The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-06

to a court room where business called
him, the proceedings were stopped In
order to recognize his presence and
make acknowledgement OF the great
ness and splendor of his services to the
country. Songs were written In his
praise. Even in the pedestrian homeli-
ness OF prose the resources Of language
were strained In the effort to celebrate
the genius and the virtue OF a man, as
was said In one brochure, who had
gloriously distinguished himself by as
sorting the rights and liberties OF Amet-
lea in a manner that renders him an
honor to his education, n public bless
Ing to his country, and will immortalize
his name with renown TO the latest
ages OF time"
In poetic composition. Dickinson was
equally fortunate. Inspired by the
events which were rapidly eliminating
in forcible resistance to British laws, he
wrote and published In 1I6S, y Song
for American Freemen," which vas
quickly adopted as expressive or the
highest type OF patriotism and remain
ed for many years the popular song OF
the people.
4 review ofthe many writings which
gave forcible utterance to patriotic In
spiration and led the people from re-
monstrances against tax expressions In
1853 TO the idea Of absolute i%ndepend-
ence In 1TI6, would extend my remarks
70 an inordinate length.
The tea incident in Boston harbor
produced much satirlcal and humorous
literature, a great deal OF which was In
the form Of homely verse by forgotten
authors. more expressive of their feel
ings than valuable as contributions to
the poetic literature OF the age, but they
exerted an influence in popularizinS the
cause OF the colonists that was not to
be despised.
L have now come to the revolutionary
struggle. and Would be glad to speak in
detail OF the literary labors of John
Trumbuil, Henry Drayton and others,
time will not permit. A brief mention
must be made. however, Of three con-
%spicuous figures of that period-Alex-
ander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and
Thomas Paine. 1t is useless to discuss
the value and influence of the works of
Jefferson. Neither the greatness of his
subsequent achievements nor the high
position he attained has obscu-ed the
importance Of the early work he did for
the cause OF American independence at
a period OF his life when his judgment
would scarcely be expected to have
matured nor his literary facilities i'm
proved by experience and cultivation.
Even more precoc!ous and OF equal eS-
cellence as n contributor to the arSu-
ments which inspired the Idea of ma
tloual independence was Alexander
Hamilton. At the early age OF seven
teen Hamilton produced a pamphlet in
reply to an attack on the measures of
Congress by Samuel Seabury, In which.
as is said by George Tichnor Curtis,
there was displayed 4 power Of reas-
oninE and sarcasm. a knowledge of the
principles OF government and of the
English constitution. and n grasp Of the
merits OF the whole controversy that
would have done honor TO any man at
any age. To sag that thay evince pre-
coc!ty Of intellect gives no iden OF their
main characteristics. They, show great
maturity-a more remarkable maturity
than has eyer been exhibited by any
other person, at SO carly an nge. In the
same department OF thought"
AS has been said, the earlier discus
s!ons OF American affairs were not con-
Quoted with the view TO accomplish ac-
tual independence. Indeed up to 1I75,the
controversy had proceeded on the lines
OF perpetual disavowal of the purpose
or design for Independence. Up to the
latter days OF Ills. public sentiment was
arerse to separation. but In less than
six months n tremendous change on this
subject came to the mass of the Amer
lean people. This change has been ac-
counted for by the appearance In jan
uary, 1fI6, OF the pamphlet by Thomas
Paine. entitled Common Sense" II In
the imperfection OF these remarks I
have fniied TO make clear the argument
l have always had In mind, that the lit
erature Of the times eHerted n most
powerful influence on the outcome of
the Revolution. the briefcst eXamina-
tion OF the effect OF this pamphlet will
serve to c~orroborate and establish tina.
proposition. A newswriter In New York
said OF 1t, "thc pamphlet entitled Com
NOR Sense has converted thousands to
independence TINT could not endure the
idea before" Washington wrote 60
Joseph Reed: The sound and unanswer-
able reasoning contained in the pamph-
let common Sense" will not leave
numbers al 4 loss to decide upon the
proprlcty OF separation" A letter from
Philadelphia said Common Sense Is
read TO all ranks; and as many, read,
so many become converted. though per-
haps an hour before they were most v!o-
lent against the least idea OF lndepend-
ence." In less than three months from
the date Of lis appearance, one hundred
and twenty thousand copies Of 1t had
been sold In America, and almost every
one was reading It and being converted
to the independence Idea by the logic OF
Its powerful reasoning. 1t Is almost GER
tain that the circumstances Of the con-
test alone would have driven tho colo
mist into q declaration Of independence.
but his declaration was doubtless
largely accelerated by Painc's MASTER
ly argument.
This Is but tho brlcfest and I feel the
most unsatisfactory resume of the
leading literary efforts that moulded
ana shaped the American mind In that
momentous conflict. but 1t may serve TO
emphasize to You In n small degree tho
established fact that In all questions AT.
feeling the interests of the American
people and their relations with others,
then, as we'll az now, they were and nre
only reached and influenced by intellcc.
tuAl Qpoeals To fhaIr ,n,so, ,,d ,ho