The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-07-04

mortal day. When,we are in our graves.
our children will honor it. They will
celebrate it with thanksgivings, with
fastings. with bon-hres and illumina-
tions. On it's annual return, they will
shed tears, copious, gushing tears-not
OF subsection and slavery, not Of agony
and distress, but Of exultation, of graft.
tude. and of Joy. Sir, before God, T be-
lievo the hour is come. My Judgment
approves the measure, and my whole
heart is in it. All that have, and all
that am, and all that hope in this life,
am hero ready to stake upon it; and I
leave off as begun, that live or die, sur
vive or perish, am for the declaration.
It is my living sentiment, ani by the
blessing of God, it shall be my dying
neutrality-suspicious. mow, and In.
dependence ForeUer." How singular that
Adams and Jefferson should both have
had their wish. and died on the anniver-
sary OF day they had helped make i'm
July 4, 1926. Mr.. Adams last words
were. Independence Forerer."
In looking at the signatures, not one
is writton with trembling hand except
Stephen Hopkins. It was not fear that
made him tremble, for he was as true
patriot as any of them. but he was
afflicted with the palsy. But one of the
residences OF the signors is attached to
his name, and that is Charles Carol. It
is said that ono was looking oyer his
shoulder whom he wrote his name, and
said to him, "There are several Of your
name, and if We arc unsuccessful, they
will not know whom to arrest" Ho i'm
mediately wrote ''of Carrolton." AS
much as to say, il there is reproach con-
nected with this, I wish to bear my
share; if any danger, am ready to face
it-there was genuine patriotism.
1t was rather amusing, after they had
signed their names, to hear Benjamin
Franklin say to Samuel Adams. ''Now,
think, we will all hang together" "Yes, !"
said Mr.. Adams, 'or ICE ShaN hang sepd-
rately." Many have supposed that all
the names were signed on the 4th Of
July, 1776. Not 30. It wos signed on
that day only by tho President. John
Hancock, and with his signature it was
sent forth to the world. On the second
day of August it was signed by all but
one OF the ftty-six signers whose names
are appended to it. The other attached
his name in November. The pen used
by the signers is preserved in the Massa-
chusetts Historical Society, at Boston.
What tales that pen could tell If it could
speak! what history there is connected
with itI
The signcrs OK. the declaration are
dead. The hands that held the pen, and
tho fingers TINT moved it when they
wrote their names on that original docu-
ment, now lie cold across their bosoms.
They all lived to good old age. The
average Of fifty-three at the time Of their
decease was over si1ty-eight years. Tie
last survivor was Charles Carol, of Car
rolton, being over ninety when he died.
Fourteen signers lived to be eighty years
old, and four past ninety. They all sleep
in hoEored graves. May laurels of un-
fading beauty ever bloom over their
sepulchres, and monuments, more dura-
BILE than brass or marble, be erected iD
memory of their virtues. We conclude
with the following appropriate verses:
'"Fo the sages who spoke,
To the heroes who bled,
To the day and the deed,
Strike the harp-strings Of Gloryl
Let the sonS Of the rensomed
Remember the dead,
And the tongue uf the eloquent
Hallow the story.
"O'er the bones Of the bold,
DO that story long told,
And on fame's golden tablets
Their triumpha enrolled,
Who on freedoms green hills
Freedoms banner unfurled,
And tho beacon-tire raiaed
That gave light to the world"
49,