The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-04-05

ney. The errand OF that express, Uncle
Billy said, was of vital Importance. The
resolution for independence had been adopt
ed on the second day of the mouth. Tie
preamble, or the declaration of CAUSES which
had led to that resolution, had been present
Ell and debated, and there were doubts OF
its adoption, as there had been developed
some strong oppos ton to it. Mexican and
Rodney were both in favor Of the declara-
ton, but the latter was at his home in Della
ware, eighty miles from Phi'aletphha. Me-
kean sent his ex press for him. Rodney de-
tanned him only long enough tor luncheon
and to make II change OF linen, when he
sprang into his saddle. He reached his seat
IN (now) independence Hall in time to cast
his vote for the great measure. $50 was
secured the happy result Uncle Billy said.
81 was detained at Chester by a shower |
said Uncle Billy, land | was compelled to
ride all night. | was thinly clad, Tor the
weather had been extremely warm. The
sudden fall OF the temperature that succeed.
I'd the shower was severe upon me, and
| was almost frozen when | reached Phila-
,!elphia, before sunrise. | observed, as /
:nssel the church Of Rev. DR.. Dl:ie, that
nc electric rods, put up by DR. Franklin,
lad been struck and bent by the lightning
the Tory parson back to a good Wing, as he
seemed to be when he preached that patriot
&c sermon in Christ Church, just a year be-
fore, to the First Battalion of PHILADELPHIA
Uncle Billy said Jefferson came into Nor
ris ) counting room that morning, on his
way to the State House, and remarked tina,
the mercury had fallen from 80 to Go degree
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 declared
the English. icnn colonies ''tree and in
dependent states"
"les,' said Uncle Billy, 81 remember the
circumstance we'll. 1he Declaration was de-
,ated all the forenoon, and about two o'clock
in the afternoon the final vote was taken.
It was supposed that when the great act
was accomplished Congress would adjourn
ior the day. Not SO. The grand work Was
not completed. The representatives. of the
people had declared the freedom and SOW
c~reignty of The colonies, and that they
formed u national league of states under
Que government; il was now necessary that
The new government should have an insignia
Of sovereignty. So, after disposing of some
other business, Congress appointed q COM
nittee Of three members to prepare a de-
ice for q seal of the United States of
America"
When Uncle Billy had finished his nara
tive, the Squire said:
Now let us answer the lads question
about this seal
"les," said Uncle Billy, "the appointment
Of that committee to devise a seal was about
the coolest thing Of the day. Why, the
b~antling was not then four hours old, and
nobody felt that it would live yet they
proposed to prepare a coat-of-arms as heavy
in weight of sovereignty as was Saul coat
of-mail in brass, Let me see, who composed
the committee?'
"Franklin, Adams and Jefferson" said
the Squire. who spoke Of Franklin as 'one
supposed to know everything" of John
AdAms as "the plump Bostonian with a bald
head though only forty years of age and
Of Jefferson as that tall bean-stals, the
youngest of the three, who was only two
and-thirty years of 1ge. But he had a world
of book-wisdom under that wiry, red hair
Of his said the Squire.
Uncle Billy remembered hearing Jefferson
talking with Morris about the seal " few
days afterward, and ,howi,g Morris Il few
weeks later some sketches of a device mad
10y q West India Frenchnan named Du SINH
tere. The Squire then remembered that on
one hot afternoon Franklin and Adams came
inte Athens little back room with the
French artist, and, using the small table
here on which Paine wrote, examined sew.
eral Of his sketches.
But they came to nothing" said the
Squire. The subject was dropped for Il
while. The war grew hotter and hotter
The member of the committee were engaged
at different posts of duty. Other commit.
tees were appointed. The subject was brief.
iy considered IN Congress from time to
time, and new but unsatisfactory devices
were presented 1t was not until six years
after the adoption of the Declaration OF In.
dependence that Congress approved a de-
sign for the Great Seal of the United States
"Who did make the approved device OF
the SCALP asked Uncle Billy, with about as
much eagerness as the young listener felt.
WAS it not my friend Will Barton, DR..
Ben's younger brother?"
mo, no, Billy" the Squire replied, rather
impatiently; she had nothing to do with it
until after the whole matter was placed in
Secretary Thomson's hands"
The Squire went Oh to say that at about
the middle of June, 1882, Thomson showed
him and Arthur Lee and elias Boudinot all
elaborate device by Barton. 1t was too
elaborate, out in it was u device for the r.
verse OF the seal which pleased them, which
was finally CHOSEN for that position. At the
{ same time thomson showed them q very
Z simple and appropriate device made by an