Evening star., 1930-06-22


this important Maryland County was named.
However strange it might SEEM the writer
SUSPECTS that just the reverse Is true, and that
as a matter of fact, but comparatively few peo-
pie could answer this question, although the
Capital of the Nation itself was to an ex-
tent carved out of this county when the Dis
trict of Columbia formed. back in 1871.
With the county of Fairfax to the south
of u.s. a portion of which was retroceded to
Virginia in 1886 it is quite likely that just the
opposite conclusion might be drawn for most
every seems to know that it was named
for Lord Fairfax, whose American descendant
today occupies a seat in the British House
of Lords, and yet, why every schoolboy should
not know for whom the Maryland county was
named. is one of those difficult things cam
not easily answer, and especially is it i'm
portant that should know this, when we
consider the sacrifice made by this brave man
in the interest of free government.
Up until 1748 all the territory that in that
year became Frederick County, had before then
been a part of Prince Georges County. How
ever. as Frederick County soon became more
populous it was deemed expedent also to
rearrange this county, and In 1875, Mont
gomery and Washington Counties were formed
out of Frederick though still leaving the last
mentioned with sufficient area for its proper
development.
To DR.. Thomas Sprigg Wooton is given
the credit for having introduced, in the Mary
land State Legislature, a bill for the separat-
passed on September 6, 1776, though by
small majority This bill reads as follows:
"Resolved-That, after the first day OF
October next such part of the said county
of Frederick is contained within the
bounds and limits following to wit: Beginning
at the east side of the mouth of Rock Creek
on the Potomac River, and running thence
with the said river to the mouth of Monocacy,
then with a straight line to PARIS Spring,
from thence with the lines of the county
to the beginning, shall be and is hereby erected
into a county called Montgomery County"
COMING into existence it did, during
one of the most tense periods of the
American Revolution. it seems quite natural
that this county should have been named for
that capable and brave soldier and patriot
Maj. Gen Richard Montgomery, killed in the
attempt to capture the City Of Quebec. Canada
December 81, 1775 and, by the way, are
told that this was the first county in Mary
land to ignore the custom of naming towns
and counties after princes, lords and dukes
as Baltimore, Frederick, Arundel and Prince
George-adopting in their stead such illus
tTious republican names as Montgomery,
Washington Carroll, Howard and Garrett.
Montgomery's death had occurred within
less than one year when the county AIMED
his proved a most fitting and sacred
tribute to his memory
Like many of the brave officers in the
American Revolution, Gen. Montgomery had
not resided in the colonies any considerable
length of time, though, ausoder in the
British army he began his field service in
Canada in 1857 and participated cne year
later in the reduction of Louisburg, FIench
fortress, a veritable Gibraltar, upon which
the most scientific engineering skill had been
added to nature. in effort to make it i'm
pregnable. In 1853, it is said, he shared in
the glorious victory of Gen. James Wolfe at
Quebec. where, during the scaling of the
Heights of Abraham, that brave and gallant
officer lost his life, and here too, in the at
tack on Quebec in ITS the brave Montgom-
cry sacrificed his all for the principles
that Warren had laid down his life for at
Bunker HILL on June IT, 1775-155 years ago
last week.
Incidentally it does seem wrong that these
same principles for which fathers fought,
and for which such as Montgomery and
Warren died. should not be applied to the
people of the District of Columbia. For after
all taxation without representation" is just
as unfair and unjust today during the
reign of George III; just unfair as 1t was
during that August day in 1774 when the
good people of our own Georgetown refused
TO permit the brgantine Mary and Jane to
discharge its cargo OF tea, consigned to Robert
Peter at that port
Indeed, is 1t any wonder that the people of
the District should feel degraded, Inundated
and embarrassed at their most unfortunate
plight when such incidents as the death of
Richard Montgomery-for whom a part of
the very District of Columbia itself was named
whose life was sacrificed upon the altar of
American freedom for the enfranchisement of
the American people when they know that
they alone, of all the people of the United
States are still unable to say what shall be-
of the money they pay in local and Fed
Cral taxes? Indeed, the people of the District
almost feel like voicing Lincolr'S Sentin|Ot
Ghcn hc So