Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-04-08

Commander-n- Chief of the Continental Army.
And in the summer days of rs, that man in
the brown coat was seen walking up and down
in front of the old State House, his great fore
head shone in full sunlight, while, with his hand
placed behind his back, he went slowly along
the pavement. Then he would hurry to bis
lonely garret, seize the quill and write down the
deep thoughts of his brain.
Then forth again for walk in the State
House Square-up and down under these old
trees, he wanders all the afternoon-at night
there is light burning all night till the break
of day.
Let us look in that garret window-what see
you there?
A rude and neglected room-a man short in
stature sitting beside an old table, with scat
tered sheets of paper all about hiu-the light
of the unsnuffei, candle upon his brow-that
unfaiing quill in his hand!
All my friends, you may talk to me Of tho
sublimity of your battles, whose poetry is bones
and skulls, whose glories are like the trophies
of the butchers shambles- for me, there il
10 battle so awfully sublime as one like this
now being fought before your eyes.
A poor neglected author sitting i'll his garret
the world, poverty, time, space, all forgotten
as with his soul kindled into one steady blaze
he plies that fast moving quill. That quill
writes down words on paper, which shall burn
INTO the brains OF kings, words like arrow;
winged with fire and pointed with vitrol
Go on, brave author, sitting in your garret
alone at this dead hour-go on-on through the
silent watches of the night, and Gods blessings
fall like breezcs of June upon your damp brow
Go on, in the name of God and man, for you
are writing the thoughts of a nation into birth
For many days, in the year ITS, was that
man in the brown coat seen walking up and
down the State House Square. The proud TO,
ry passed by him with scorn. Yet he was
thinking great thoughts, which would eat away
the throne of that Tory's king The Tory, the
vulgar rich man, the small dog in office, passed
him by with scorn, but men Of genius took him
by the arm and called him BROTHER. Look
yonder! There in lonely garret, night after
night, burns, that solitary lamp, burns and burns
on, till break Of day.
At last, the work is done. At last, graphing
the loose sheets in his trembling hands-tremb'
ling because feyerish from the toll of the brain
he rushes forth one morning. His hook is writ,
ten; it now must be printed-scaltered to the
home of America. But not one printer will
tpuch the book, not publisher but grows pale
at the sight of those dingy pages. Because il
ridiculcs the British Monarchy; because il
speaks out, in plain words, that nothing now re-
mains to bc done but to declare the New World
free and independent.
This shocks the troubling printcrs-toucll
such Il mess of trcaS1nable stuff ?--nevcr! But
at last, a printer is found, bold Scotch,nall,
m,,nct, Robert Bell Write that n?mc OH you.
heart, for it is worthy all reverence! He trans
formed those lonse pages into types, and on the
lSt OF january. lT76: Cnmmon Sense burst on
the people CT the New World like prophecy
ies, that book bursts on the hearts ard
homes of Amcrica like light from heaven.
1t Is read by the mechanic at his bench; the
merchant at his desk the preacher i'll his pulpit
reads it to his people, and Scatters its great
truths with tic teachings of Revelation.
7" 1t burst from the press" says the great DR..
Rush. with all effect which has been rarely pro
duccd BY types or paper: in any age or country!
Ramsey, in his History Of the Revolution:
and his brother historian, Gordon, Solemnly
state the fact that this book was most imlmr-
tant cause Of the separation from the Mother
country.
Thomas Jefferson, Joel Barlow, George Wash
ington, unite in their praises Of this work. Long
after Its publication, Jefferson sent Govern
ment shipto bring the author home from France
Washington invited him to the shelter of his
own home; Barlow described him, yes, the man
in the brown coat, as zone OF the most benevo-
lent and diSinterested of mankind; endowed
with the clearest perception, an uncommon
share Of original genius, and the greatest breadth
of thought"
In August 1885, after the battle was fought
and the empire established, Congress, in solemn
resolution, stamped the author Of Common Sens.
with their appreciation, as one of the greatest
of the great men of the Revolution.
This book was the cause and forerunner o.
the Declaration of Independence.
In this book, for the first time, were writer
these great words: THE Free and hdcpendea
States of America"
Let US follow this man in the brown coat
through the scenes Of the Revolution.
In the full prime of early manhood, he joins
the army Of the revolution; he shares the crust
and the cold with Washington and his men
be is with those brave soldiers on the toilsomt
march, with them by the campfire, with then
in the hour OF battle!
Why is he with them?
Is the day dark-has the battle been bloody
do the American soldiers despair? Hark tho
printing press yonder, which moves with The
American camp in all its wanderings, is scatter
ing pamphlets through the ranks of the army.
Pamphlets written by the Author-Sodier
written sometimes on the head of q drum-ol
by the midnight fire, or amid the corses of th'
dead. Pamphlets that stamp great hopes ant
! greater truths in plain words, upon the hearts
of the Continental army.
Tell me, was not that a sublime sight, to se'
man of genius, who might have shone as al
orator. poet, a novelist, following, with untir
ing devotion, the bloody-stamped footsteps o
| the Continental arm
Yes, in the dark Days of '76 when the soldier
of Washington tracked their footsteps on tn
soil of Trenton, in the SHOWS of Princeton, there
| first among the heroes and patriots, there, un
hinching in the hour of defeat, writing th
Crisis'' by the light of the campfire, was th'
Author-Hero Of the revolution.
Yes we will look into the half-clad ranks
Washington's army, wewill behold each corp"ra
surrounded by group of soldiers, as he read
aloud the pamphlets of the Author Soldier
What hope, what Joy, what energy gleamS owe
the veteran faces, as words like these break o.
the frosty air:
"These are the times that try mems souls
The summer soldier and the sunshine patrio
will, in this crisis shrink from the service Of hl
country but lie that stands it now deserves til
love and thanks Of men and women. Tyranny
like hell, is not easily conquered, yet We hay
this consolation with us, that the harder th
conflict the more glorious the triumph"
Do not words like these stirup the blood ?
Yet can you imagine their effect when rea
to the groups of starved and bleeding soldiers