The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-05-18
4 RELIC OF HISTORIC INTEREST.
A Copper Plate Used by Cent?
mental Congress- TO Print
Paper Money.

Heanor, while working IN a newly
ploughed field on his fathers farm in
the -Four Holes section, eight miles
from the city, found al interesting
relic of Revolutionary times. It is a
copper plate from which the Cont
mental Congress of the United Colonies
printed certificates which entitled the
holder to 'sthirty Spanish milled dol
lars. - This plate, which is about
5x31s inches, is in tolerably fair
state of preservation, and the inscrip-
ton is as follows: "Thzrty Dollars.
This Bill entities the Bearer to re-
ceive Thirty Spanish milled Dollars,
or the value thereof in Gold or Silver,
according to regulation OF Congress,
passed at Philadelphia, November 2,
l77e." To the left of the bill is a cir
Gle, within is laurel wreath upon, a
pedestal; beneath the circle is en-
grayed in large letters, xxx Dol
lars,'' while in it's marign appears,
est. Becte Facies.'' On the top and
bottom margin Of the plate is engraved
"The United Colonies" and on the
left and right margin. Continental
Congress. Thirty Dollars
This relic is of interest to all. 1t
figured in those days when our now
powerful government was in it's in
fancy. The United States, which TO-
day stand for unlimited wealth and
strength were then the 'sUnited Colo
MES of America, striving for inde-
pendence-a Hercules in the cradle
overcoming the serpents. From this
plate were printed certificates that
meant food and ammunition to help
a struggling nation, who, without
ships, without guns, without sufficient
ammunition, without trained war
riors, without gold and silver and min
US prestige, was keeping the stars
and stripes floating and teaching the
world that "Power, at our bounds,
stops and calls back her bafded
hounds. - It did wonders in it's day.
Continenal Congress gave Col. Geo.
Rogers Clark s1, 200 in Continental
certificates, with which he armed a
patriot band and gained an empire
for us in the northwest. The money
ed Frenchmen of Kaskaskia and Vim
cennes cashed the Congress money, "
and were the rest of their lives many
thousand dollars poorer for so doing.
What field for the rovings Of i'm
agination the sight of this little plate
opens up! How came it down here
in Carolina, in the very soil made
sacred by the tread of the patriots who
followed the sSwamp Fox into bat
tie so nearly destitute Of clothing that
they had to place moss on their shout
ders and about their waist to prevent
the mnskets and cartridge boxes from
calling their flesh? Did a looting
Hessian find the luggage tCongress los
in the woods on its fight from Phila-
delphia when in 1777 Gen. Howe en-
tered the capital city, and bring this
plate of copper with him when Corn
wallis marched for the Carolinas?
This relic speaks of the days when
we were young, and when we look
upon it there comes to our mind one
of the grandest examples of self sacri-
fee the world has ever known-a sac
rifce that historians dwell upon too
briefly. In the darkest days of the
Revolution, when even the soldiers
kicked on Congress paper money, -
Robert Morris, of Philadelphia, a rich
banker, pledged his entire fortune tc
establish the credit of Congress. The
army was sustained by him. His tai.
ents, money and time were on, the al.
tar for his country. Perhaps his gold
cashed many thirty y-dollar certificate
printed from this very plate.
Americans, as a class, have no par.
ticular reverence for things that are
old. We do not allow our landmarks
to become ancient enough to fall into
picturesque ruins. Our venerable
buildings with historic associations
are ruthlessly swept away as the
path of Improvement demands. We
have 'billion dollar Congresses" now,
and Uncle Sam has billion dol
lar bank account to back them up
but let Us not forget the ''Continenta
Congress- who had no gold and silver
and had to engrave this promise O.
pay in copper and print certificate:
to keep the powder burning and ball:
flying until John Bull bowed to iona
than with his hat off. Il helped tt
win our freedom, and after the las
certificate was printed from it in wha
filter place could it find repose thar
in the soil of Carolina.-Orangeburs
Times and Democrat.