Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-07-04

that their political connection with orcnt
Britain IL and ought to bc dissolved
Jjpop this resolution there sprang up nj
once an earnest and powerful debate. IL
WINS opposed. principally, on the ground
that II was premature. Its further con-
.sIdcration was accordingly postponed I'M
I'll there was u prospect Of greater mnnn'
Unity. On the 11th OF June. a committee
was appointed to draft u formal Dcclnra-
tion. This committee consisted OF Ben
inmin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert Il.
Livingston. ON the 2Sth Of June the com.
mittec made their report, and presented
the Declaration which they had drawn
up On the "a day OF July Congress pro-
cccdcd TO the serious consideration Of this
momcntous paper. which lasted nearly
three days. and was extremely earnest.
It was known throughout the city that
the great event was to b. determined. but
the closed doors Of Congress excluded the
populacc. From the hour when Congress
came together In the forenoon all busi.
ness was suspended throughout the city,
and the old bcllman steadily remained at
his post In the s,ccplc. prepared TO sound
forth 10 the waiting multitudcs the expect.
cd glad tidlngs. The bell. manufactured
In England. bore upon It's ample curve tho
now prophetic inscription. "l'roclaim lib.
,eriy throughout all the land unto MI tho
inhabitants thereof"
Hours passed Oh, and fear began 10 take
the p,ncc of hope In many heart: even
the venerable and always cheerful bell
man was overheard In his Respondent so
hloquy:
"fhcy viii. never do it! they will never
do it!'
Finally, at about . o'clock In tho after
noon, the door OF the mysterious hall
swung open, and u voice exclaimed:
"Passcd!-it has passed.
The word was caught up by ton thou
sand glnd mouths, and the watch-boy
now clnppcd his hands aud shouted
"Ring! Ring!' Scizing the iron tongue
OF the bell In which h. had Ion. felt such
a professional pride. tho electrified old pat
riot rung forth such Joyous peal ~ wn'
never heard before, nor ceased to hurl Il
backward and forward I'LL every vote,
Joined IN its notes Of giadness and tri
umph. The roar OF cannon. and illumi
nations from every house and hilltop
added to these demonstrations Of univcr
,sal rejoicing.
Washington hailed tho declaration witt
JOY, TOT IL put un Gnu W III tuOSe tcupOf
ixing hopes Of reconciliation which ha,
.clogged the military action of the cOuil
try. On the 9th Of July he caused II (
be read ut the head Of each brigade OF tn
army. The troops listened to the rcadn
with eager attention. and at Its clos
broke forth In tumultuOus applause.
The excitablc pOpulacc of New YOr
were not content with the ringing q
bells. There was q lcaden cQucstria
statue of George the Third In Bowlin
Green, In front of the fort. Around tn
kingly ciligy the excited multitude surge,
and, pulling it down. broke 1t into fral
mcnts, which were afterward nodded int
bullets ana made to do service again
his majesty's troops.
In Boston. that citadel OF radical insu
ordination to 'his majesty" the publ
Joy knew no bounds. The town cleI
read the solemn declaration to the null
tude, at the close OF which u shout begI
In the hall and passed like an electr
spark to the streets, which now raj
with loud huzzas, the slow and measur,
boom OF cannon and the rattle Of muskt
nv. The batteries on Fort Hill, DOrche
ter Neck, the castle, Nantaskct and Lol
Island, each saluted with thirteen gur
the artillery in the town fired thirte
rounds, and the infantry scattered In
thirteen divisions, poured forth thirte
yOlleys--all corresponding to the numb
of States which formed the Union.