Milford chronicle., 1954-01-08
Coz. BOggs Was Speaker
At Valley Forge Sunday
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Governor Boggs paid high trlb-
ute to the early unity of the colon
les during the Revolutionary war
period which he said helped the
United States achieve its position
of greatness-and that the prlncl-
pies inherent in Americans nave
been preserved throughout the
years against any and all VINO
challenge our nation"
Those principles" he saiC'
which are so inherently a part
of us, acquired new stature and
everlasting meaning right here at
Valley Forge"
In referring TO his states ObserY-
ance this year of it's 250th ami
versary of self-government, Gov
ernOr BOggs said, MANY historians
tell us that no one was quite sure
whether Delaware ever really be-
! longed to William Penn, but one
thing appears certain-he thought
it did. We are told that Penn wOr-
ried because Pennsylvania was IN
| land, and that he persuaded the
Duke of York to give him those
Three Lower Counties.
"The people were neither pleas
ed nor happy with the existing ar
rangement. Although they were
represented in PENIS government,
what they really desired was self
government This was finally ac-
cOmplished in 1904"
The Delaware governor devoted
most of his address to recalling
feats of his early countrymen in
the Revolutionary War. laying
/ special emphasis on Col. Allen Nc
Lane and his Partisan Band who
could be described as the "Gueril-
las" of the Revolution.
McLane was 4 breeches maker
by trade, but an early soldier for
independence with Robin Hood
ideas. These he used freely to ex-
tract much needed gold from the
British with which to aid Washing
tons men at Valley Forge, Cover
nor BOggs said.
In addition to his TecOnnOiter-
ing assignments" the speaker de-
clared, ''McLane served as one OF
the forage masters for Washing.
tons hungry army. McLane and his
men were constantly interceptin2
Tory farmers who were eXchang
ing their produce and beef for the
gold offered by the British in Phila.
delphia. These supplies were seiz.
ed-for the suffering men at Valley
Forge.
"McLane and his men had Other
OperatiOnal methods, includins
Operation Horsemeat. Under thi.
plan they killed a well-fed cavalry
horse, dressed it and sold the
meat to the British as beef. thu.
gaining gold and furthering tn,
American cause"
Governor BOggs also traced tn,
work of John Dickinson. known
as the "Penman of the Revolution
VINO was Delawarean. 1t wa.
Dickinson who had written MI
Articles of Confederation i'm
term law until the Philadelphi;
Constitutional Convention was Fl
nally called and adopted the FEEDER
al Constitution in 1887.
writing under the name of IA
bus, the chief executive said
Dickinson conditioned his owl
people in Delawarc-so that whe,
ratification came before the 2
delegates in Dover ON Decembe
T. 1857, il was ratified unanimous
ly." '''' ''''
Il have confidence in Delaware
ans and all other Americans" Gov
ernor Boggs concluded. that nm
der Divine Guidance nothing will
ever destroy those principles q
government and justice and free
dom and individual rights wbjcr
make the United States of Americ
the hope of people throughout III
world" 81
Following the address. DR.. Joh
X. Hart, chaplain at Washingto
Memorial Chapel served tea in hon
or OF Governor Boggs and tbos
Delawareans who made the nil
grlmage with him to this natiOna
shrine.