The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-12
WORDS THAT RING
Signing Of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence Bravely Urged by
Patrick Henry
IN A REMARKABLE SPEECH
Delivered in Philadelphia Historic
Old Hall on the 4th Day Of
July, 1776.

July, l776.
The following speech, which was hith
erto unknown, induced the singing o1
the Declaration of independence. It ap.
peared in Boston journal of 1776 that
has recently come to light:
1t is the old hall of Philadelphia op
July4, l776. There is silence in this
hall, every face is stamped with a deep
and awful responsibility
Why turns every glance to that door?
Why is it so terribly still:
The committee Of three, who have
been out all night planning parchment.
are about to appear That parchment
with the signatures Of these men written
with pen lying on yonder table, may
either make the world free, or stretch
these necks upon the gibbet yonder in
Pot5ers field, or nail these heads to the
door-post of these halls. That was the
time of solemn faces and deep silence.
At last, hark! The door opens; the
committee appear, who are these men
who come walking up to John Hancock q
chair?
The tall man, with sharp features, the
bold brow and sand-hued hair, holding
the parchment in his hands is the Vir-
ginian farmer, Thomas Jefferson. That
stout-built man, with a resolute look and
sparkling eye-that is a Boston man, one
John Adams. And the calm faced man,
with hair dropping in thick curls to his
shoulders, that dressed in plain coat
and such odious homemade blue stock
ings-that is the Philadelphia printer,
one Benjamin Franklin.
The three advance to the. table. The
parchment is laid there. Shall 1t be
signed or not?
Then ensues a high debate; then all
the faint-hearted cringe in corners, while
Thomas Jefferson speaks out his few
bold words, and John Adams pours out
his whole soul.
The soft.tone voice of Charles Carol is
heard undulatipg in syllables of deep
music.
But still there is doubt, and shat pale
faced man, shrinking in one corner
squeaks out something about axes, scaf-
fold, and a gibbet.
"Gibbet!" echoed a fierce, bold tone,
that startled men from their seats~-and
look yonder! A tall, slender form arises,
dressed, although it il summer time, in a
faded red cloak. Look how his white
hand tremb]es as it is stretched slowly
out; that-dark eye burns, while his words
ring through the hall.
"Gibbetr' They may stretch our necks
on all the gibbets in the land; they may
turn every rock into scafold, every tree
into gallows, every home into grave,
and yet the words OF that parchment can
never die!
They may pour our blood on thous-
and scaffolds, and yet from every drop
that dyes the axe, or drops on the saw
dust Of the block, new martyr to free
dom will spring into birth!
The British king may blot out the stars
of God from His sky, but he cannot blot
out His words on the parchment there
The work of God may perish; His word,
never!
These words will go forth to the world
when our homes are in dust. To the
slave in bondage, they will speak hope;
to the mechanic in bis workshop, free
dom; to the coward kings these words
will speak, but not in tones of fattery.
They will speak like the flaming syl]ables
on Belshazzer's wall. The days of our
pride and glory are numbered! The days
of Judgment draw near.
Eyes, that parchment will speak to
kings in language sad and terrible as the
trumpet of the archangel. You have
trampled on the rights of mankind long
enough. At last, the voice of human
woe has pierced the ear of God, and calls
His judgement down. You have waded
on to thrones through seas of blood; you
have tramped on to power over the neoke
of millions; you have turned the poor
mans sweat and blood into robes for
your delicate forms, into crowns for your
anointed brows. Now, kings! Now,
purpled hangmen Of the world! For you
comes the day OF axes, and gibbets, and
scafolds; for you the wrath of man; Tor
you the lightnings Of God.
Look! How the light Of your palaces
on fire flashes into the midnight skyl
Now, purpled hangmen Of the world,
turn and beg for mercy! Where will you
find itf Not from God, for You have