Evening star., 1923-06-03

long to John Hanson of Maryland, son
OF an immigrant Swede, whose heroic
bronze statue is in Statuary Hall in the
Capitol, and whose portrait by Peale
hangs in independence Hall in Phila-
delphia, where he held Office as "Presi-
dent OF the United States in Congress
Assembled" eight years before Wash
ington was -inaugurated.
At the seemingly heretical statement
that Washington was not the first Pres
ident the school children of today will
throw up their hands in scandalized
horror. and their parents and others
even those who have been considered
"sharks" on history. will protest that
they never heard of such a thing!"
=. This is historical fact, with original
autograph manuscripts TO prove it in
the Library OF Congress. even though
history as she is taught allows (as
James NJ. Back, solicitor general Of the
United States and author CT an import
ant work on the organization of this
government. points ouD, "the colossal
figure of Washington to throw a great
many worthy men like Hanson into the
ten presidents" who held office be-
fore Washington's election.
Maryland has boasted, and other stu
dents of early American political his
tory have stated, that john Hanson
was president of the United States in
Congress Assembled under the first
official government organized by the
states through formal signing Of the
Articles of Confederation, antedating
ant hIr eicr11t
years.
1t was different form OF government,
but it was the first government of the
United States, through joint approval of
all the then existing states. 1t elected
It's presiding officer President of the
United States in Congress Assembled"
and he signed state papers as "Presi-
dent" Viewed in this light, there were
ten presidents who held Office before
Washingtons election.
x K x x
IF WASHINGTON wasn't first Presi-
i dent, as Americans will always
continue to believe: and if Hanson
wasn't first President, as some few,
principally Marylanders, have essayed
to contend, who was the first Presi-
dent?
1t is we'll to bear in mind these salient
dates:
The Declaration of independence was
adopted July 4. 1916.
The Articles of Confederation were
signed by Hanson and John Carroll for
Maryland, the last of the thirteen orist-
nal colonies, or states, On March l, 1881,
the other colonies having signed on va
rious dates in IT'S and 1879.
John Hanson Of Maryland was elected
president of the United States in Con-
gress Assembled" November 3. 1871.
The constitutional government was
organic d March 4. 17SS.
George Washington was elected Pres
tdent of this new form of government,
with the Constitution as its backbone,
April .. 1888.
George Washington was inaugurated
April 80, 1889.
1t happened that on the date when
Hanson and Carroll signed the articles
for Maryland. which ipso facto gave the
new nation it's first real and duly au-
thorized government of the United
States, by common consent of the gov
erned. Samuel Huntington of Connecti-
cut was president of the Continental
Congress. which became the Congress
OF the Confederation.
This would seem to justify Connecti-
cut in setting up rival claim against
that of Maryland, to the effect that
Huntington of Connecticut and not
Hanson Of Maryland or Washington Of
Virginia was first President of the
United States
Samuel Huntington was born in
windham. Conn, July 3, 1871. He
was admitted to the bar in 1853 and
commenced the practice of law in
Norwich the same year. He was a
member of the colonial assembly in
1854. He was appointed crowns at
torney in 1865, having been executive
councillor in 1863. He was dele
gate from Connecticut to the conti-
mental congress from 1875 to 1871 and
its president from September %, 1879,
to July s, 1871. being it's president,
therefore, when Maryland signed the
articles of confederation effecting the
first Union of the states by consent of
all the then existing states. When he
retired, in 1881, he received the
thanks of the congress, but was re-
turned again for a short period in
1888
Samuel Huntington was also a
signer of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence; superior court judge from 1774
to 1884 and chief justice in 1884, lieu
tenant governor of Connecticut in
1855 and governor from 1886 until his
death in Norwich, January 5, 1896.
There are, however, those who will
argue that Samuel Huntington only
chanced to be the 'holdover presi-
dent" from the continental congress
and that he had not been elected
President of the United States in
Congress assembled after all of the
states had by their signatures agreed
to the Union.
y x x
TT Is interesting to note that the
r i first man elected President of the
United States in Congress assembled
after the articles of confederation had
been signed by all OF the thirteen
then existing states declined to serve
This unique distinction in history is
held by Samuel Johnston, who had
previously been moderator of the
revolutionary convention of ITS and
who later was elected as a federalist
to the United States Senate, serving
from November 81, 1888, to March 3,
1893. Johnston was born in Dundee,
Scotland brought to this country by