The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-12-28

honorable congress sitting in the state
house, They have seen the Charles
town packet bring the delegates from
South Carolina. Every citizen who can
muster horse has ridden out to meet
the delegates from Virginia. Maryland
and Delaware WHO arrived in body.
| They lave seen them all, have com.
pared them with one another.
On High street stands tho great man
| sion of Richard Penn, one CT the pro-
| prictarcs. Ii is now thrown open for
the entertainment of the visitors.
| Up and down the dusty street pass
and rcpass earnest mon in dull coats
! and small clothes, workmen in oanabrig
| and leather aprons and tradcsmCn in
coarse cloth. They pause In knots on
| the pave and talk, each by his kind.
One house they pass many times,
| looking at it with more eager curiosity
and concern. This building is even less
prctentious than its follows, but one
who observes it long will have noted
that those who pass in and out of its
door lend it a peculiar distinction. They
come in velvet instead OF cloth, their
sleeves droop with lace. They wear
powdered hair and diamond buckles
and for the most part carry dress
swords.
The house is occupied as n shop, and
the silver plate on the door bears the
name of "Jamcs Randolph" 1t is the
headquarters of the Virginia dclcga-
tions.
TO Henry, chatting in his Virginia
harness. how slowly the ball had rolled
among the conventions! How halting
went the leaders! Messengers riding
posthastc brought him the news from
| Philadelphia.
| Congress had recommended that the
several colonies form distinct govern
mcnts for themselves. And even to
this the delegates Of New York and
Pennsylvania had loud objection. Hen
ry gnashcd his teeth in the convention
| at Williamsburg, and ON May 10 a
| resolution was passed directing the
| Virginia delegates in Philadelphia to
"declare the united colonies free ANA
| independent states"
| a significant word! Richard Henry
Lee followed in June with his rcsolu
ton for Independence
| But alas for human failing. Many
Of the delegates, Dickinson, Norris,
Livingston, were men OF property. and
| the possession of property onlarScS the
bump of caution. They cried for de
| lay The older Quakcrs, men of peace
| had set their faces and their faith
| against rebellion.
| New York was milk and water There
had been the failure of the Canadian
expedition, and, besides, tho province
had its exposed harbor and the Indian
raids on its frontier to think of. The
Pennsylvania delegation refused to
| vote OH separation and left their seats
In anger. Maryland had few griey.
ances.
And what of New Jersey? There
was Toryisln intrenched Its royal
governor, the son of the benevolent
faced patriot, Benjamin Franklin, went
breathing fire against the Wings Not
till he had been shipped to Connccti-
cut in irons, not till congress had sent
three of its members to argue, to
plead, to storm, did its assembly de-
clare for freedom.
Think not that those who hcsitated
were not men of honor jealous for the
welfare of their country. Not every
one believed George III. another such
despot as Philip III. OF Spain or the
bloody minded man tic radicals illib-
orally called him. The storm was
high on the horizon. And it is the
part of wisdom to count well the cost
of desperate ventures. Against the
colonies was pitted the mistress of the
scas-a king, innumerable battalions,
armament, navics, money and the
prestige of hereditary possession. The
colonies stood alone.
There were those who, like Henry,
whose clear eye saw the future as with
divination, pinned faith upon Gallic
enmity to England and looked for a
sign of aid. But the months came and
went without its appearance. Now the
Third congress was sitting, and France
was silent. Granted defiance to
Great Britain, the outcome was doubt
ful-how doubtful five red years Of
smoke and blood were to demonstrate.
AS the pendulum vibratcd British
fleet in the Delaware brought the war
within hearing, and Lord Howe hove
to off Sandy Hook with all his army.
The congress was, after all, minia-
ture of the country. 1t held n Tory
| poitJ hhO awe uitSu W
become dangerous. 1t held faint hearts
who croaked, dcspondent ones who
predicted ruin and brave hearts that
dared struggle they believed would
be uncertain.
On such field for twenty five long
days determined battle was fought. 1t
ended at last, and one evening Thomas
Jefferson of Virginia betook himself to
n little house back of an oblong green,
where lived Or. Franklin, and wrote
the first draft Of the Declaration of IN
dependence.
There comes time in the history of
every great movement when it must go
forward or die. Lethargy breeds reac-
tion. The fierce fight for Declaration
had marked this point now. In the
three days since the vote the opposition
had gathered its shattered forces.
There were new mutterings, ana the
little Virginian delegation in the shop
of Mr.. James Randolph on High street
knew that the defiance which was to be
offered on the morrow, if it were to be
signed at all, must be signed quickly
So out of q humid morning grew the
afternoon of the Sd of July for Phila-
delphia. 1T came in heat, with brazcn
Sky.
Opposite Mr.. Randolphs shop on tho