Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, S. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1940 If Caesar Rodney Had Not Made His Heroic Ride, Americans Might Not Now Be Celebrating the Fourth of July! £ ~1 VO/ ******— /&~U' D. <£- ^srifa ^Gz£~*G*r.+A# jGrtGr^y - /£ / £/s£a^*£'+****> 4pG/£- S^jGyJi^^r. s* *4~^& Ssm £~<* QG>* +SZ S s? ^ ^/t The only surviving letter, dated July 4, 1776, written by any signer of the Declaration of Independence and referring to that document. It is Caesar Rodney’s and it refers only briefly to his heroic ride. By ELMO SCOTT WATSON (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) T HANKS to the poets, the story of the rides of Paul Revere and Gen. Phil Sheridan are an imperish able part of American tradi tion. But, so far, no bard has sung of the heroic ride of Caesar Rodney—at least, none has given us a poem about it so familiar as those of Henry W. Longfellow and Thomas Buchanah Read. Yet here is truly an epic theme — the story of how death rode in the saddle with this heroic horseman and how history might have been changed if he had failed in his mission. The events leading up to Caesar Rodney’s ride were these: On June 7, 1776, a resolution introduced by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia in the Continental con gress, declaring that “these Unit ed Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independ ent States,” was accepted in a committee of the whole by repre sentatives of seven of the colo nies—a bare majority of cne. If this revolutionary step of sever ing the ties which bound the col onies to the Mother Country was to be taken successfully, there must be greater unanimity among them. So the leaders in the move for independence set about to win over those who hesitated to take such a radical step. Jonathan D. Sargent hurried across the Delaware river into New 'Jersey where delegates were being chosen and succeeded in securing the election of men pledged to independence. A few days later the Maryland conven tion, which had previously been opposed to the idea of declaring for independence, reversed its po sition and adopted resolutions in structing its delegates to vote for the Lee resolution. Next South Carolina was won over, as was Pennsylvania, although its dele gation was split on the issue. The delegates from New York, though personally in favor of independ ence, could not vote for it until receiving approval from the con vention in their colony, though it was certain that such approval would be forthcoming. A Divided Delegation. There now remained only the Vote of Delaware to make the decision of the Thirteen Colonies unanimous. She had three dele gates to the congress—Thomas McKean, George Read and Cae sar Rodney. McKean was one of the most outspoken advocates of independence but Read, influ enced by John Dickinson of Penn sylvania, was opposed to declar ing for freedom at this time. This left the deciding vote in the Del aware delegation to Rodney, who was also speaker of the Dela ware assembly and had,returned to Dover to preside over it. On July 1 the Lee resolution came up for discussion and all during that day and far into the next the momentous decision was the subject of a hot debate. Late in the afternoon of July 2 it was put to a vote. Eleven of the col-; onies, by the votes of the ma jority of their delegates, cast their ballots in favor of independ ence. The votes of two—New York and Delaware—were not re corded. If such a decisive step were to be taken, it must be unani mous, else the results might be disastrous. Meanwhile a com mittee headed by Thomas Jeffer son was drafting a Declaration of Independence, and Thomas McKean was making an impor tant decision. He knew that Rod ney was also in favor of inde pendence and if he were brought to Philadelphia he could break the deadlock in the vote of the Delaware delegation. At his own expense he hired a messenger and sent him speeding to Dover to explain the situation to Rodney and urge him to come to Philadelphia at once. It was nearly midnight of July 1 when the messenger started for Dover 80 miles away and he did not arrive there until 24 hours later. Rodney was at his home a few miles further on, so it was not until the early morning hours of July 3 that he was aroused from sleep and given McKean’s mes sage. At daybreak, mounted on the strongest horse in his stable, Rodney was on his way to Phila delphia. For years Rodney had suffered with a cancer on his face. Be fore the opening of the Revolu tion he had been urged to go to England in search of relief from the dread disease, but his sense of duty to his colony in the trou bled times ahead kept him in America. In a letter to his sis ter he described his case as “tru ly dangerous, and what will be the event God only knows; I stiff live in hopes and still retain my usual spirits.” Rodney’s Modest Story. So it took courage of the high est kind for him to set out upon thfe hasty 80-mile trip to Phila delphia, because the exertions of such a journey might easily cause his death. Apparently he never thought of that—his only thought was that his presence was need ed in the Continental Congress where a momentous decision was about to be made. In the letter (reproduced above) which he wrote after completing his jour ney, he makes little mention of the hardships of that journey. It says: Philad.a July the 4th. 1776 Sir: In have Inclosed you a summons di rected to the Sheriff to (Call) Summon the Members for our County to meet in Assembly at Newcastle on the 22d. day of this Instant which I hope you will have put into his hands as soon as possi ble after it comes to Yours—I arrived in Congress tho Detained by Thunder and Rain; time enough to give'my Voice in the matter of Independence—It is now determined by the Thirteen United Col onies without even one dissenting Col ony—We have now got through with the whole of the Declaration, and ordered it to be printed so that you will soon have the pleasure of seeing it—Hand-bills of it will be printed, and sent to the Armies, Cities, County Towns etc. to be published or rather proclaimed in form.—Don’t neglect to attend closely and carefully to my Harvest and You’ll oblige Yours— CAESAR RODNEY Being “detained by Thunder and Rain” was probably the least of his difficulties, for we know by contemporary accounts that the weather was extremely hot and the necessity for haste must have taken a heavy toff of the energies of both man and beast. Where Rodney stopped for the rest and food that was absolutely necessary for both is unknown but since he did not arrive in Philadelphia until the morning of July 4, it is evident that he must have paused somewhere along the way for a brief breathing spell for his horse and a few mo ments of relaxation from the sad dle for himself. Meanwhile Jefferson, John Ad ams and Benjamin Franklin had drafted the Declaration of Inde pendence and the final vote on it was set for the morning of July 4. It is not difficult to imagine the anxiety of McKean as the hour for the congress to assemble drew near. Would Rodney ar rive in time to support him in casting Delaware’s vote for inde pendence? He hoped that he would but he could not be sure. According to one account, Mc Kean was striding up and down the brick walk outside Independ ence hall after the other members of the congress had filed in when he saw a horseman speeding along the dusty street toward him. A moment later this rider drew up in front of the hall and, as he swung wearily down from the saddle, McKean recognized the dust-covered, grimy-faced man as Caesar Rodney. There was a brief handclasp, then the two men entered the hall, Rodney stiff “booted and spurred and travel-stained.” A few minutes later the roll call on the adoption of the Declara tion of Independence began. It started with New Hampshire, the most northerly of the colonies, and proceeded through Massa chusetts, Rhode Island, Connecti cut, (New York was passed for the time being, although her dele gates were favorable) to Penn sylvania. The Crucial Vote. So far the vote of these colo nies has been for adoption of the Declaration. The Pennsylvania delegation is divided but by a vote of three to two her voice speaks for independence. Then comes the crucial vote of Dela ware. As was expected McKean votes in favor of adoption of the Dec laration and Read votes against. When Rodney’s name is called, some of the delegates turn in sur prise—it is the first intimation they have of his return. They know how important his vote is, so they hang on his words. Those words made such an indelible im pression upon some of them, among them McKean, that they remembered them for years aft erwards. He said: “As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and Jionest men is in favor of independence, my own judgment concurs with them, I vote for in dependence.” So Caesar 'Rodney cast the de ciding vote for Delaware and Delaware’s vote was an all-im portant one. The rest was a fore gone conclusion. Delegates from the remainder of the colonies also voted for the charter of liberty and thus the Declaration of In dependence was adopted. So Cae sar Rodney’s heroic ride had not been in vain. Had he not made it, July 4 might not have been the important date that it is—in the history of the United States and of the whole world! But his fame does not rest en tirely upon this one act. Eleven years earlier he had been a mem ber of the Stamp Act congress which met in New York to pro test against the acts of parlia ment which were to lead eventu ally to the Revolution. Rodney was among those who urged the appointment of George Washington as commander-in chief of the Continental army and he became one of Washington’s most valued friends. He entered the war as a brigadier-general of the Delaware militia, was with Washington at the Battle of Tren ton and despite the ravages of cancer, served throughout the Revolution. He came out of the war a major-general and lived to see the country win the free dom for which he had cast his historic vote. He died at Poplar Grove, Delaware, June 29, 1784. FIRST-AID to the AILING HOUSE by Roger B. Whitman Stained Linoleum Q UESTION: How can stains from a garbage pail be removed from kitchen linoleum? Answer: Wash the stained area with a scratchless scouring powder. The remainder of the stain may be removed by rubbing with fine steel wool. Varnished Linoleum. Question: By using a varnish on a linoleum floor for several years it has become discolored to a brown ish tint. How can I remove this varnish, and bring the linoleum back to its original color? Answer: The varnish can be re moved with a solution of three pounds of trisodium phosphate in a gallon of hot water. Take a small area at a time, apply the solution and as soon as the varnish softens, wipe it off. Rinse immediately with clear water. The varnish remover should not be allowed to soak into the linoleum. Yeast in Cess-Pools. One of my correspondents, after long experimenting and making many tests, reports that for a cess pool or septic tank of average size, about six yeast cakes a month will go far to keep them clear and free from odor. Fermentation brought about by yeast helps to destroy odor- producing material and to liquefy sludge. The usual method is to dis solve the yeast in a little cool wa ter, and to pour it down any pipe that is directly connected with the tank or the pool; not down the kitch en sink, if that connects through a grease-trap. Upholstery Spray. Question: A couch in my living- room is used as a bed. What can I spray it with to prevent trouble from vermin? Answer: If*there are no insects In the couch, I should not do anything about it. Should they appear, you can send the couch out for fumiga tion, or can get in an exterminator to treat the upholstery with a liq uid forced in under air pressure. But if you feel very uneasy on the red rover question, you might take mental comfort from laying several squares of camphor under the mat tress, if you can manage to do so. This is said to be a grand rover- repellent. Broadloom Rug Question: After my broadloom rug was washed it does not stay flat on the floor. Can you recommend some thing to size it with so that it will have the body it had before wash ing? Answer: Sizing the back of the rug may correct this condition. Stretch the rug upside down on a floor where it can remain for 24 hours; tack it lightly into place. Brush on a thin coat of white shellac. Glue sizing can be used instead of shellac. (Pro tect the floor before you begin to work.) » Anti-Tarnish. Question: I keep my best silver in flannel bags, and use it about every third week, during which time it tarnishes just enough to require cleaning. This detracts from the pleasure of using it. You have spo ken of preventing tarnish by wrap ping silver in cloth soaked in a solu tion of one-half pound of cadmium acetate in one gallon of water. Would it be practical to make a wood box and glue this cloth to the slides, top and bottom? Answer: That would help, but you would get best results with cloth in close contact with the silver. In addition to lining the box, soak sep arate pieces of cloth in the solu tion, to wrap around the different articles and to lay over them. For cloth, use heavy outing flannel, which will not be greatly stiffened. Paint Odor. Question: After my three-room apartment was painted last Decem ber, a nasty oil odor permeated the apartment, in spite of the constant airing. Another painter, at his sug gestion, painted the walls with a coat of shellac, then a coat of flat paint, but this condition has not been eliminated. What can be done to remedy this condition? Answer: Allow a couple of weeks for further drying and airing. It is possible that the odor is in the en amel or paint used on the windows and trim. If this is so, try wiping the enamel with turpentine. Should this condition continue, your only remedy will be to remove the paint and refinish with a good quality paint. Rafts. Question: Are rafts all specially made? If so, I intend purchasing some old drums and having a local carpenter do his best. Is there any place I can get plans? Answer: Rafts can be purchased already made. Beach and Pool Mag azine at 425 Fourth avenue, New York city, can furnish you with the names of the manufacturers. This publisher may be able to advise you as to where you may be able to se cure plans for a raft. Aluminum Paint. Question: Do you approve of an aluminum coating for flat roofs? Has it any insulating properties? Answer: Yes, aluminum paint will help reflect some of the heat. Its efficiencjv however, may be lowered when the surface has been covered with dirt and soot. (fit Roger B. Whitman--WNU Service.i Peace Treaties The Versailles treaty, • signed June 28, 1919, officially concluded the war between Germany and the Allies. The treaty of St. Germain, signed September 10, concluded peace between Austria and the Al lies; of Neuilly, November 27, be tween Bulgaria and the Allies; of Grand Trianon, June 4, 1920, be tween Hungary and the Allies; and of Sevres, August 10, 1920, be tween Turkey and the Allies. The United States did not of ficially conclude peace treaties with Germany, Austria and Hun gary until 1921.—Pathfinder. Falsehood Flies A lie has no legs and cannot stand; but it has wings, and can| fly far and wide.—War burton. Expenses Over Income He is poor whose expenses ex ceed his income.—La Bruyere. Effects of Travel Travel makes a wise man bet ter but a fool worse. smokes the slow-burning cigarette I WANT all the Mildness AND FLAVOR I CAN GET. CAMELS BURN SLOWER AND GIVE ME WHAT I WANT, ALONG WITH EXTRA JMOKING/TOO! mm PETER PICK-World’s Champion Sprint Swimmer ""V TO SPEED for me in my cigarette,” IN says Pete. "I know what a difference there is between a fast-burning smoke and a slow-burning one. I stick to Camels.” Yes, Camel’s costlier tobaccos and slower burning give you extras in mildness, coolness, and flavor—and extra smoking, too (see right), FOR EXTRA MILDNESS, EXTRA COOLNESS, EXTRA FLAVOR- CAMELS SLOW-BURNING COSTLIER TOBACCOS # In recent laboratory tests, CAMELS burned 25% slower than the average of the 15 other of the largest-selling brands tested—slower than any of them. That means, on the average, a smoking plus equal to* EXTRA SMOKES PER PACK! Judgment and Company Associate with men of good judgment; for judgment is found t in conversation. And we mak® another man’s judgment ours by frequenting his company.—Fuller. Get this FREBBfBlSf For over 70 years grateful people all over the South have trusted Wintersmith’s Tonic for the relief of Malaria. To convince YOU, we are offering this complete, 761-page Holy Bible, FREE. Just mail the top from one large carton (or the tops from two email cartons) to Winters mi th Chemical Co., Inc., Louisville, Ky. WimtRSMITHS ionic/-. 7/M^ YOU ARE AN INFLUENTIAL PERSON r K. The merchant who advertises must treat you better than the merchant who does not. He must treat you as though you were the most influential person in town. As a matter of cold fact you are. You hold the destiny of his business in your hands. He knows it. He shows it. And you benefit by good service, by courteous treat ment, by good value—and by lower prices.