Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-06-28
THE BELL OF LIBERTY.
BY J. T. HEADLEY


assembled in solemn conclave. an
long and anxlously surveyed the peri
GUS ground on which they were tread
ing. To recede was now impossible
to go on seemed fraught with terribl
| consequences. The result OF the lon
and fearful conflict that must folio,
was more than doubtful. For twent
days Congress was tossed on a sea @
perpleXity. At length Richard Herr
| Lee, shaking off the letters that gall
ed his noble spirit, arose on the IT
of June, and in clear, deliberat
tone, every accent Of which rang {,
the farthest extremity of the silen
hall, proposed the following resolu
ton: Resolved, that these United
Colonies are, and ought to be. fire.
and independent states, and all politi
cal connection between us and tn,
states of Great Britain is, and ough
to be. totally dissolved"
John Adams. in whose soul gloweC
the burning future, seconded the reso
luton in a speech so full of impas
stoned fervor, thrilling eloquence, anc
prophetic power, that Congress was
carried away before it, as by a resist.
less wave. The die was cast. and
every man was now compelled to meet
the issue. The resolution was finally
deferred till the LIST of July, to allow
committee, appointed for that pur-
pose, to draft a Declaration of indie
pendence.
When the day arrived the Declara-
ton was taken up and debated article
by article. The discussion continued
for three days, and was characterized
by great excitement. At length, the
various sections having been gone
through with, the next day July 4th,
was appointed for action. 1t was soon
known throughout the city; and in
the morning, before Congress assem-
bled, the streets were filled with ex-
cited men, some gathered in groups,
engaged in eager discussion, and 9TH
ers moving towards the state house
All business was forgotten in the
momentous crisis which the country
had now reached. No sooner had the
members taken their seats than thu
multitude gathered in a dense mas
around the entrance. The bellman
mounted to the belfry, to be ready to
proclaim the joyful tidings of freedom
as soon as the final vote was passed.
A bright-eyed boy was stationed be-
low to give the signal Around the
bell, brought from England, had been
cast, more than twenty years before,
the prophetic motto:
PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGH
OUT ALL THE LAND UNTO ALL
THE INHABITANTS THEREOF"
Although its loud clang had often
sounded over the city, the preclama-
ton engraved on its iron lip had never
been spoken aloud.
1t was expected that the final vote
would be taken without delay; but
hour after hour wore on, and no re-
port came from the mysterious hall
where the fate OF a continent was in
The multitude grew impa-
tient; the old man leaned over the
railing, straining his eye downward,
till his heart misgave him and hope
Yielded to fear. But at length, about
o'clock, the door of the hall opened,
and a voice exclaimed, 1T has passed."
The word leaped like lightning from
lip to lip, followed by huzzas that
shook the building. The boy sentinel
turned to the belfry, clapping his
hands, and shouted, Ring, ringl"
rhe responding bellman, electrified
nto life by the joyful news, seized the
ron tongue, and hurled it backward
nd forward with a clang that startled !
very heart in Philadelphia. like a
Iugle blast "Clang! clang!" the bell |
# Liberty resounded on higher and |
,learer and more joyous, blending in |
Is deep and thrilling vibrations, and |
in loud and long accents
,ver all the land the motto that en-.
ircled 1t.
Glad messengers caught the tidings
IS they floated out on the air, and
ped off in every direction to bear
hem onward When they reached
Jew York the bells rang out the glor-
Gus news, and the excited multitude,
urging hither and thither, at length
altered around the Bowling Green.
nd seizing the leaden statue of
Ieorge ILL.,, which stood there, tore 1t
n fragments These were afterwards
un into bullets and hurled against his
1ajesty's troops. When the Declara-
ion arrived in Boston, the people
altered to old Faneuil Hall to hear
read land as the last sentence fell
rom the lips of the reader, loud
bout went up, and soon from every
ortified height and every battery the
lunder of cannon re-echoed the Joy.
Wales as = Jockey.