Part 6 (2/2)

Not far froer Atkinson, at his ho to a friend about the ress; and this letter of his, though not meant for posterity, has some neat, off-hand portraits which posterity lad to look at Peyton Randolph is ”a venerable rity; a true Roman spirit” Richard Bland is ”a wary, old, experienced veteran at the bar and in the senate; has so of the look of old musty parchments, which he handleth and studieth ainst the Quakers on water-baptiston ”is a soldier,--a warrior; he is a modest man; sensible; speaks little; in action cool, like a bishop at his prayers” Pendleton ”is an huious ued speaker, and, though not so old, may be compared to old Nestor,--

'Experienced Nestor, in persuasion skilled, Words sweet as honey from his lips distilled'”

But Patrick Henry ”is a real half-Quaker,--your brother's ious matters a saint; but the very devil in politics; a son of thunder He will shake the Senate

Soo he had liked to have talked treason into the House”[104]

Few of the ress had ever met before; and if all had arrived upon the scene as late as did these three ht have been soh a lack of previous consultation and acquaintance, in organizing the Congress on the day appointed, and in entering at once upon its business In fact, however, , the delegates had begun to make their appearance in Philadelphia; thenceforith each day the arrivals continued; by Thursday, the 1st of Septeates, nearly one half of the entire body elected, were in town;[105] and probably, during all that week, no day and no night had passed withoutthe business before the these ress, it lorifying oratory and of semi-poetic history have settled down upon theht which seems to distend their forms to proportions alravity that hardly belongs to this world; and itthem and their work somewhat nearer to the plane of natural huht of reality, if, turning to the daily memoranda made at the time by one of their number, we can see howfeasts, hat convivial cohts of preparation for the difficult business they were about to take in hand

For exaust, when the four ation had arrived within five entleates froreet them

”We were introduced,” writes John Adaentlemen, and most cordially welcomed to Philadelphia We then rode into town, and dirty, dusty, and fatigued as ere, we could not resist the ienteel one in Aentlemen of the city,

and to Mr Lynch and Mr Gadsden, of South Carolina Here we had a fresh welcome to the city of Philadelphia; and after some time spent in conversation, a curtain was drawn, and in the other half of the chaant as ever was laid upon a table About eleven o'clock we retired

”30, Tuesday Walked a little about town; visited the ress is to sit, etc; then called at Mr Mifflin's, a grand, spacious, and elegant house Here we had much conversation with Mr Charles Thomson, who isthe Sam Adams of Philadelphia, the life of the cause of liberty, they say A Friend, Collins, came to see us, and invited us to dine on Thursday We returned to our lodgings, and Mr

Lynch, Mr Gadsden, Mr Middleton, and young Mr Rutledge came to visit us

”31, Wednesday Breakfasted at Mr Bayard's, of Philadelphia, with Mr Sprout, a Presbyterian minister Made a visit to Governor Ward of Rhode Island, at his lodgings

There ere introduced to several gentlemen Mr

dickinson, the Farmer of Pennsylvania, caings, to see us We dined with Mr Lynch, his lady and daughter, at their lodgings,and a very agreeable dinner and afternoon we had, notwithstanding the violent heat We were all vastly pleased with Mr Lynch He is a solid, firm, judicious man

”September 1, Thursday This day we breakfasted at Mr

Mifflin's Mr C Thomson came in, and soon after Dr Se We then went to return visits to the gentlemen who had visited us

We visited a Mr Cadwallader, a gentleant house and furniture We then visited Mr

Powell, another splendid seat We then visited the gentlemen from South Carolina, and, about twelve, were introduced to Mr Galloway, the speaker of the House in Pennsylvania We dined at Friend Collins'with Governor Hopkins, Governor Ward, Mr Galloway, Mr Rhoades, etc In the evening all the gentleress ere arrived in town, ether Twenty-five inia, North Carolina, Maryland, and the city of New York were not arrived

”2, Friday Dined at Mr Thomas Mifflin's with Mr Lynch, Mr Middleton, and the two Rutledges with their ladies

We were very sociable and happy After coffee ent to the tavern, where ere introduced to Peyton Randolph, Esquire, speaker of Virginia, Colonel Harrison, Richard Henry Lee, Esquire, and Colonel Bland These gentleinia appear to be the most spirited and consistent of any Harrison said he would have coone, upon this occasion, if it had been to Jericho

”3, Saturday Breakfasted at Dr shi+ppen's; Dr Witherspoon was there Col R H Lee lodges there; he is a masterly man We ith Mr William Barrell to his store, and drank punch, and ate dried smoked sprats with him; read the papers and our letters from Boston; dined with Mr Joseph Reed, the lawyer;spent the evening at Mr Mifflin's, with Lee and Harrison froes, Dr

Witherspoon, Dr shi+ppen, Dr Steptoe, and another gentleant supper, and we drank sentih Lee had dined with Mr dickinson, and drank Burgundy the whole afternoon”[106]

Accordingly, at 10 o'clock on Monday ates asseether through the streets to Carpenters' Hall, for most of them the stiffness of a first introduction was already broken, and they could greet one another that ood fellowshi+p of boon companions Moreover, they were then ready to proceed to business under the advantage of having arranged beforehand an outline of as first to be done It had been discovered, apparently, that the first serious question which wouldto the ress, namely, whether each deputy should have a vote, or only each colony; and if the latter, whether the vote of each colony should be proportioned to its population and property

Having arrived at the hall, and inspected it, and agreed that it would serve the purpose, the delegates helped themselves to seats Then Mr

Lynch of South Carolina arose, and noinia for president This no been unanimously adopted, Mr Lynch likewise proposed Mr Charles Thomson for secretary, which was carried without opposition; but as Mr Thoate, and of course was not then present, the doorkeeper was instructed to go out and find him, and say to hiress

Next came the production and inspection of credentials The roll indicated that of the fifty-two delegates appointed, forty-four were already upon the ground,--constituting an assenity of character and for intellectual e that the colonies had ever seen In that room that day were such men as John Sullivan, John and Saer Sherston, Joseph Galloway, Thoe Read, Sae, Christopher Gadsden, Henry Middleton, Edton, and Patrick Henry