
erent political and economic systems. 1t
unrelated event, but formed part Of the history
of the race both continents. There was Brit
ish revolution at the time there was an
American Revolution. The British revolution was
to regain liberty The American Revolution was
TO preserve liberty. On both sides of the Attain
tic the kings prerogatves were the aim of rev.
dictionary attack.
Now, as to the many things that may be read
between the lines of what Hancock and Frank
lin said here's just hint Hancock was rich
merchant. 1t was part of the purpose of the
British troops at Lexington and Concord to cap
lure Hancock AT that time Hancock was re-
kpondent in the Admiralty court in suits of the
crown to recover nearly half a million dollars as
penalties alleged to have been incurred for viola
ton of the laws of navigation and trade. Han
cock had inherited his fortune from his uncle,
Thomas Hancock, who had become wealthy snug
Cling tea. SO it was more than right that John
Hancock should sign his name large and plain
to the document which, If made good would save
him from financial ruin and give him free COM
: merce with all the world.
Benjamin Franklin, publisher, printer, philos-
IOpher and statesman, seVenty-ohe years VI age,
the Oldest member of congress, was more con-
cerned with the political than with the CONNER
e,al aspects of the situation He made clever
lest, but no man there knew better that there is
many true word spoken in jest.
So the truth is that our side of the ocean
the fundamental causes leading up to the Revo-
luton were both political and economic-and pos
siby quite as much economic as political. To ar
i've at the main features Of the situation the fol-
lowing chronology Is helpful
l76O-Accessi1n of George III. Conquest of Can.
ada by British
1161-Revivul of navigation and trade laws of
1860 aud 1863 Issues of "Writs Of Assistance
17CEParlIamept demands that colonies pay