The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-23

a part of the great glory of American
history. Among the noble and VINO
signed the Declaration of Independ-
ence were seventeen men OF Cambrian
birth or origin. First and foremost was
Thomas Jefferson. His ancestors came
from the foot of Mount Snowden, in
Wales, to the colony of Virginia. he
always boosted of his ancient British
blood. No man ever lived who was
more strongly endued with the prlnci-
Piles OF civil and religious liberty. HIS
motto was: Rebellion to Tyrants. is
Obedience TO Cod He also ~contended
that error should be left free to he COM
batted' by reason. He caused the first
aphorism to be engraved On his seal.
His history Is the history OF his country.
Liberty. throughout the land, unto all
the, Inhabitants thereof" Without his
services the revolutionary war would
have been more or less hootlass, and :"
government would have been erected
essentially centralized Il ariStocratic
In its principal features. He was not
afraid to trust the people. provided
proper and free education We're i'm
parted to them. AS president he adj
miutstered the government on strictly
tic PRINCIPLES. which have sue
ccssfully. guided it to the highest rank
among the nations of the earth. Eigh-
ty-four winters passed ovc his head.
and on the fourth day of July, 1876, ms
soul passed away II had fought Il
fight" when he was about to finish his
race
BENJAMIN Harrison. of Virginia, was
chairman of the committee which re-
ported the Declaration OF Independence.
His ancestors came from Wales TO Nlr-
ginia. He filled various public offices in
his native state. including that of gov
ernor. He retired from public life in
1TS5. and died on his farm in 1890. He
was father of President William Henry
Harrison. the grandfather Of eN-Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison.
Among the sigrers OF the Declaration
of Independence, of Welsh origin, we
have two ame Samuel and JOHN
Adams. whose brilliant and patriotic
sesvices in the cause of the Revolution
are so we'll known. Samuel was q great
orator and a bold patriot. He served
faithfully I'm the continental congress
M afterwards assisted in framing the
constitution of his native state. He
died on the 18th of October. 1903, aged
81 years. John Adams bore a brilliant
part in the American revolution. and
signed the Declaration of Independence
with the former. He died on the Ath of
July, 1876, aged 81 years. He served as
president and vice-president of the
United States.
Rhode Island sent Stephen Hopkins
to the convention, who came from a
Welsh family. He wrote and acted
' against the unjust political course Of
England long before the revolution.
and after having filled many impor-
ttant offices in his state, he became a
member Of the first continental con-
gress. and signed the Declaration of In
dependence. He died in July, 1855.
= Connecticut supplied William Will
lams. who belonged to & Welsh family.
and graduated atIiarvard college when
he was 20 years of age. He studied
law, but afterwards changed to the
profession of arms. and was aid to his
brothers who fell at Fort George in
1855. He signed the Declaration of In
dependence. and died in 1911. aged 81
years.
New York sent four delegates to the
continental congress. Three of the
number were Welshmen by birth or
. origin. William lloyd was an early
patriot. quite wealthy and was in the
first continental congress and signed
the Declaration Of Independence. He
was engaged in public lifo during the
a suffered great loss of property at
the hands Of the English. and died in
1921, aged 81 years Francis Lewis was
born in South Wales lin 1913. He was
partly educated in Scotland and at
Westminster. London. He entered Upon
a mercantile life in London, from
whence he came to New York and con-
g. Quoted business for English merchants.
He was taken prisoner in the French
war and was carried to France; he af-
terward returned to New York and
took active part on the patriot side.
and signed the Declaration of indie
= p%endence. He died in 1913, aged 80
years. The third was Lewis Morris,
..t.z ...-. x-.- d" 20 hvoI.L c-.1lI,, l.,
1926. He graduated at Yale college In
1746. and then settled on the farm Of
his father at Morrisiana. in Westches-
ter county He was a partiot of a
T. sterling stamp. He served in the con-
tinental congress from 1855 to 1917. hav-
ing in the meantime signed the Decla-
ration of Independence. He lost a
large amount of property during the
war, and died in 1893, aged ~ years.
We thus find hat three of the four
representatives in the continental con-
gress from the great state of New York
were of the Cambrian race.
Pennsylvania vas represented in the
convention by the immortal Robert
Morris. He came to this country from
: Liverpool when a child. Liverpool at
this period was virtually a veritable
Welsh city. He was a merchant, and
was remarkable for energy and integ-
'rity. He. was a member of the conti-
mental congress and ws considered the
greatest financier of his country. His
individual credit was greater than
that Of congress itself. He lost his
, immense fortune'in the cause of liberty,
: and died comparatively poor In 1906,
aged 70 years.
New Jersey was represented by Fran
g., els Hopkinson. He was born in Phil
adelphia. in 1881. became a distinguish
: ed lawyer. and. was noted as a wit and
. e. poet. He was closely descended from
a Welsh family. He wrote several
, pamphlets in favor of the patriot cause
and was the author of Hail Columbia"
our National air. and the Battle Of
the Kegs" He signed the Declaration
Nof Independence and afterwards be-
came eminent as n judge in Pennsyl-
vapia. He died in May, 1871, aged SO
years.
George Clymer was of Welsh family,
Deriving his ndme from the Welsh word
Clymwr-one that ties or makes a knot.
John Morton, of Pennsylvania, was a
native of Delaware. n was descended
from a Welsh family on his mothers
side. He was on the committee which
reported the articles OF confederation.
John Penn was of Welsh parents, but
born in Virginia. He studied law ard
settled in North Carolina. He was
sent to the Continental Congress and
signed the Declaration Of Independence.
Sir Arthur Middleton was of Welsh
origin. He was born In South Carolina
In 1743. He graduated at Cambridge.
England, and returned to America in
liza. He was delegate to the Continent
tai Congress ana signed the Declaration
of Independence. He sacrificed a large
fortune in the revolutionary war and
died in January. 1889. aged A years.
Georgia sent Button Gwlnnett to the
Continental Congress. He was born in
1882 and wal of Welsh origin. He signed
the Declaration of Independence, and
afterwards, assisted in framing the
State constitution Of Georgia and was
president Of the senate. He was killed In