Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-05-18
THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.
It's First Meeting in Philadelphia.-The se-
lection of George Washington ss Com.
Chief Of the Army.
In September, 1774, the delegates
from eleven provinces assembled In
Carpenters hall, the State house being
occupied by the Assembly. The vener-
able Peyton Randolph was chosen presi-
dent, and the man of truth, Charles
Thompson, secretary. There was much
hesitation as to whether the Congress
should be opened with prayer or what
form of prayer would suit Quakers,
Churchmen, and Presbyterians. Mr..
Duche was finally chosen to open the
session, and, in full canonicals, read the
usual petitions and the thirty fifth
Psalm. The news of the cannonsde OF
Boston had just reached the Assembly.
cit seemed, writes John Adams, IN a
letter to his wife dated September IL,
1774, "as If Heaven had ordained that
psalm to be read on that morning"
When it's sublime invocation OF Gods
help in extremity had been read, Mr..
Duche broke into an extemporaneous
prayer, which brought tears into the
eyes Of every man present, and made
them one by an electric sympathy.
Charles Thompson afterward related
that profound silence ensued after the
prayer, 80 deep was the sense OF respon-
sibDity upon each man present.
The members of the Congress were
entertained by the gentlemen Of the city
at grand banquet in the State house,
at innumerable stately feasts at private
houses, and finally by the Assembly In
public dinner, where the first toast was
the king, and the next Mr.. Hancock.
John Hancock comes early to the front
as most noticeable figure against the
background of this blurred and con-
fused time, not only from the steadiness
OF his loyalty when so many paused IT.
resolute, but from certain dramatic in
stinct in the man which lifted him to
the height Of every occasion as on
pedestal.
Young Colonel Washington, from
Virginia, also delegate to the First
Congress, was totally lacking in any ap.
prehension of stage effect. It was
wholly owing to the simplicity and sad
sobriety of his manner that he made Gin
an artists view so magnificent q figure
head for the new republic. His steady,
slow habit of motion, his taciturnityAnd
grave, unsmiling reserve, belonged, his
contemporaries tell us, to his previous
life in the backwoods as surveyor and
soldier. The pretty young girls OF
Philadelphia complained that the Vir-
ginian colonel listened to their lively
sallies without smile but the simple.
sorrowful gravity appears to us to beft
the leader of revolution which was as
yet q bloody experiment better than
courtly grimaces and fluent smile.
A writer gives an incident Of the day
(June Is, 1870 upon which Colonel
Washington was elected by Congress to
the command of the army. DR.. Rush,
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John
Langdon, and Thomas Jefferson gave
dinner to him that evening In an inn OF
fashionable resort somewhere upon the
Gray's Ferry road. After dinner was
over Jefferson rose, and, with few slg..
nifcant words, proposed the health OF
"George Washington, Commander-in-
chief Of the American armies" Wash
ington had bowed and opened his lips to
make the customary courteous reply,
but as his new title was given to him for
the first time, he lost color, solemn awe
crept into his face. "At that moment
he suddenly realized, as we did, says
DIR. Rush, "the awful responsibility OF
our undertaking, and all the insuperable
difficulties which lay before us. The
shock was great. The guests had all
risen and held their glasses to their lips
ready to drink. Each one slowly re-
placed his glass without touching drop,
and thoughtfuly sat down. For some
moments the solemn silence was un-
broken" It was, of a surety, time
for prayer rather than the drinking OF
toasts.- Harper's Magazine.