Part 14 (1/2)

During the discussion there was intense excitement in and around the old State House in Philadelphia, where Congress was in session. Thousands thronged about the building, watching the barred doors and closed window shutters with feverish anxiety. The faces of the crowd are turned upward to the steeple, for there hangs a bell brought from London nearly a quarter of a century before, bearing the prophetic and singularly appropriate words of Scripture, ”Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: LIBERTY BELL, INDEPENDENCE HALL, PHILADELPHIA.]

It had been arranged by some one that the bell should be rung the moment the Declaration of Independence was adopted. The old bell-ringer placed a small boy at the hall door to await the signal of the doorkeeper.

When at last the vote for independence was declared, the doorkeeper gave the signal, and the boy ran out shouting, ”Ring, ring, ring!”

And the old bell-ringer did ring as he never rang before!

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PEOPLE WAITING FOR THE FINAL VOTE ON THE DECLARATION.]

=178. How the Declaration was received by the People.=--After it had pa.s.sed Congress, the Declaration was sent to be read to the people throughout the thirteen colonies. It was received everywhere with the greatest joy. Bells were rung, cannon were fired, fireworks were burned, and flags were flung to the breeze. The bands played martial music, and even the smallest towns and villages were in a blaze of excitement.

Was.h.i.+ngton ordered the Declaration to be read to all the brigades of the patriot army in and around New York City. The occasion was celebrated the same night by pulling down the leaden statue of George III on Bowling Green, and casting it into bullets.

The magic word was INDEPENDENCE.

John Adams truthfully predicted that these demonstrations of joy would be reflected in many a year to come by the people of our free country.

The eloquent words of the Declaration of Independence had been p.r.o.nounced, but it was left for Was.h.i.+ngton and his little army to make it good.

England at this time was the most powerful nation in the world. Her navy was large, and her army was fully equipped and well drilled. Her resources were vast, and she had now made up her mind to crush the ”rebels” in America. To men in foreign lands it seemed madness for the feeble colonies in America to resist the royal power of England.

The Declaration of Independence after a time was signed by fifty-six delegates from all the colonies.

=179. Incidents connected with the Great Event.=--If we look at a facsimile of the signatures to the Declaration, we notice that the name of Stephen Hopkins, of Rhode Island, was written with a tremulous hand.

This was due to a partial paralysis. After he had signed, he smiled at his irregular penmans.h.i.+p and said, ”You see my hand trembles, but my heart doesn't!”

John Hanc.o.c.k's signature is noted for its big, bold letters.

”There,” said he, ”John Bull can read that without 'specs'!”

As they gathered round to sign their names to the doc.u.ment, ”pledging their lives, their fortune, and their sacred honor” to maintain and defend their action, every one of them understood very well that, if this revolution failed and, he should be captured, he was liable to be hanged as a traitor.

John Hanc.o.c.k said to a group of the signers, ”We must stand by each other; no pulling different ways--we must all hang together in this matter.”

”Yes,” said Franklin, ”we must indeed, or we shall all hang separately!”

The Fourth day of July, marked by the momentous event popularly known as the adoption of the ”Declaration of Independence,” has properly become our National Holiday. The day has been celebrated, just as our forefathers said it would be, with the firing of cannon, the ringing of bells, parades, and bonfires. From that day to the present, the immortal doc.u.ment has been listened to with reverence by our people.

=180. What the Declaration of Independence should mean to us.=--Thus we have traced the growth of the pa.s.sion for liberty which finally reached its loftiest expression in this n.o.ble Declaration. Read it and let it grow into your memory. Do not forget that lovers of liberty, the world over, regard it as the sublimest state paper ever produced by man, marking the grandest advance in political progress ever made by the human race.

To us of the present day its chief charm lies in its n.o.ble beginning and its no less n.o.ble end. We care little now about the faults and the follies of King George, but the bold a.s.sertions of great truths in the opening sentences of the Declaration appeal as warmly to us to-day as they did to those for whom they were first written.

It is interesting to know that it was signed by men of lofty purpose and exalted character, every one of whom held to his last day a reputation never dishonored. These were the chosen men, worthy to be leaders with Was.h.i.+ngton of the young nation.

For good or evil this most momentous step was now taken. There was no choice left the colonies but to win by hard fighting or to be crushed by their enemy.

CHAPTER XIV.