Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1836-09-08
4 MORNING., SEPTEMBER 8, lsse.


sixTr YEARS AGO.
10 N sr,iioa delivered q sAs isss nasisos
anniversary ~ ,. 2. HslJsst, Esq. occurs ths
following srsphic descriptiaa or ne sixnin< a
NE Decssrstioo az Iedependsscss - =
Sirfy ysws ego. and not cue Of the
bold hands that signed that Immortal
instrument aow moves a the impulse
OF the patriotic. fearless spirit that then
guided IL! Fellow. citizens, let %.
pause moment, With reverence to
Contemplate that assembly OF patriots,
sixty years ago, when sbout 70 sanction
with their nance, and devotiug them
selves 10 seal with their blood. that
Declaration. mot merely Of the Inde-
pendence Of their couatry, but the
Rights Of Man. In that august body
Of ffty-six illustrious men. the wisdom
and the strength Of the land were ar
rayed. Massachusetts, stood foremost.
There was our venerable Franklin, the
father Of that Congress. the eldest man
In IL. then seventy years Of age and
there was COR youthful Gerry. in che
vigor Of thirty-two. Edward Rutledge
OF South Carolina. was the youngest
member, with but twenty-seven SUM-
mers over his head. But nine Of those
patriots were over City years Of age,
while seventeen were under forty.
The immortal author OF the Declaration
was thirty.three, the youngest Of the
band but four. Our noble Hancock,
the President, was thirty-n nine, in all
the vigor Of his elegant manhood.
Jeferson presents 20 the Congress the
deed Of our liberties, drawn in beauti-
tui simplicity Of language, in sublime
conception Of thought, by his own
hand. Atsrl =
The mild and unassuming Secreta-
~ reads that solemn Declaration, and
lays II on the table, pause OF nearly
m hour before the boldest approaches
to affix his signsture-not pause Of
fear or Of hesitation--oh! no--but .
pause full Of the deep. abiding respon-
sibilities Of that act--a pause full OF the
prophetic history Of the tolls, and en-
durance, and devotion. and triumphs,
through which that Declaration Of In
dependence, not for America only, but
in the course Of time for the nations OF
the earth, was to be carried to its final
glorious contamination.
Who that ever held aught on earth
deaFer than LIBERTY, would not have
paused long and fearfully ere he signed
that solemn instrument which was to
call down upon his devoted head the
vengeance Of the most formidable mo-
march Of the earth. whose soldiers at
that moment filed the land and almost
surrounded The hall Of their delibefa-
tons with bayonets pointed at their
breastsi Who that ever knew fear or
selfshness weuld not have tfembled
and shrunk in the execution Of that
fearful deeds
"You have eli seen the fac SMILES
OF the signatures 60 the Declaration.
and IS there one that hears the mark OF
fearl Our own John Hancock, the
noble, the prescribed patriot. was
worthy TO be the first TO place hit name
there in bold characters. The rest fol-
lowed with steady hand and strong
heart. True, the venerable Hopkins
Of Rhode Island, traced bis name with
palsisd hand, but il vas guided by q
soul. the energies Of which tyrants
could never palsy.-There IL . charAc-
ter in the hand writing Of those sigma
lures which paTtakes Of the daring. free,
end firm spirit that animated the boz
sous Of their sutherland seems lc
give us an insight into the motives and
feelings Of every individual, whose
name there engraved, has become an
imPerishabie part Of the records Of
time.
"YOuF painters have embodied that
illustrious group. and your poets, ora
tors, and historians. have impressed il,
ia living characters, on their pages;
but who can paint OF portray the moral
grandeur Of that seeneS'