The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1860-08-28
Thn -inntlN lirli.

4 WIS an gnkou- a'.d solemn da in P'u!
"au,p ,pti,--,.t iuJ.n nf July, rig.,y four
ycar. ago. Ia q, STAT. House, IT !, stand
lug in ihrt CTS. and vfu"r,t"1 rs the birth
i' - # hHit.. the pa'rot C'ngr ~ was Sit
ing. For t.guly our da,s-snc Nav 10
they haj t..r rln>ll1rlng the qa'slinn Of
> cluriu' t.a c,ionlcs free and indap,nIent
>'at.s /. Ms a Very mon"ntous question
- Jh"m W.niI the States. 20 p"or anh
ie, be he able. 10 MAINTAIN their iul,,rulnnce
In not. INV much worse nigh. their con!i
t,ol becoaie, in consequences of the failure c?-
What too would happen to themselves per
sonaly, and to their families? The dccara-
ton would treason against the king, 10 he
punished with The loss of all their property,
and with death itself. Let the children who
now hail the return OF "the fourth with so
much nerriment, remember how thoughtful
ly and anxinusy those patriots felt, when
they were about to take the tiaal vote on "A
question upon which so many and such
weighty interests were depending.
1t was understood that the decision WAS to
be made that day, aud thousands of people
hal gathered in the streets, waiting to catch
the first word of intelligence that it was done.
The old bell ringer had gone up into the bel
fly, TO be already to ring out the wrIc me
sound which the people were So arxious TO
hear. There it hung-the Oh bell More
than twenty years before il hal been pur
chased in England, but the frst time il was
ruug it WAS lroken, and had to b. re cast,
which was done as you see in Philadclphia.
by Messrs. Pass d Stow in 1853. They had
placed upon 1t the very appropriate words
which in the DAYS of Moses had announced tn
the Hebrews the return of the year Of iubi-
lee, "Proclsim liberty throughout all the land
unto all the inhabtants thereof" And it
was a striking fact that this very bell, with
such motto, was now in fact to proclaim to
the waiting people Of new republic, the
joyous notes Of liberty and independence.
The good old bell man had stationed a boy
at the door of the hall below. to give him
notice the moment the Declaration should be
passed. There were, however, some delays
in making ready for the vote. IL was al
most two o'clock in the aft rnnon-pnd the
old man shook bis head doubtfuly, muttering
to himself, "They will never do il! they will
never do itw AT last loud hurrah was
heard below, and out ran the boy, clapping
his hands, and shouting, Ring, ring
Quick as thought the old man giasped the
iron tongue Of the bell with both hardS, and
hurled it with all his strength backward and
forward t. hundred times; while the people
below catching the glad sound, shouted
"Hnrnh! hmr,'i. Tn" d clararirn is pass.
cd We ar. 'r.r! We ar" fra,!' Atnirhl
th city w,s Illuminated, honfrcs were built
ani cannon "aro fire.. and all he people h d
god 'mo og that fret Independence dav.
ia l77G.
But alas! the oil til hangs in the bclfry
no longer. Many years ago bid or r.ck was
made IN it, aud it was nkcn down, and pac
ed in the old hall where the Congress sat
and whore are many other relics Of those
memorable days Tho country has grown
great and powerful. Til" favor Of God has
ested uron us, and now thirty millions oi
people will rejoice in the blessings purchased
for Us by the blo,d and banlships Of our faith
ers. May cur glorious Union never be di-
vided