Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-06
Letters TO the Editor
Our First President

TO fxs Editor OF the Epcnino Public Ledger:
Sir-A few weeks ago there appeared
IN several newspapers throughout the
country n quotation from dlstln
suished professor of the Columbia Uni
versity, which said that George
Washington was not the first President
Of the United States" While this au-
thority's statement might have been
accompanied by substantial reason III
hts original address. it was the absence
( OF the latter in print which brougn'
forth comment from numerous lnulVlu-
uais, who, by virtue of their hasty per
usal of this Nations history, were "
norant Of an excuse for such an av0wai'
The writer makes an attempt there-
fore, TO bring to light the foundation
Of this learned mans assertion.
In 1856, when the "Seven Years
War" was waging in Europe DetWcen
Prussia and France, England decided
for reasons of her own. to cast her lot
with the Prussians. The French, great 1,
" angered at Britain for this, decided
TO fortify more vigorously the bound .
aries of their possessions in America
France held at that time virtually tue
whole of Canada. and England that
portion east of the Alleghcnies between
the st. Lawrence River and the nortu,
erp boundary Of Florida. Ihe treh'h
troops established forts In British ter .
ritory and General Braddock was sent
over to chase them out. The French
combined with the Indians, and what IS
known in history as THE French anu anu
Indian War" was waged. In l,oo
French rule in America ended, ana tue
British flag foated from the huuson
Bay almost TO the Gulf OF Mexico tVr
Britain, with the aid OF such noole
patriots and able soldiers as young
Washington, was the victor Oh t"'S
great four-ycar struggle.
But England soon forgot her debt to
her Colonies. which had given the
wealth and blood Of their people Tor thS
triumph Of England Tho succession OF
wars cost Britain heavily, and she de-
cided to exact good portion or us
cost by taxation from these COLONIES Ia
1785 the Stamp Act was passed oy the
House Of Commons. All commerciai
documents had a royal stamp impress
don upon them and had to be bought
Of British Government officers at rate
hxed by the mother country. MS ACT
was passed without consulting the COio-
nles. which absolutely held out that
there should be no taxation wlthout
representation by us in Parliament
Then Britain tried to force other tyran
MES on the Colonists, viz. the sup
preston of trade with other countries,
known as the Navigation Acts the
importation of English products never
ordered by colonists, and finally what
might be termed general martial law.
Associations Of Sons of Liberty were
organized in all the Colonies. They
refused to use the stamps, or import
English goods, and in 1850 Cthe same
year, the First Continental Congress
met in New York. Delegates from nine
States adopted Declaration of Rights
addressed to the King and Parliament,
asking for the abolition of these unjust
acts, England was indignant. and when
the Colonists threw 342 chests Of Eng
lish tea into Boston harbor (the BoS-
ton Tea Party. the port of Boston was
ordered completely closed by Britain.
Conditions grew from bad to worse,
and finally. in September. 1714. the
Continental Congress again met. this
time in Philadelphia at Carpenters
Hall. with ffty-thr delegates as rep
resentative of twelve Colonies; Georgia
was later represented. Peyton Ran
dolph was unanimously elected presi-
dent of the Congress. really, though
not in name, the first President of the
United States. This assembly decided
and so notified the King that Shoulu
the late acts Of Parliament be at
tempted to be carried into execution by