The Washington times., 1934-03-03
DEF|ED KING 8
YEARS BEFORE
REVERE RIDE
Restoration of Grounds and
Hall to Make Shrine of
Famous Plantation

Restoration of Strdttord Hall.
noD in undertaking By the Robert
E. Lee Memorial, recalls the part
PLAYED By that famous residence
In the birth OF American inde-
pendence, and permits The Wash
ington Times to print today the
followino story By Mrs. Harry B.
HGweS, tDite of the former Senator
from Missouri.
viii Robinson, the greGt.greGt-
grandfather of Mrs. HGtDeS, 1D1S
one of those northern Virginia
heroes Dho detied the British
croWn and signed the WeStmore-
land Resolutions in Strattord Hall
nine years before the "en1b1ttled
farmers stood and fired the shot
heard round the tDorld" at Lertng.
ton, MdSs.-EDITOR'S MOTEL
BY Mrs. Harry B. Halves
At his desk before the open
fireplace sat Richard Henry Lee.
His setter pup muzzled against
him. In, the wide corridor beyond,
some children played a noisy
game Of hide and seek. The lean,
determined Lee sat, unhear1ng,
intent-his quill moving with grim
deliberation.
The fire threw a flickering light
over this dignified room in STRAIT
ford, the Lee home, which might
well have been in DevonShire in
stead Of a Virginia wilderness.
Built partly with royal funds, by
Thomas Lee, first native-born
governor of the colony OF
Virginia and father Of Richard
Henry, stratford's baronial pro-
portions, its spacious rooms and
luxurious appointments were in
the authentic British aristocratic
tradition.
What absorbed Richard Henry
Lee, as he sat by the fire? A plan
tation account book? A letter to
London? An essay on the times?
danger and Death"
No, the contents of the docu-
ment he wrote was to change the
history Of this country and the
world-the Westmoreland reso-
lutions declared seven years be-
fore the Boston Tea Party. that:
Gas the Stamp Act does abb
solutely direct the property of
the people to be taken from
them without their consent
and deprives the British subject
of his right to trial by jury, we
determine by every hazard, and
paying no regard to danger or
death, we will exert every fac
ulty to prevent the execution OF
said Stamp Act"
Ten years before the 13 colonies
were reused to send their Declara-
ton Of independence across the
Atlantic this patriot saw the doom
of free government in Virginia.
Later friends and neighbors
gathered in Leedstown-British
subjects rich in aristocratic tradl-
tions ready to defy the mother
country-a very possible rendez-
vouS with death.
Fought for Freedom
On February 81, 1866, the bright
sun made a pattern across the
floor of the little church where
113 men sat in halloWed silence,
while their leader, Richard Henry
Lee, read the preamble OF the
Westmoreland resolves:
"ROused by danger and
alarmed at attempts, foreign
and domestic, to reduce the peo-
ple Of this country to a state Of
abject and detestable slavery,
BY destroying that free and
happy constitution of govern
ment under which they have
hitherto lived, we, who subscribe
this paper, have associated. and
do bid ourselves to each other,
to God, and to our country, by
the firmest ties that religion and
virtue can frame, most sacredly
and punctually to stand by, and
with our lives and fortune, to
support, maintain. and defend
each other in the observance
and execution Of these following
articles: ..."
Pausing he looked up searching
with piercing blue eyes the faces
of his audience. Slowly he read
the six articles, demanding the
full right of every British subject
to be tried by, his peers, to be
represented in the Parliament
which taxes him, and finally de-
termining, without regard to per
sonal life and property, to fight
for these principles and to
repudiate the stamp act.
The last solemn words sounded
through the room:
TN testimony Of the good
faith with which we resolve to
execute this association we have