The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-15
THE CONTINENTAL CoNeREs
CARPENTERS HALL.


CARPENTERS HALL.
INTERESTING ANNIVERSARY EXERCISES AT
THE CENTENNIAL. OF THE FIRST AMERI-
CAN CONGRESS-THE GRAFTON OF HENRY
A. BRowN-A PICTURE OF THE FIRST MEET
/ ING.
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, of the
9TH inst, contains a full account of the ami
vessary exercises in Carpenters Hall, in that
city, connected with the centennial observ-
ance of the first meeting OF the American
Congress. The Bulletin saws, by way of in
troduction: To-day one hundred wears ago
the first Continental Congress met and or
ganized in Carpenters Hall, which stands
back from Chestnut street, between
Third and Fourth. The sacred
and ancient edifice has had an
! eventful history since it was built and the
most important matters connected with that
4 history were detailed few DAYS ago. The
results which followed the assembling of
the first Congress to consider the op-
pressions of Great Britain on her American
colonies are known TO every citizen of the
land, and Carpenters Hall. the place select
ed by the patriots for their discussions. has
very appropriately been named "The Ma
tions Birth-Place;" and many of the
relics OF the great struggle. of our fathers an
still found within it's walls. The Carpenters'
Company OF Philadelphia, the owners of the
hall, in view of the historical associations Of
| their property, therefore made arrangements
for celebrating the centennial anniversary OF
the meeting of the Continental Congress
| The circular of the committee says: "As the
owners of the edifice in which the first
Congress of the people (of the then Is col
onies and provinces) assembled, the
society desires to make the centennial Mt
tug remembrance of the gratitude the
nation of to-day owes to the patriots OF
IVA" Carpenters Hall was appropriately
prepared for the occasion. From the flag
staff floats proudly the stars and stripes, the
emblem of the nation torn in the room
below, and pendant from the top of the stall
to the two front corners of the root dis
| played the flags of all nations. The front of
the building is tastefully drapped with the
American flag. The meeting to-day was
held in the same room in which the ses-
sions of
| THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
were held. In that apartment, containing
many "reminiscences of Eye oldden TYNE, -
were assembled many of our prominent
citizens while the strains from the Liberty
Cornet Band attracted many persons to the
outside of the building. 1t was regretted by
the COMMITTEES that the space at their dis
posal was so limited, as it was desired to
make this celebration of the people. The
organization of the meeting was effected
shortly after 2:30 o'clock this afternoon.
Afier prayer and an opening address bv
Mr.. John Welsh, the elected president Mr.
| Henry A. Brown, the orator of the day, then
proceeded to deliver an eloquent and lengthy
address reviewing the whole history of the
| inception of the Congress, and also giving
an Introductory sketch of previous American
history. He thus pictures most graphically
Continental Congress-: Sunday comes-the
! last Sabbath of the old provincial DAYS
The bells of Christ Church chime sweetly in
the morning air; and her aisles arc
crowded beyond their wont; but the
solemn service glides along, as in other DAYS,
with It's prayer for King and Queen, so soon
to be read for the last time within those
walls, and the thought, perhaps, never
/ breaks the stiffness of the Quakers' meeting
house that thing has come to pass that will
make their quiet town immortal. Then the
long afternoon fades away and the sun sinks
| down yonder over Valley Forge. The fifth
day of September dawns at last. AT 10 in
the morning the delegates assemble at the
| Merchants Coffee House. From that point
they marchon foot along the street until they
! reach the threshold of this hall. And
| what a memorable prOcessioni The young
men cluster around them as thew pass, for
1 these are their chosen leaders in the struggle
that has come. The woman peep at them,
| wonderingly, from the bowed windows OF
their low rooted houses, little dreaming. per-
| haps, that these are the fathers OF a repub bic.
/ for the sake of which their hearts are soon TO
| be wrung and their homes made desolate.
Here a royalist-"Tory" he is soon to be
cailed-turns out for them to pass scarcely
attempting to hide the sneer that trembles on
| his lps, or some stern brOwed friend, a
man of peace, his broad brimmed hat set
firmly on his head, goes by, with meas
ured footsteps on the other side. Yonder
urchin, playing by the roadside, turns his
/ head suddenly to stare at this stately COM
pany. Does he dream of the wonders he
shall live to see? Men whose names his
children shall revere through all descend
ing generations have brushed by him while
| he played, and yet he knows them not.
/ And so along the street. and down the mar
row court and up the broad steps the Con-
gress takes its way. The place of meeting
has been well chosen. Some of the Penn
sylvanians would have preferred the State
house: but that is the seat of government,
and the Assembly, which has adjourned,
has made no provision for the meeting of
Congress there. Here, too, have been held
THE TOWN MEETINGS
at which the people have protested against
the acts of Parliament, and the Carpenters
Company, which owns the hall, is made up
of the friends of liberty. They have offered
their hall to the delegates, and the place
seems fit. 1t is "a spacious hall, "says one of
them, and above there is ''s chamber, with an
excellent library" "a convenient chamber