The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, July 02, 1914, Image 2
TELLING THEN
i
II? :: _ . ym.
iPhotograpli by Frank Fourmer, Staff 1
Each star is grown
And holds a bl
Where freedom stiri
Lifo casts its fa
ALL SHA RE IN GLORY 1
Lesser Known Signers of the lm- J
mortal Declaration. *
t
SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN *
i
t
JThelr Courage and Faith Deserves *
Recognition Along With Those f
Whose Names Are Now House- ?4k
hold Words In the Nation. r
?
F THE flfty-aix men who j
signed the Declaration of s
^?^rW Independence, but a scant \
dozen attained immortality l
1L ?Thomas Jefferson, John <
Hancock, Richard Henry j
** Lee, John Adams, Benja- ]
min Franklin and a few x
others. But what about Josiah Bart- (
lett, Thomas McKean, Charles Carroll, ]
Robert iMorris, George Taylor, Edward 1
Rutledge, John Hart, Francis Lewis, *
Button Gwinnett and a score of oth- j <
ers? I j
Fifty of those fifty-six men were 1
present during the discussion and i 1
adoption of the Declaration, and, as! ]
delegates to the continental congress, 1
were essential factors in its ultimate j
ratification. The other six, elected
members of congress later, neverthe- 1
less took part in the general move- ?
ment by signifying themselves in fa- '
vor of it, and were allowed to sign. 1
Thomas Jefferson, as the author of <
the Declaration, attained a lasting,
fame, as did John Hancock, president
of the continental congress.
Ail Bravely Did Their Chare.
But of the men who stand outside of
that ring of immortality much can be 1
said. If Je;T* rson, Hancock and Loe J
were g n nis, the others were at the
same time essential to the Dor-hirst inn
They, us much as the otlu rs, affixed
their names to what was at that time
nil extremely dangerous durum at.
They, as well as the others, hurried
their bridges behind them and tool<
.their stand firmly uprn their convic-1
tion. It required the signatures of
recognized delegates from each of the,
13 states to make the Declaration of
Independence complete.
; If the veil of 138 years could be lifted
and those days lived over again, it
;would be interesting to see with what
emotions those men among men took
the stand for independence. It would
be inspiring to hear the tone in which j
each gave his answer when called
upon to vote for or against the ratification
of that which was to give this
country its freedom. Hut it would
Jbave been even more dramatic to have
;hovered near the desk on which the
Declaration lay and watched each man
as he came forward and affixed his
signature ? lasting testimonial to the
World, and Great Britain, especially,
of the courage for and faith in thG
new country these men were creating.
The precise hour of the day of the
adoption of the Declaration of Independence
is not determinable from records.
It is known, however, that run
gress entered upon direct consideration
of the question on the first of
July, 177G, by voting to resolve itself
Into a committee of the whole to consider
the resolution introduced by
Richard Henry I^ee, and to refer the
draft of the Declaration to this committee.
It was Richard Henry Dee's
resolution that ran: "That these United
Colonies are, and of right ought to
be, free and independent states."
Adopting the Resolution.
Benjamin Harrison of Virginia was
chosen chairman of the committee.
After a discussion lasting the entire
day the resolution was adopted. The
committee then resumed its standing
as a congress, and President Hancock
received Mr. Harrison's report. It was
then voted to postpone action on the
resolution until the following day.
This course of procedure was carried
cut, and bo the second of July la the
i
?MB?
I THE STORY,
|\ M
':< . , *? ?'..".,:v :
micJm 9k/ \
^hotoRrnpher.
a talisman,
essing and a hope;
s the heart of man
lirest horoscope.
*eal Independence day. The resolution
idopted, congress again resolved it*elf
into a committee of the whole, "to
jonsider draft of a Declaration of Iniependence,
or the form of announcing
he fact to the world." The consideraion
continued throughout the third
ind fourth, it being on the evening of
he latter day that the committee
irose. President Hancock resumed
he chair, and Chairman Harrison re)orted
that the draft had been agreed
lpon. It was then adopted by congress.
,
The draft was ordered on the 19th
>f July to be engrossed, and on August
! the engrossed copy was signed by
>0 members. George Wythe signed
ibout August 27, Richard Henry Lee,
Slbridge Gerry and Oliver Wolcott in
September, Matthew Thornton the folowing
November, and Thomas McLean
even later, probably in 1781.
Such is the account of the signing as
ecognized in an official history of the
Declaration, despite the fact that, in
ecordlng the happening of the Fourth
)f July, Jefferson himself said: "The
Declaration was reported by the comnittee,
agreed to by the house, and
signed by every member present except
Mr. Dickinson." The journal giving
the record of the congress states
ihat It was "Signed by order and in
behalf of congress.. John Hancock,
president. Attest: Charles Thomson,
secretary."
First Celebration.
The first celebration of the event
was Thursday, July 8, 177G, in tno
state house grounds, Philadelphia,
where every eye could gaze upon tho
bell that proclaimed liberty throughout
the world. The Declaration itself
was read to a largo gathering of peo
! le by John Nixon. The king's arms
were taken down in the courtroom in
Lho state house, and in the evening
there were bonfires and great demon
at rations of joy.
In a letter John Adams wrote to
Samuel Chase on the ninth, he thus
describes the occasion. This letter is
now in the possession of the Massachusetts
Historical society:
"You will see by this post that the
river is past, and the bridge cut away.
The Declaration was yesterday published
and proclaimed from that awful
stage, in the state house yard, by
whom, do you think? By the committee
A safety, tlie committee of Inspection
and a great crowd of people.
Three cheers rended the welkin. The
battalions paraded on the common and
gave us the feu de joy, notwithstanding
the scarcity of powder. The bells
rang all day, and almost all night.
Even the cliimers chimed away.
" in the evening our late king's
coat of arms was brought from the
hall, in the state house, where the said
king's courts were formerly held, and
burned amidst the acclamations of a
uruwu ui spectators.
OUT OF SIGHT. '
^
"Looking for a balloon, my boy?"
"No, sir; Eddie lit seven cannon
crackers hero an hour ago, an' I'm
waitin' for him to come down."
It isn't always the firecracker with
the longest fuse that makes the most
noise.
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
Hero ft Is. the "Fourth" ag'ln!
Sake* alive, how time does spin!
Don't seem like -t's ?lx:y year
8tnee I first begun to hear
All the loiul. tarnation noise
We stirred up when we was boya.
All of us a-wlshin* powder
Was lots cheaper and lots loudcrl
Recollect with what delight
Used to be up half the night
Ilelpln* fire the anvil or
Makin' other sounds of war?
Used to wish the earth was drilled
Out Inside and powder-filled.
And that I could somehow just
Touch her off and hear her bu'stt
Weren't no cnnnon-crack^rs then,
Kind o* wish th had n-boen?
Then they would 'a* soumlod sweet;
Now they lift mo oft my Ret.
i ve iH'Bim to ip.jniv mat noise
Was invent*' 1 just for boys.
Fourth o' .Inly don't seem to me
'T all like what it used to bo.
Jvrt as patriotic, still
Somehow I don't catch the thrill
Of the loud, tumultuous joy
T.Ike I used to when a boy.
Nothlu' doln' then but 1
Had a flinter in the pie;
But that finger, as you see,
Clot blowed off eventually.
?Nixon Waterman in Sunday Magazine.
y
i Our j
$ Independence I
i s
y i By MARGARET E. SANGSTFR $
l?\ *L
I sometimes wonder whether we
prize as we ought the great boon of
independence under our flag. Once in
a while I hear women assert with
emphasis that whoever else may be
free they certainly are not so, and that
they never will be so until they have
the ballot This special problem of voting
or not voting does not concern you
and me when we look at our position
and compare it with that of the women
of other lands. For many reasons
thoughtful women are coming round to
the belief that they ought to have the
I ballot. Others, however, equally
thoughtful, take an opposite view, and
until a majority can agree that they
desire to have a share in nominating
and electing those who carry on our
government everything will remain
very much as it is at present. Surely
we have little of which to rnmnloln
at this hour. The independence which
I is the special boast and pride of Americans
and which moves us all to demonstration
when the Fourth of July
returns is as precious to women as to
men, blesses their home lives and con'
veys to ttem a great many privileges.
1 Ask thv. ordinary child who Is the
most important person in the family
^3? A
V? EC
r agS ^-r c'"
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- ; >(Ay>> .iv . ?>-' ; ?
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V. .. ' : V .
. P^Sssp
Independence Hall.
and the answer is usually "Why
mother, of course." Ask an American
husband to name the power behind
the throne in liis home, and ho replies
without hesitation: "My wife." When
Abraham Lincoln was nominated for
the presidency ho said to the group
around him: "There Is a little woman
at home, who will be glad to hear
this." It is the little woman at
homo who sends the husband forth
day by day to his fields of endeavor;
it is she for whom he toils, and it is
she whose ideals Insensibly become
his. The little woman at homo molds
her boys and girls into whatevei
shape ah6 pleases. Why not? God
and mother have the children flrsl
before any other influenco can toucb
their lives. If our women are ab
sorbed in trivlalties, if they care lit
tie about honor, duty or conscience, il
they are vain and consider dress anc
luxury as more Important than educa
tion and piety, if they scorn simplic
ity and put the emphasis of conduol
on show, they cannot help dragging
down the men. Pew men have high
er standards than the women neares'
them, mothers, wives, sisters anc
daughters. If our country is to do
1 ~ I 9 ? 4 - 1 14 1
11 w X3 ui *3 IU 1UVC3 1L I08S
and think more of amassing wealtt
than of standing together as our fore
fathers did, for virtue and freedom
tho blame must be laid at the door oi
our women. Women should be pa
triotic. Napoleon condensed a greal
truth into a single word when he salt
in reply to the question: "What does
France most need?" He said, tersely
"Mothers."
We are on tho eve of another Inde
pendence day. In my early girlhood
the Fourth of July was hailed witli
enthusiasm by old and young. Children
walked in procession behind soldiers,
nnd oands of music tc the town hall
or a grove, or soro y Mher designated
place, and here eve?yb?dy sang patriotic
songs and everybody listened
while a j:dge, a tsiulsWr, or It might
be the governor of the state, read
the Declaration ot Independence.
Tue ore.tor of tre day, in flowery
sentences, reminded us of our history,
of our pledges to the world and of
our grand opportunities. He did not
torget to tell is of the growing splendor
of our galaxy of states, of our rivers,
our mountain ranges, our mines
j rich in coal or copper or silver, of our
! groat fields from which the granaries
j of the wide earth could be supplied, 1
. end of the bravery of the men who
fought under Washington. One and
all wo revered John Hancock and the
other signers of the Declaration, and
the thought of that gallant group of
gentlemen who took their fate in their
i hands when they met in Philadelphia
in 177G, made every young heart beat
j faster. The little girls wore white
dresses with sashes and shoulder
knots of red and blue ribbon, and the
boys wore white trousers and blue
jackets with gilt buttons, and had silk
badges and rosettes o? red, white and
blue pinned on their breasts. There
were salutes, there was a good deal of
j noise, there was the crackling of tor!
pedocs, and, too, there was the snap,
ping of firecrackers, but nobody mindj
ed the clamor. Everybody in these
j days tries to get away from the noise, i
and it is very much the fashion to de- j
: plore it and declare it crude, barbaric
I and foolish thus to celebrate the glo- ,
; rious Fourth. When I was a girl we .
did not mind being in the very heart j
of the noise, and 1 can remember.
well that the old people of that day
enjoyed it all as merrily as their juniors
did.
We may be patriotic without indulging
in dangerous explosives and with- (
out investing in casualties that so j
often have marred our celebration of
Independence day.
What I deprecate is an obvious in- j
difference on the part of too many,
women to pride in their country and
love of the flag. There are so many
other attractions, there is so much
else to be done, and life is so inter- j
estingly complex that we do not take
the trouble to Instil Into the children !
an adoration for the soil and n strong
determination always to stand firmly
for their banner of stars. Sir WnltA*
Scott wrote thrillingly:
TAvps th^re a rrmr> net po dead
Who never to hlmselt 1iath,#<ahl.
This Is my own. my native "land?
Should we visit Europe today we
would find the highlander and the
lowlander Intensely devoted to the
mountains and glens and rushing
' streams of Scotland; we would find
the Englishman proud of his moors
and fens and citfft, so that let him go
i where he may to always looks back
to England and thinks of It as home
with m capital letter. We would find
the peasantry of France, of Hungary
and fiohemla proud o? their long descent,
and everywhere around the
globe we should Vseover the same impulse
on the part of man in love to
the lanci of his birth. We, for our
part, have become at once so cosmopolitan
and so prosperous that we are
less spontaneous and less enthusiastic
than other nations are in caring :
about our hallowed anniversaries.
TIere is a field of legitimate endeavor
which women may cultivate in j
their bringing up of children and in
their influence upon men in general. >
Fourth of July exercises in the pub-j
lie schools, the recitation of poems!
and ballads which have a national significance,
music at home, and most of
all, some knowledge of what our country
stands for. will aid the children as
they take their first, steps toward fu-1
ture citizenship. Wo need not say
"our country, right or wrong," b it we;
may well say our country and tiro?
Y*i (r]> t WA ??v% y-.t- , *
?v. iau n<j wo nava
much to learn, we are still a young
nation, but we are growing and going
forward, and the world itself Is knock.;
ing at our door. A great work of
assimilation is progressing under our
flag. Our independence bought with
a great price Is a heritage which, I
i repeat, we should prize as our most
precious possession.
i .
i POOR RESULT.
; ra^n1
|
c
The Envious One?Humph! If I'd
t had a whole dollar to spend I'd a'
I blowed myself up worser'n that!
) Sane Fourth Desired.
1 By slow degrees we are getting
away from the belligerent spirit en,
kindled during our independence strugf
gle. For more than a eenturv wo woro
- accustomed to burn tons and tons of I
t gunpowder on every glorious anniver-!
1 sary of that day when we declared our?
selves free and independent of King
, George and his tyrannical rule and at
ever) repetition of our furious joy we
blew off fingers, hands, noses and ears
with a patriotic disregard of consei
quenees. We have not entirely rei
formed our Fourth, but we are reform?
ing it.
WITH THE SAME
I^f^S Mm
WW
jf If Stri
f.:;.V?;V^ :. *? -" % w~ ri""i- 'V.*S\Y
ISfil
Photograph by I'rnnk Fournier, St a ft' PI
mmm
?
Celebration of Nation's Birth
Proper Time for Rejoicing. u
ftl
J<
JOHN ADAMS' HOPE REALIZED h
p
: h
Great Statesman Predicted That the ^
Day Would Be Observed Always
as a Time for Demonstrations
of Thankfulness ar.d Joy. ! ^
v.
^ HE letter has become his- , g
toric, that one in which
f\i John Adams predicts the j n
AfU, com^n8 celebration of the j e
fourth July. "I am j
Vy apt to believe," he wrote, M
^JjTStc f "that it (the clay) will bo c
ftti celebrated by succeeding j 81
* generations as the great
anniversary festival. It a
ought to be commemorated as the day {J
of deliverance, by solemn acts of u
devotion to God Almighty. It ought to
bo solemnized with pomp and parade, j-j
with show^game3, sports, guns, bells, n
bonfires illuminations, from one p
end of this continent to the other, ^
from this time forevermore." j
His prediction has become so true (1
that now we seek to curtail the bom- n
bast of the day as a rank overgrowth ^
not foreseen by our forefathers. A y
proud, glad time, the nation's birth- a
day; a time, not for unworthy and injurious
celebration, but for renewal of e
loyal citizenship, and for private re- n
joicing in the privilege of American ^
citizenship. ; u
The first celebration by congress of1 ri
the Fourth has been preserved to us t,
in a letter to his daughter penned by t
that same splendiii old John Adams. e
"Yesterday being the anniversary of n
American Independence, was cele- Cl
brated here \Vith the festivity anil c
ceremony becoming the occasion. I \\
am too old to delight in pretty descrlp- g
tions, if I had a talent for them, otherwise
a picture might be drawn which
would please the fancy of a Whig, at
least. The thought of taking any no- (|
tico of this day was not conceived un- {
til the third. It. was loo late to have 1
a sermon, as everyone wished, so this ^
must be deferred to another year. ,j
Congress d< ten.lined to adjourn over (
that day, and to dine together. The' ^
general ofilcars and ot.ii rs In town
(j
were Jnvl; d, after the president <?! .
council and board of war of this state.
Celebrations on the .Ships. j
"In the morning the Delaware frig^
\ ? *
uuv;, stJVUi'iW JlirgC gclllCyS, UJKl OtllfiF j,
continental armed vessels, galleys and ^
guard-boats were hauled olf in tho
river, and several of them beautifully ^
dressed in the colors of all nations ^
displayed about the masts, yards and
rigging. At one o'clock the ships were1
all manned; that is, the men were all
ordered aloft and arranged upon the j
topyards and shrouds, making a slriking
appearanco of companies of men
drawn up in order in the air." ^
He tells how he went on board with ^
tho president and the marine commit- ^
tee. Each armed vessel fired 3 3
salutes, then the galleys and gunboats.
He describes much shouting and
huzzaing "in a manner which gave ^
great joy to every friend of this country,
and the utmost terror and diemay
to every lurking Tory."
Dining at throe, they were "agreeably
entertained with excellent company,
good cheer, fine music from the
band of Heselans taken at Trenton,
and continual volleys between every
toast from a company of soldiers
drawn up in Second street before the
city tavern, where we dined." Maneuvers
on the common by light horse
and trains of artillery, and a thousand
infantry filled tho day agreeably
for the crowd.
"In the evening I was walking about
h A 0 f lixxl? * ' '
mo niiccio iur & iiLiiis ircsn air and
exercise, and was surprised to ilnd tho
whole city lighting up their candles
at tho windows. I walked most of
the evening, and I think it was tho
most splendid illumination I ever saw
?a few surly houses were dark, but *
the lights were very universal. Con- f
sidering tho lateness of the design, n
and tho suddenness of the execution, P
I was amazed at the universal joy and A
alacrity that was discovered, and at h
the brilliancy and splendor of every v
part of this joyful exhibition. I had t
forgot the ringing of the bells all day, t
and the bonfires in the streets, and p
SPIRIT OF 76" J
(M\
I 2 SMh Jlli
lotographer.
)>j fireworks played off. Ha 1 General
lowe been lu re In disguise, or liis
last.er, this show would have given
lem the heartache."
When Enthusiasm Waned.
We have an account of the Fourth
3 celebrated in Tyler's adniinistraon.
Already it lacked the freshness ^
nd spontaneity of those early ones
ohn Adams witnessed, one of which
e saddened by his own death. "Indeendence
forever," he murmured, as
e lay dying, his ear caught by the
aunds of fireworks. It was the toast
o had sent In response to a request
>r one to be given in his name at a ^ ?
ourth of July banquet to be celerated
many hundred miles from
hero the sands of life were running
wift with him.
That of Tyler's breathes nausea of
oise and distaste for vapidity. An
ye-witness writes, "The Fourth of
uly passed mucn as usual everyhere;
squibs and popgun3 and .
racked bells, with vapid oratlous, ^
Lupld toasts, and execrable speeches;
nt Tnnatu m Yw> />u<it/vr?t
vj v, tiiv/uio auu vuiu ?? Iiirn, Hie t'usiuur
ry laudation of the nation, and the
uantum of headaches that follow un8ual
indulgence."
There was a levee at the White
iouse, and the Sunday school children
larched through the walks of the cap-^
ol grounds; "Mr. Adams watching
:iem with satisfaction and interest."
ohn Quincy Adams, then shared the
uiet enthusiasm of his father. The
larino band comes Into prominence,
itizens of every class thronged the
yhite House, listening to tne martial
irs received by the president.
"The deportment of Mr. Tyler was '
asy and natural, yet sufficiently digified,
placing everyone at his ease,
.nd nothing could surpass the quiet,
nafffected grace with which the ladles ta
eceived and acknowledged the cour- ?
asles of all who paid their respects,
he throng, comprising beautiful wornn,
grave senatois, cabinet and foreigp^
linisters, dashing army and navy others,
offlceseekcrs, citizens and loungrs,
was great from twelve to three,
letwcen live and six about forty
entlemen sat down to dinner witli
10 president."
Dar.icl Webster's Speech.
The Fourth in Fillmore's days^.
nwned for the. laying of the cornertone
of the extension of the capitol.
>aniel Webster, secretary of state, in
dive-ring his oiation as speaker of
lie day, ncconr li.-hed in- re than "tho
ustoinary laudati u of the nation."
Jo stepped forward, ccpy in hand, but
xtamporized r >v thoughts and highly*
itoresting i 11 ions.
"i have said, gentlemen, that our
iiherif.mce is an inheritance of A morion
liberty. That liberty 's charactor ?tic,
peculiar and altogether otir own.
lothlng liko it existed in former times
or was known in tho most, enllghtr?
fi /I otnf/^< --?i f n * * *
icui ntrtUM Wl HIJlHJUliy; wi11j0 wjlh
s its principles havo become inter- ,
/oven Into tho minds of individual*^*rieu,
connected with our daily opinnna
and our daily habits, until it is, If
may ho Hay, an clement of social a?
/ell as of political life; and the conequence
is, that to whatever region
n American citizen carries himself,
io takes with him, fully developed in
is own understanding and experience, x
>ur American principles and opinions, /
nd becomes ready at once, in co-oper- \
,tion with others, to apply them to the v
ormatlou of new governments."
1
A CRACK 59MPANY. ^
, .?******* ' ;
Quieter Celebrations.
Various ways of celebrating the
" ourth havo been substituted in dlf^
erent American cities for the old proaiscuous
celebration, in which every
atriotic individual spent money for
reworks and held a celebration in ,v
is own back yard. The old method
/as fearfully wasteful?it was dls- .
rlbutive effort. And it distributed j
he noise in a way to set elderly peo*
le wild. J |
1