Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-23

Nhen was many, very many, years
younger than | am now, / spent some time
with a kinsman in Philadelphia who lived
near Independence Square. Near him
dwelt two octogenarians, lively relics of
our national birth-time, who spent several
evenings of each week at the house of my
cousin. They were always there together,
and the chief burden of their conversation
was recollections Of their young manhood,
and especially Of the the events of the old
war for independence, "a part of which
they saw and a part of which they were -
One Of these venerable men was a stout,
baldheaded, rotund, jolly old gentleman,
and was known by everybody as "Uncle
Billy" The other was tall, spare man,
| with abundant flowing locks, rather grave
and precise in speech, and magisterial in
department. He was generally known as
"The Squire, he having been a justice of
the peace several successive years in middle
life. Both were more than eighty years of
age.
Uncle Billy was the senior of the two by
a few months. In his youth he was clerk
with Robert Morris, the patriotic inancer
Of the Continental Congress. Later in life
he became a successful merchant, owned a
privateer during the second war for indie
pendence and for more than thirty years
had lived quietly upon an ample compe-
tence in the enjoyment of wife, children
and friends. The Squire in his earlier
years had been a sort Of miscellaneous man
"a wit, a scholar to a considerable degree,
journalist, and great favorite in the best
classes Of society," and holding some public
Office now and then. In person he was
handsome in form and feature, and a little
foppish He had lived a bachelor, and had
saved sufficient money toward the sunset of
life to make him comfortable without labor
ing for it during life's twilight.
The Squire was a genius of many feat
ures, and had a capacity for many excel
lent performers. Before his majority he
was a sort of sub editor of Bradford's
Pennsylvania journal, and he took pride
in pointing to his artistic achievement in
engraving, with his penknife the ugly, dis
jointed snake representing the English
American colonies, with the significant
words below it. ''Jotn or Die" 1t appear
ed at the head Of The Journal for many
months, to the great annoyance of the
Kings Men, 50 who called it "a scandalous
and saucy reflection The Squire became
man of all work-a sort Of Caleb Quo
| tem-on Atkins Pennsylvania Magazine
when Thomas Paine was a frequent con
tributor 70 its columns.
One evening the Squire and Uncle Billy
we're conversng about journalism in Rev
| olutionary times, when the former gave Il
most Interesting account Of Tom Paine
/ b.. oil lo1 n., -,
occasions | sat like a sponge, absorbing at
all points and imbibing an enormous guam
tity of the spirit of 20, - which affected
my life career. The Squire said Paine had
a remarkable head. His forehead receded
very much his eyes were sort of steel
gray and rather piercing in their glances
under excitement; his nose was large and
slightly rubicund, and his hair was very
dark brown, nearly black. He would come
into Atkins little back room at the Pope's
Head above the London Coffee House on
Market street, quite early in the morning,
chat little while with any who might be
present, and after he had swallowed his
| third glass of brandy would take up his
pen and begin to write with amazing rapid
ity. This was signal for all to leave the
room. Paine's pen went on without ceas-
ing, trying to keep up with the rapid pace
sometimes, he would finish one of those
| bold, incisive, logical and almost fierce es
says on the current political topics which
appeared from time to time and stirred the
hearts of patriots with holy zeal. Then he
would stretch himself out on a settee and
sleep soundly for an hour, when he would
sally out to meet some congenial friend on
the streets or go to some favorite social
haunt.
The Squire was a sort of Ariel in the
public bodies of the city at that tirae, and
his memory being Photographic in its
curacy in reporting sayings and doings he
was held in great repute, and was a favor
ite at social gatherings. A valued friend
of Charles Thomson, the secretary of the
| Continental Congress, he learned manv n
secret motive for acts of that body which
were hidden from public ken. The revcla-
/ tions of these things, long years afterwarl,
made the Squire one of the most delightful
and instructive companions.
/ One evening | handed to Uncle Billy a
document printed and written ON parch-
ment and bearing the recumbeut seal Of
| the United States, the date early as 1877.
| | asked the oracles to explain the origin of
| the seal, as it seemed to have come down
| 10 us in similar form from the beginning of
the nation. Uncle Billy handed the docu-
ment to the Squire, saying, you know
more of this than | do; tell the boy all
about it" The Squire looked at it mo
ment, and turning to Billy asked
''Do you remember the fearful thunder
storm that swept over Philadelphia on the
evening of July 3, 1875, and the very cool,
bracing wind from the northwest the next
morning ~
Uncle Billy answered in the affirmative.
and then with much animation he related
some of his experience at that eventful
time. Morris had sent him to Chester on
some business, and the clerk had ridden
some distance on the way by the side of an
express sent by McKean Member of Con
gress from Delaware, to his colleague, Ce-
sar Rodney. The errand of that express,
Uncle Billy said, was of vital Importance.
The resolution for independence had been
adopted on the second day Of the month.
The preamble, or the declaration of causes
which had led to that resolution, had been
/ presented and debated, and there were
doubts of its adoption, as there had been
developed some strong opposition to it.
| Mexican and Rodney were both in favor of
the declaration, but the latter was at his
home in Delaware, eighty miles from Phila
| delphia. Mexican sent this express for
him. Rodney detained him only long
| enough for luncheon and to make change
of linen, when he spraug into his saddle,
and riding all night he reached his seat in
now independence Hall in time to cast his
vote for the great measure. SO was Sc
cured the happy res. Uncle Billy said.
''l was detained at Chester by a shower ~
said Uncle Billy, "and | was compelled to
ride all night. ! was thinly clad, for the
weather had been extremely warm. The
fol ,f hot
ceeded the shower was severe upon me,
and was almost frozen when l reached
Philadelphia before sunrise. | observed, as
passed the church of Rev. Dr. Duche
that the electric rods, put up by DR.. Frank
lin, had been struck and bent by the light
ming the previous evening, Pity it hadn't
bent the Tory parson back to a good Wing,
as he seemed to be when he preached that
patriotic sermon in Christ church, just a
year before, to the First Battalion of Phil
adelphia."
Uncle Billy said jefferson came into Nor
ris's countng-room that morning, on his
way to the State House, and remarked that
the mercury had fallen from 80 to 0S de
grees in twelve hours.
The Squire reminded his companion that
it was on that day, with the fresh wind
from the north, when Congress so coolly
NoSioi eu thv iIh6liah-Au lOah Nololioa
free and Independent states,
yes" said Uncle Billy, ~ remember
the circumstance we'll The Declaration
was debated all the forenoon, and about
two o'clock in the afternoon the final vote
was taken. 1t was supposed that when the
great act was accomplished Congress would
adjourn for the day. Not so. The grand
work was not completed. The representa-
tives of the people had declared the free
dom and sovereignty of the colonies, and
that they formed a national league of states
under one government it was now neces-