Wimbledon Quiz: 1) How many did Pete Sampras win? 2)
Boris Becker? 3) John McEnroe? 4) How many did Bjorn Borg
win in a row? 5) How many did Chris Evert win? 6) Martina
Navratilova? 7) Steffi Graf? Answers below.
Independence Day
On June 6, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the
following resolution:
“That these United Colonies are, and of a right ought to be, free
and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance
to the British Crown, and that all political connection between
them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally
dissolved.
“That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual
measures for forming foreign Alliances.
“That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the
respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.”
Lee’s resolutions were debated, but the Second Continental
Congress was unable to pass them.
On June 11 John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman were appointed to draft
a declaration. Jefferson prepared the first draft, with slight
improvements being made by Adams and Franklin. Lee’s
resolution of independence was adopted on July 2 by a vote of 12
to 0, New York abstaining (Hillary!). Then the actual
Declaration was approved on July 4, after the congress made
some further changes.
On July 3, John Adams wrote the following to his wife, Abigail,
in Beantown. [Spelling and punctuation is correct.]
“Yesterday the greatest Question was decided, which ever was
debated in America, and a greater perhaps, never was or will be
decided among Men. A Resolution was passed with but one
dissenting Colony ‘that these united Colonies, are, and of right
ought to be free and independent States, and as such, they have,
and of Right ought to have full Power to make War, conclude
Peace, establish Commerce, and to do all the other Acts and
Things, which other States may rightfully do.’ You will see in a
few days a Declaration setting forth the Causes, which have
impell’d Us to this mighty Revolution, and the Reasons which
will justify it, in the Sight of God and Man. A Plan of
Confederation will be taken up in a few days.
“When I look back to the Year 1761 I am surprised at the
Suddenness, as well as Greatness of this Revolution. Britain has
been fill’d with Folly, and America with Wisdom, at least this is
my Judgment. – Time must determine. It is the Will of Heaven,
that the two Countries should be sundered forever. It may be the
Will of Heaven that America shall suffer Calamities still more
wasting and distresses yet more dreadful. If this is to be the
Case, it will have this good Effect, at least: it will inspire Us with
many Virtues, which We have not, and correct many Errors,
Follies, and Vices, which threaten to disturb, dishonour, and
destroy Us. – The Furnace of Affliction produces Refinement, in
States as well as Individuals. And the new Governments we are
assuming, in every Part, will require a Purification from our
Vices, and an Augmentation of our Virtues or they will be no
Blessings. The People will have unbounded Power. And the
People are extremely addicted to Corruption and Venality, as
well as the Great. – I am not without Apprehensions from this
Quarter. But I must submit all my Hopes and Fears, to an
overruling Providence, in which, unfashionable as the Faith may
be, I firmly believe.”
Later that same day, Adams wrote Abigail a second letter.
[Geezuz, why wasn’t he quaffing ale at Ye Olde Taverne?]
“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable
Epocha, in the History of America. – I am apt to believe it will
be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great
anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day
of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It
ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews,
Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one
End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever
more.
“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. – I
am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will
cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend
these States. – Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of
ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than
worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that
Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, which I trust
in God We shall not.”
On July 13, Abigail Adams replied.
“By yesterdays post I received two Letters dated 3 and 4 of July
and tho your Letters never fail to give me pleasure, be the subject
what it will, yet it was greatly heightened by the prospect of the
future happiness and Glory of our country; nor am I a little
Gratified when I reflect that a person so nearly connected with
me has had the Honour of being a principal actor, in laying a
foundation for its future Greatness. May the foundation of our
new constitution, be justice, Truth and Righteousness. Like the
wise Mans house may it be founded upon those Rocks and then
neither storms or tempests will overthrow it.
[ Source: “The Declaration of Independence,” edited by Wim
Coleman. Of course in celebrating the Fourth, Adams was quite
prescient, if but two days off.]
—
The Declaration of Independence
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for
one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected
them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth,
the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of
Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they should declare the causes which
impel them to the separation.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments
are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of
the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most
likely to effect their Safety and Happiness .”
The Declaration wasn’t published for the first time until July 6,
as it appeared in the Pennsylvania Evening Post under the title
“A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of
America, in General Congress Assembled.” The Evening Post
was a four-page paper and the Declaration covered the entire first
page and part of the second. Imagine sitting in a tavern as it
came out. Oh, the Bar Chat!
Jefferson and Adams
And each year at this time, I can’t help but retell the story of
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Founding Fathers and our
2nd and 3rd presidents, who both died on the Fourth of July, 1826,
the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Adams’s last words were reported to have been, “Thomas
Jefferson still survives.” He had no means of knowing that
Jefferson had died the same morning at 9:50 AM.
For his part, Jefferson had ten days earlier declined an invitation
to attend ceremonies in Washington marking this golden
anniversary. Barely able to hold pen in hand, he wrote his last
testament to the American people:
“All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The
general spread of the light of science has already laid open to
every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not
been born with saddles on their back, nor a favored few booted
and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God.
These are grounds of hope for others. For ourselves, let the
annual return of this day, forever refresh our recollections of
these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”
—
Stuff
–Katharine Hepburn, legend.
“I always expected to be famous, to be a success. I was full of
myself,” she once said. Hepburn was a trailblazer, that’s for
sure, especially on women’s issues.
Film critic Leonard Maltin said, “There aren’t that many people
left in our midst of her stature, someone whose career spanned as
many decades as hers did and had the impact that she did.”
And Bar Chat reader Mike B. wrote me a little note the other
day, sharing his personal experience with Ms. Hepburn.
In 1974 he was working at a firm on E. 49th Street in Manhattan.
“I would walk down 49th to 2nd Avenue for lunch most everyday.
At about that time of day I would often see Katie standing in
front of her brownstone, waiting for her assistant to arrive from
the garage in her black, four-door Chevrolet. Each time I saw
her I stopped across the street for a second and politely waved
and smiled. No response. But I knew she saw me. One bright
Spring day after two years my efforts were rewarded. That
stunning smile of Katharine Hepburn will never be forgotten.”
–Buddy Hackett was as funny as they come, though I regret not
having seen his Las Vegas act live. Hackett died the other day at
age 78.
–With Sandra Day O’Connor in the news lately, I thought it was
a good time to pull out a story from 1985. Back on February 3rd
of that year, David Brinkley had the following commentary on
“This Week.”
“Washington this weekend is talking not about the budget but
about John Riggins. He is a football star with the Washington
Redskins, and in this town the Redskins can do no wrong, except
to lose a game. The Washington Press Club had a big dinner
called ‘A Salute to Congress,’ with the whole business. A big
hotel ballroom, black tie, silk dresses, a sea of round tables; Sam
Donaldson, the master of ceremonies. Sam had some good
jokes, but it was pretty much uphill from there. Heavy food,
heavy air, smoke, heat, small talk. John Riggins was there and
he’d had maybe a half a glass of wine or so. He got up from the
table, lay down on the carpet and fell asleep. The waiters serving
the tables just stepped over him, nobody said anything – after all,
what was there to say? Nothing much, except that Riggins had
got through a Washington function the way a lot of people would
like to get through Washington functions – by falling asleep and
waking up when it’s over.”
[Source: “Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion,” David
Brinkley]
And O’Connor? What Brinkley omitted was this was the
occasion when Riggins approached the Supreme Court Justice,
clearly having had more than a half glass of wine, and said to
her, “Loosen up, Sandy, baby. You’re too tight.” No one ever
recorded her reply.
–My New York Mets have finally begun to clean house.
Following the 2001 season, the Mets had acquired future Hall of
Famer Roberto Alomar in a deal that all of us thought was a sure
winner. But never did I see a player more disinterested, or in a
fog, or worse, disinterested and in a fog at the same time than
Alomar. Having hit .306 in 14 prior seasons, he proceeded to bat
.265 in 222 games for the Mets. Geezuz, the guy couldn’t have
sucked more. But hopefully this is just a start Cedeno, Leiter
(and his “flagging attention span,” as one writer put it), and, most
urgently, Armando Benitez, who blew another save on Tuesday
night. All we Mets fans want are players we can root for. Guys
who will at least friggin’ hustle and act like they give a damn!
–The New York Times had a piece on a 52-year-old by the name
of Bill Collins the other day. Back at TCU in the 1970s, Collins
won two bronze medals at the NCAAs in the 100 meter dash.
Now, at 52, he is the world record holder for his age group in the
100m (10.95) and 200m (22.78). Amazing stuff. These times
would ‘score points’ in most good high school meets, for crying
out loud. Collins performs 3 days a week on the track and weight
trains 2 or 3 times on the other days, as well as doing 2,000 sit-
ups a week.
–The gassing of the Canada geese in my home county has
begun. There are wild celebrations in the streets. Strangers
hugging strangers. Cars honking. Some employers are giving
their employees the day off. “Trader George” just told me it’s
like the joy following the U.S. hockey team’s win at Lake Placid
in 1980.
–But .black bears have now been sighted in my home town!
You laughed when I said I had to be careful walking outside to
get the morning papers, didn’t you? And this just in the next
door community of Chatham has them as well. I’m tellin’ ya, if
the bears team up with the coyotes and beavers, real estate values
will plummet; beavers, in particular, being a most destructive lot.
–The Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island
is being televised this year on the Fourth. I think it’s on ESPN
(check your listings), so try and catch it. Takeru Kobayashi is
the returning champ, having devoured 50 wieners in 12 minutes
last year yes, 50. This year, William “the Refrigerator” Perry
is a contestant.
–My friend Arnie Fardvarkle (not his real name) sent me a note
on Tuesday, saying he was going to be on TV that evening as
part of the first ACC press conference following the addition of
Virginia Tech and Miami. I delayed my beer run, but neither
ESPN or ESPN2 broke into their programming. But the real
bottom line is that all of us have grown tired of this story. I’m
not about to get fired up over Miami-Wake Forest in basketball.
Then again, I can’t imagine Syracuse fans used to get stoked for
their own b-ball games against Miami.
–But wait how ‘bout a road trip to South Beach for Miami-
Wake? Huh. I could get used to that, come to think of it.
Top 3 songs for the week of 7/6/74: #1 “Rock The Boat” (The
Hues Corporation) #2 “Sundown” (Gordon Lightfoot) #3
“Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” (Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods)
Wimbledon Quiz Answers: 1) Pete Sampras won 7 times: 1993-
95, 1997-2000. 2) Boris Becker 3 times: ’85, ’86, ’89. 3) John
McEnroe, 3: ’81, ’83, ’84. 4) Bjorn Borg won his five titles in a
row, 1976-80. 5) Chris Evert won it 3 times: ’74, ’76, ’81. She
finished 2nd 6 times. 6) Martina Navratilova won 9 titles: ’78-
’79, ’82-’87, ’90. 7) Steffi Graf won 7 times: ’88-’89, ’91-’93,
’95-’96.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
