The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-06-22

ton would have. enShrined his memory
as one of her greatest heroes. In
stead 1t has been matter of shame
|. to historians who. have recognized the
full indebtedness of the United States
to this great virginian that our nation
allowed him to die in poverty and neg
lect, his last years embittered by the
ingratitude of republic which for
| GETS" 4
1 Recently, however, some recompense,
tardy though it is, has been made for
the many years of neglected honor to
the name and fame of George Rogers
Clark. Last year the first organized
tribute of the Old Northwest to- the
man who made it part of the United
States was offered lin a. pilgrimage
made by large number ofgcitizens of
the six states to his birthplace at
Charlottesville, Va, on November 10.
the one hundredth seventy-fifth ami
yersary Of his birth.
Further h0nors Ito the memory OF
Clark were also projected duriRg the
sessions of congress this year In tile
introduction of various bills One was
to authorize the construction of
George Rogers Clark memorial light
house on the Ohio river near Louis
vile, KY; another provided for the
construction of a memorial on the site
of Fort Gage (Kaskaskfa) in Ran
dolph county, Illinois.
But most important of all was tile
recent passage of a. bill providing an
appropriation of $1,000O0O for the
construction Of a historical museum
On. the the site Of Fort Sackville at
Fincennes, Ind, and the participation
of tile federal government in the Clark
sesquicentennial celebration to be
held there next year. This celebra-
tion which will open next February
On the one ,hundredth and fiftieth an
adversary of the capture of Fort Sack
vile by Clark will be the most impress
siye gesture of honOrins the conquer6r
Of the Old Northwest that has yet
been made. initiated BY the people Of
that section, the whole nation will be
Invited to participate because it Is the
whole nation which. owes debt OF
gratitude to CLARK.
The celebration will have special
significance since 1t will also mark the
one hundredth and fiftieth anniversary
of the first time The Stars and Stripes
were raised over that section of the
country, For when the British dag
was hauled down from over Fort
Sackville, after Hamilton's surrender
Of the fort, 1t was the new flag, of the
new nation, one of the several stands
of colors which the French inhabi-
tants had presented to Clark's men
and the volunteers who accompanied
them on their expedition against Vim
cennes. which was run up in its place.
Some, historians have stated that
Clark first unfurled the Stars and
Stripes on the soil of Illinois before
setting out for Kaskaskia, but Clark's
narrative, in the book quoted above,
makes no mention of this fact. and II
Is probable that Vincennes and not
Kaskaskia first had sight Of Old
Glory.
1t would have been final touch OF
patriotic appropriateness If the Stars
and Stripes had been displayed on
July 4, 1778. But even though it was
not, the events of that day were sig
nifcant enough, and on independence
day this year, when Americans are re-
Numbering the men on the Atlantic
seaboard who. on July 4. 1776. signed
the Declaration Of independence, they
should also remember the little group
of backwoodsmen who helped make
that Declaration good by their daring
and the privations they endured I'm,
der the leadership of George Rogers
Clark.