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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 2, 1915)
THE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. A MODERN PORTIA 4 3 ROM much that historians havo written about tho Fourth of July, 177C, an erroneous ldoa of tho happenings of that great day has hecomo a common hcrltago of tho pcoplo of our land. Many an American considers It a part of a patriotic duty to musoupon tho Imaginative plcturo entltlod "Tho First Fourth of July," which some hlMtorlcal wrltor has painted upon his vision. In fancy ho seos Indopondonco hall In Phila delphia and tho Continental congress with Its ruffled Bhirts, long cloth coats, knoo pants, silk stockings and low shoes sitting with dignity, but llstonlng spollbound to a wonderfully strange and entirely now document callod "Tho Declaration of Indopcndonco." In fancy ho even hears tho popular acclaim of "That Is Just what wo nil say!" and "It Is well worded, Mr. Jefferson." Then tho mind pic tures tho various delegates to congress hasten ing forward, eager for tho honor of fixing their signatures to a sheepskin document. Tho sceno changes to tho ringing of tho great liberty bell, to tho assembling of tho people at Philadelphia who applauded tho reading of this bill of rights and to tho final closing of tho day with ovory man, woman and child In Philadel phia happy because ho is no longer a Dritlsh subject, having becomo a free American In u alnglo day. Such a vlBlon pictures a heroic scene; but tho truo record of events does not nfflrm that theso ec-callod happenings took placo on that me morable day. Dy blotting out the Imperfoct de tails of tho plcturo tho Fourth of July Is in no way robbod of any of Its glory. An authontlc account of what transpired at that timo changes tho meaning of tho Fourth of July from ono day to about sixty In which tho wholo history of our national liberty is told and tho heroic heart-throbs of tho sorely tried colo nists ara keenly felt. Tho day itself properly symbolizes tho liberty for which the patriots of that timo stood ready to sacrinco their lives In order to launch, tho United States as a national craft which should bo anchored by no weight of foreign despotism. It was a timo of danger when brothor, friend and nolghbor becamo ostranged by reason of political opinion. Some colonists still loved tho mothor country with truo English pride, whllo others wore so embittered by tho Injustice of the soverolgn across tho soas that they willingly gave their all to tho causo of tho pcoplo of tho new land. During the latter part of 1774 Cloorgo Wash ington himself wrote that no thinking man among tho colonists wnntod to soparato from England, and Franklin ridiculed tho Idea. During tho oarly days of tho revolution tho bluccoats novor dreamed of separating, from tho boloved land of tholr ancestors. In fact, such a courso would havo beon condemned by Ameri cans themsolves as treason. Jefferson declared that prior to April 10, 177G, ho had heard no whis per of tho disposition of anyone to stand from under tho governmental power of Groat Drltaln. Tho iuovltablo, however, camo with tho spring of 1770, when local nssombllos began formal dis cussion regarding tho liberty of colonists. Those loglslatlvo bodies possossod but Uttlo power, but they did a great part In crystallizing the senti ment for Indopondonco In ninny quarters und forcing those opposed to tho Idea to dcclaro tholr Inimical nttltudo. Tho good work of theso small loglslatlvo bodies was reflected and magnified as soon as tho dele gates were sent to tho Continental congress. Then tho spirit of liberty permoated the very at mosphere of the national assembly and many an Individual received tho courago to align himself with the now cause. If, Juno 7, 177C, thoro had beon an "extra paper" to havo Informed tho public of tho latest political news ono might havo read the flaring headlines "Richard Henry Leo of Virginia tho Man of tho Hour," for It was ho who on that day started the Fourth of July, it was this south erner who introduced the first declaration of In dopondonco In congress declaring the American pooplo free. Good Judgment dictated tho caution of omit ting John Adams' namo from tho minutes, as tho second to that motion, yet tho fact Is known today, when there Is no army of redcoats wait ing to solzo patriots as rebels. Too much praise cannot bo given to tho In troduction of Loo's resolution, yet It was to tho credit of tho Continental congress that action wan not forced upon such an important measure at that time. It could not have succoodod until all objections had been silenced, all fearB of England's success allayed, until nil woro con scientiously convinced that tho coubo of llborty was Just. It was imperative that all should look the GoddOBS of Liberty aquarely In the face with a devotion to follow whoro alio should lead. As no agreement could bo reached on Juno 7 tho roBolution was laid over until the next day, whon It was again postponed for consideration un til July 1. In ordor that the causo of llborty should not be retarded during this wait, congress at that To Miss Luclllo Pugh, tho criminal lawyer of New York, belongs tho dis tinction of being tho first of her box to defend a man accused of murder. Thin honor Miss Pugh accopts with tho same. unassuming frankness that characterized her conduct in tho de fense of Leroy Poindexter, tho negro, whom alio saved from tho electric chair. t Thanks to tho skill with which Miss Pugh handled tho caso tho first Jury disagreed, and at tho second trial sho obtained a verdict of manslaughter in tho second degree When trying her now famous case. Miss Pugh made a remarkable plcturo. Standing but an inch over flvo fcot, her auburn hair parted at tho sldo and drawn tightly around her shapely head, her brown eyes glancing from tho tenso face of tho accused negro to the Jury of twelve whlto men, her right hand outstretched In an appeal ing manner toward them, her loft in dicating tho prisoner, she subtly Bought to forco Into tho minds of her hear ers tho innocenco of tho man she was defending. Ono of tho best-known court ofllclals, who has attended for the last twenty years all the notablo criminal trials in New York, stated that in his opinion, her defense was tho most capable ho had ever heard. r HEAD OF ITALY'S NAVY time nppoluted a committee of five to preparo n declaration of lndopondenca of the same pur port as Loo's resolution, In tho hope that tho now doctrlno would bo unanimously accepted whon tho mattor should bo again taken up In July. Policy domnnded that a southerner should bo choson to wrlto tho declaration In order to Increase tho probability of ltB unanimous adop tion. Logically, Jefforson was tho man to carry this work through, for tho masterly stylo of his pon was woll known. With such coworkers, though, It cannot bo supposed that ho alono was tho author of tho resolution; for tho responsi bility hnd been assigned to nil fivo Jointly, and tho counsel and advlco of all wero necoBaary. However, tho credit of the phraseology Is given to Jefferson, whllo John Adams Is said to have given closo nttentlon to tho revision and the amondlng of tho resolution. Tho entire commit teo helped perfect tho documents by making It the subject of critical analysis. In nllowlng tho Declaration of Indopondonco to bo ready before its assembly on Juno 28 congress precodod its schedule. Satisfied that all wero' acquainted with Its con tents, tho legislature then laid tho bill on tho table until It Bhould come up for discussion by congress sitting as a committee of tho whole. By trial voto July 1 only nine colonics voted as favorablo to tho resolution. Final legislative action was therefore deferred until tho noxt day. That, July 2, was probably the most mamorablo of all dates of our national history. During tho Btormy debate at that time the declaration was both attacked and com manded. When tho voto of tho day was taken It was found that tho declaration had boon unanimously In dorsed by all of tho thirteen colonies. Tho voto In favor of tho declaration was not sutllclont to mako tho adoption of tho now reso lution comploto, for tho noxt day congress sat as a committee of tho' wholo to consider tho bill. At that timo slight alterations were mnde, certain clauses censuring England wore omitted nnd othors regarding alavo trado woro loft out. whllo other amendments wero added. On July 4 congress assembled again and im mediately rosolvod Itself into a committee for tho consideration of tho Declaration of Independence. When John Hancock, as president of tho con gress, resumed tho chair, Mr. Harrison, great grandfather of our former president of the Unltod States, roportod that his committee had agreed to tho declaration, which thoy desired him to report. What followed this announcement Is largely a matter of surmloo, dosplto tho fact that tho do bato lasted all through tho warm day, when dele gates olther talked or Hstonod swathed In hoavy, closo-fitttng stocks. If it had not been for a seomingly trivial inci dent the dobates of that day might probably have loatn.i nvor until thn next, and so July 5 would have becomo tho birthday lnstoad of July 4. TnwnrH ovpnlnc tho discomfort of the as sembly was Increased on account of the awarms of flies which came from a nearby livery stable intn h hnll nf lnciBlaturo. Those peats wero so n.,Haninna in nRtmiiUs uDon the statesmen that Jeffersca said their annoyanco helped bring tho matter to a conclusion, ana iiarnson reHCU ia.inrfilnn tn rnncress as accepted, though in tho minutes of that day tho declaration was at first loft out on acount of, the vengeance m e,uB Innd. rr.l Tnrfnnnnri'pnfifl hall, in the old State hOUSB In Philadelphia, remains about as It was on that July 4, and so as far as tne seiung ui i" tho drama Is comploto, but the drama Itself Is left for us to supply. All that we have left of the record of that memorable day Is the text of the Declaration o Independence, and as that represents what all brave American colonists wore ready to lay down tholr lives for and what Bhould bo handed down to us and guarded as courageously as It had been won, tho Fourth of July has amply sorved Its purpose and desorved Its one monument. "The Spirit of Llborty for All." Whether or not tho Declaration of Inde pendeuco waB signed on July 4,' 1776. by any but Hancock, as president of the Continental con Kress and Thompson, as secretary, la a matter of doubt, for tho Journal entry records signed by ordor of and In behalf of congreBB. Jeffer son himsolf made conflicting statements regard ing this question. Some contend that tho delegates met Informal ly on tho morning of July G and signed tho docu ment. Whether or not the signatures were af fixed on July 4, congress' act was official on that day that Jefferson's Declaration of Independence was declared acceptable to every colouy. And so It resolved that copies should be sent throughout tho new.formcd republic. The general assemblies, conventions, councils, committees of safety and the commanding offlcers of the Continental army had to bo Informed of the Independence of tho United States. These copies woro slgnod by Hancock and Thompson. The Congressional Record of July 19 showa that a resolution was Introduced In tho national as Bembly to tho offect that tho declaration should be engrossed on parchment and presented for the signature of every membor on August 2. This fact, thorofore, serves as authority that the parchment copy signed on that day In August, after it had been compared with tho fair copy and the latter destroyed, Is tho copy of the Dec laration of Independence which was considered for so many years tho original draft of the great bill of rights of tho Americau people. It la Bald that oven this signing was ontered Into with "fear and trombllng." RfiHnHnii that tho signed parchment was a iiinnnn of tho' birth of the new nation. congress took no further official action regarding tho instruments Itsoir unui January, mi. ny that timo tho new republic began to feel Its Btrongth, and congross doclded to promulgate thn nntnna nf thn slcnera of tho Declaration of In- dopondenco by ordering that printed copies of the document Bhould bo made, with the uamea of tho signers added. Mnrv Tvnthnrlnn Goddard. a worn tin whn fnr. - - . - - rled on tho printing business on DroudBlde, Dal Mmnrn nrohahlv never heard of woman's rtahta. yet It so happenod that It becamo her right to print these coplos of tho American bill of rights. From thoaa coploa numerous others wero soon mnAtk until hflfnrn Inner nvnrv linmn hnnatnri at least one copy of the original document which gave lire to our ropuonc. Prince Louis of Savoy, duko of tho Abruzzl, admiral of tho fleet of Italy, Is known to Americans largely through tho American associations of his In teresting career. Ho has made several visits to this country', ono of them resulting In a love affair which, after world-wide publicity, left tho duko still a bachelor. Ho Is distinguished as an explorer, and mountain cllmbor, and at the timo of the earthquake which destroyed Messina, as well as last January, when Avezzano and Its vicinity were roughly shaken, ho was a leader In relief work. From his earliest youth tho duke has mado his life one of activity and of service. He entered the navy and camo to tho United States on board an Italian warship when ho was eight een years old. He became bo Inter ested on his first trip hero that ho re turned some live or six years later, and then ho camo again about ten years ago. On this latter tour of the country It was persistently rumored that ho and Miss Katherine Elklns, daughter of tho West Virginia senator, were engaged to bo married. Tho duko of Abruzzi won moro ronown as an explorer and climber of mountain peaks than In any other of tho pursuits to which he had given attention. He ascended Mount Ellas, Alaska, made his way to a height of 24,000 feet, tho greatest on record, In tho Himalayas, and ho penetrated far into the recesses of tho Uganda district of Africa. Italy's sea chief is only forty-two years old. Ho is moro like an Ameri can business man in appearance than a European naval officer. OUR NEW SUBMARINE CHIEF an M m Germany's remarkable develop ment of submarine warfaro has aroused the Interest and action of every civilized nation, and tho United States is not behind others in recog nizing its importance. In order to de velop the undersea arm of the Amer ican navy and to ellmlnato its pres ent faults, Secretary Daniels has des ignated Capt. A. W. Grant, ono of tho highest ranking officers of his grado, to command the Atlantic submarine flotilla and exercise general supervi sion over that branch of the service He already has got under way an organized effort to put every unit of the submarine flotilla in first-class condition to perform all of tho func tions for which it Is designed, and much of his timo is spent in Wash ington and at tho various Bhoro sta tions. His powers in the work of con struction and development aro very large, and he receives every possible asslstanco from the navy department. As assistant in this important task, Captain Grant has Commander Yates Stirling, who Is considered ono of tho leading experts on underwater craft and who last winter gave congress and tho public some interesting: information about the weaknesses of the vessels under his charge. CONGRESSMAN SEES WASHINGTON The day after congress adjourned Ed Keating of Colorado entered on what considering that ho Is a con gressman was an odd form of vaca tion. Accompanied by his wife, Keat ing becamo a Washington tourist. "Well, I supposo the first thing wo ought to see,' suggested the con gressman to hii wife, "Is tho capltol." "Tho wh-a-a-t!" "Tho capltol," repeated Keating. "I've been in it, of course, Beveral hun dred times, but have always had some thing on my mind. Many's the timo when I've seen guides pointing out the historic palntlngc to tourists that I had curiosity to know what thoy were about, but I always figured that I could Just as well wait until I wasn t quite bo busy." So thoy hired a guide aid were shown about tho capltol. Then they climbed aboard a big rubber-nock wagon and listened to the megaphone man as he pointed out tho homes of tho Nation's great inon. After that they went up in tho Washington monu raont Keating had seen it a thousand times or saw it from the window ol his hotel room, but never before had bo beon up closo to It. Oh, they tqok In everything the tomb of Georgo Washington at Mount Vernon, the Leo mansion at Arlington, the bureau of engraving even the pension buroau, because Keating Is on tho pension committee Every HttU Whllo thoy paused to buy souvenir postcards to send home to friends.
