New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-01

I way Down the dark stairs.
The old bell keeper ives alone. Man
minutes passed. Meaning over the kailin
Of the steeple, his face toward CAessn,
street, he looked anxiously for that ia
haired boy. Momonts passed, yet still
came not TIE crowds gathered NOR
! darby along the pavement and DER ii
I lawn, yet ssill the boy came not7
"Ah" 9rosne4 the old man he has 70
l gotten mt, These old limbs willshSve
| totter down the State House stairs, an
climb up again, and all on account of tia
child"
As the word was on his lip, a merry, lin,
ing laugh broke on the ear. There, anon
the crowds on the pavement, stood the blu
eyed boy, clapping his tiny hands.
And then swelling his little chest,
raised himself on tlp-toe. and shouted
single word.
Do you SEQ that OH mans eye free b
you see that arm 20 suddenly barred to til
shoulder Do you see that withere4 ham
grasping the iron tongue Of the belly Tn
old man 10 young again; his Gins are file,
with Few Life Backward apd forward witt
sturdy stroAesAe swings the tongue. Tn
bell speaks out. Tho crowd in the stu
hear il, and burst forth in one long shout
Old delaware hears it, and gives it back il
the hurrah Of her thousand sailorss Th'
city hears it. and starts up from desk an(
workbench as though an earthquake hat
spoken.
Yet still while the sweat pohrs from hi
brow, that old bellkeeper hurls Ae iror
tongue, and Observation-Disclosures
the bell speaks to the city and He world.
There il q terrible poetry in he sound oil
that State House bell at the dUdd Of night
when striking its sullen end solemn-One!
1t rouses crime from its task, mirth from its
wine cup, murder from ito knife, bribery
from its gold. There 10 a terrible poetry ia
that sound. 1t epeaks to US like aVoice
from our youth-like the knell of Gods
s0lemn vet kind remem-
brancer of friends, now dead and gone.
There is terrible poetry in that sound
at the dead of night; but .there was day
wben the echo of that bell world
slumbering in tyranny and 0fme
Yes, as the old man swung the IRON
Tongue, the Bell spoke to all the world.
That sound crossed the Atlantic spierced
Tho dungeons of Euf0pe-the workshops of
England-thetassal fields of France.
That Echo spoke to the slave-bade him
look from his sOil-and know himself man.
That Echo startled the kings upon their
thrones.
That Echo was the knell of king-craft,
and all other crafts born of the
darkness Of ages, and .6aptized in seas of
blood.
Yes, the voice q that littIt boy, Vino, lift
ing himself on tip zoe. with his flaxen hair
blowing in IT, breeze. shouted "RiHg," had
: deep md awfsl meaning in its ihtans
Why did that word "Ring r-swhy ID
That echo Of the State House bell. speak
such deep and awful meaning to the worlds
What did thst "Ring 1.-THE echo of that
bell, have to d with the xdownfall of the
shonest priest or traitor King.
Under that. very bell, pealing out at noon
ind mechanics had assembled to shake the
haokles off the world.
Now 4et Us look in upon this band of plain
nen met in such solemn council 1t lie. now
lalf an hour previous to the moment When
he bell-ringer responded to the shout of the
air haired boy.
This is an Gid hall. It is not 90 large a.
nay monareh,s anteroom; you might put
hundred like II within the walls OF st.
'eter's, and yet it Ma fine old hall The
rails are conCea led in. dark oaken wains. \
citing. and there among tho inclosed win
ows, the purple tapestry comes dropping
The ornaments Of thithAIll \
over the head of at noble, bfowed man |
John Hancock. who sits cal0 and serene |
yonder chair-there il banner. the ban |
or of theetars. Perched on TIT bnner |
is the eagle with unfolded wings. lis it |
OF precOcnhs biedg Born only lest year |
Banker Hill, new it spreads its wings,
III grown, over whole cOntnent.)
Look ovR the faces II these fifty-six
en-, and see every eye turned TO that door.
here is silence in this hall-every voice is
fAno "a az /
I'd awful responsibility.
Why turns every glance to that door;
n.y. 10 every face go solemn; why is it 80
rribly still2
The committee of three, who have been
i an n&ht penning . parchment, are
out teapDesr.
The parchment, with the signatures of
- men, written with the pen lying on
nd0 table, will Gthee make the world
70 or stretch these necks upQ the gibbet
nder in lotter's-ield, or nall these heads
the doorposts of the hall |,
This was the time for solemn faces and
ep silence.
1t ls1D, hask! The door opens-the com.
ttee appear. Who are these three men
o.! come ns walking on coward John Han
rhatt TALL man, with the sharp features.
bold brow md sand-huod hair, holding q
paechDent in hie hand, is the Virginia
mer, Thomas Jefferson. Tio stout.built |. g
with resOlute look and flashing eve! q
It 10 Boston man-0ne John Adams. 9
the calm-faced maa, with hoir droop- t
in thick curls to his shculders-that Y
dressed in plain Goat, and such obi
nome made blue stOckings-that is the n
ladelphia printer. one BENJAMIN Frank Il
odv 60 L.. l
ch0ept is laid. v
hall u be signed or not
hen ensues high and stormy debate =
the hearted cringe in corners- IL
le Thomas Jefferson speaks out few bold
DIS. and John Adams pours out his whole q
hen the deep toned voice of Richard
~ Lee is heard swelling in syllables of
lderlike MUSIC. q
ut still there is doubt-and that pale M
man, shrinking in one corner, sdAeaks
Abodt axes, scaffolds and "a
hbbet" echoes fierce, bold voice Shat "a
lies pen from their seats-and look OF
Ter. u tall, slender man rises, dressed. |
Ough it is eumAer time, in dark RON. | Tn
( now his white hand undulates as it ia
1hO slowly out, how that dark eva IN
d, while his words ring through tho q
We do not know his name-let us. M
sfores call bis appeal the speech of the pr
nown:
iibbeh They may stretch our necks
Il the gibbets in the land-they may
every rock into Q scaffeld, every tree .%
vet 0he Worda an that narchmant ~ de
r die! sh'
Aey may pour our blood on q thousand !st
dds. and yet from every drop that ~
the < or drips on the sswdust of the =
: . new martyr to freedom will spring I'M
birth! to
he British King may blot out the stars M
o. from His sky, but he can not blot vol
ais words written on the parchment tln