New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-05


ur ing the several colonies tie great measure 81
establishing permanent governments AT once i'r lh II
ecvcs-a decisive step which We hay not l"f-.t tiAi
soJu Carolina precc,.ed all other colonies IN i ~ SIZE
took it, however, with iyatioV and ser delegates
were not quite r,dy 10 vote iVr lde aaSuce "Aeh II
first proposed,
But Richard stockton of Nov-JeIscy must 70: b. ~
marked or unmtuiiuned m cur fali survey, uore
e. p,ciay az IL is matter OF record that his ORIGINAL
dsnbs about the measure. which c IS now bi tVcIy sup
port NJ had been dssipaed and dispelIed "by tie ire
sistlblo and i've arguments OF John Adams
And who requires 10 be reminded that our Great Bos
tonin" BenlImin Franklin IL al Ms past to-day, repre-
ssutus his adopted colony with lees Uplort than he
could wisli--fog Pennsylvania, rs well IS New-iofk was
sadly divided and gt times almost paral zed ~ her dV
siuIi~-bui Win pat i0ti and FRAMES and prudence
AID caoity and philosophy and ut and eOuoh sense
and courage euod2h To constitute Whole del tlo ana
To repT,cnt whole colony by himscll lie Is '"e dai
man Ol tla whole glorious group 81 hiyor IL nay nave
been one or one o. -" rs, iA'h h!'-"h'
rcauira D be poia cd ou ~ order be the observed o.
al observers.
But must not stop here. 1t IS 81, above all other
things that while We dO justice 10 The great actors Ia
this from other colonies We thouli nos over!SoA
the dlctr. from our colony. l. !o 81, above al
things, that We -hoaII recall something more tha tire
names OF she who reprcs ned Mass chu'cS ~ tLat
great Assembly. and Sao boldly aArd th''r Sll"'HIes
III her behalf TO that immortal instrument
Was there ever a more -nal die iHciiun vo1cifed To
mortal than that winch was won ana worn ~ JOIN
Hancock hundred year, ago to-day Not altogether
great not without some iaVe defects 90 ch"Tac +
We remember nothing ts hour hs Presidency OF
the Congrc, % the Declaration and his bold aud noble
Signature to or Magma Chaita. Behold him In the
chair which is sfhl standing IN its old pace-tAe very
same chair IN which Warrington ws 10 80 eleven years
later as President Of tie Correction which framed the
Constitution OF Tie United siacs tho Vtfy same cLaf
emJ lonrd the back Of which Franklin Was 10 dcscIy
"a rising. aud not setting sum-, when th2t Constitution
had been finally sdoptcd-bchod him. the young Boston
mere an not YET quite forty years Of ego, not only with
princcy folir ne at stake, but with price az ttat no
ment .pcn hs head sitting there to-day ~ 81. the
calm and dignity which so peeGIIary ehao-
tered hin, and which nothing seemed able 20 relax OF
rufe lie mad CHANGED 10 the Congress dur
ug tie previous sea. Just Peyton Randolph d been
compelled 10 enlus lis post and 20 home 70 de- and
having unexpectedly elected a. his successor, lie
hcstat,d about taking the scat But grand old benjamin
Harrison Of virginia are toll, standing beside
HIN, ana with the ready good huror that loved JOKE
even in ,he House, he seized the modes! cand-
date la his athletic and placed him IN the PTes.-
dental chairs then, turning 10 some Of tie members
around, he exclaimed 1--WE viii show Mother Britain
bow Itro we care for her by making Massachusetts
President whom sEe has excluded from parton
by d public proclamation"
Behold him lie mas risen for a moment lie las Pu'
tie question The Declaration Is adopted IL Is already
late ~ the evening, and all formal promulg of hr
days dODgs must be postponed. After grace 81 th.e
days the air will be vibrating with the Joyous tones OF
the old bell IN cupola his head. pfccsimng lib
ery TO all mankind and with the responding aociina-
tIuns assembled uultitudes Meantime. for him, how
A. simple solemn duty remains TO be discharged
The paper before him You the very table on
which laid, aud the very inkstand which awaits
his use. No hestat0u ow. lie dips his pen, and WITH
han To a
which world seem have been studied in the schools,
and pracCed In the countingoon, aud shaped ana mod
eled DAY By day In the correspondence OF mercantile and
political mlnhood until should be meet for the autheu-
tication OF some immortal act; aud winch a. Webster
grlndly sid, has made his mpcrshablo rs
il we're written between ORION and the Pleiaies.'
Under that signature vita only the atestatiOn Of a
s.crcHry the Declaration goes forth to the American
people ~ be printed in their juuuals 10 be proclaimed
IA their Streets 10 be- published from Their puPs ~ DC
read al ihc head OF their armies, 20 be Incorporated FOR
ever into their history The British forces, driven away
from Boston arc landing Staten Island, and The
reycr.cs Of Long Island just awaiting ns They were
met by the pTOmu CATION 81 this act OF ohrlse ana dt-
ance 10 all loyal authority. But there wac Eo individual
responsibility for that at in the signature o. John
Hancock President, and CHARLES Thomson, srcretirJ
Not until the "a of August young Boston mer
chant relieved from the perods, the appalling grandeur
Of standing sole sponsor for the revolt or thirteen colo
MES and three mlions of people. sixteen or venteon
years before, very young man, ho ad made yst r
London aud prcs' M al the burial Of George H. and
at the coronation 81 George III. lie now not only the
witness bus aud In some sort the impor-
.onation Of lar substantial change OF dynasty on
his own sol-the burial Of royalty under any and every
title and the coronation OF sovereign Vhnse sceptcr
has already endured for century AMI whose sway LAS
ALREADY embraced ulrce times thirteen and
than thirteen times three millions Of peoplei
All IL HE quaint. picturesque, charming Old manson
house 40 long ccTn Of Beacons could have stood
till this day. Centennial decorations and illunina-
tons might happy marked, and sancticd- and
gorfI A II, hat the rage Of recoustrucon would nave
passed sim longer. and saged II foI The reVeent
care of other generations. But his own name and fame
are secure and whatever may baye been The fOlbes OF
faults OF his later yeGrU, today will remember thai
nome ntous uatehess signature, and him who made
IL, with nothing but respect, admiration and gratitude
~
SAMUEL AND JOHN ADAMS.
But Hancock. rs need reu;ind You. was NOT the
only prescribed patriot who represented Massachusetts
at Philadelphia on the day are concentrating. Ih-
associate 10 Gen. Cages memorable exception from