Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-05-24

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ga1nst rebellion.
New York was milk and water. There
had been the failure Of the Canadian
expedition, and, besides, the province
had its exposed harbor and the Indian
raids on Its frontier to think of. The
pennsylvania delegation refused to
vote on separation and left their seats
In anger. Maryland had few griey-
ances.
And what of New Jersey? There
was Toryism 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 Connecti-
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 hesitated
were not men of honor, jealous for the
welfare of their country. Not every
one believed George III. another such
despot as Philip II. Of Spain or the
bloody minded man the radicals illib-
orally called him. The storm was
high on the horizon And it is the
part Of wisdom to count we'll the cost
of desperate ventures Against the
colonies was pitted the mistress of the
seas-a king, innumerable battalions,
armament, navies, 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 Gallo
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 yibrated British
feet 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-
7 ture of the country. 1t held a Tory
party who awaited some disaster to
become dangerous. 1t held faint hearts
who croaked, respondent ones who
predicted ruin and brave hearts that
dared struggle they believed would
be uncertain.
] On such a field for twenty five long
days determined battle was fought 1t
ended at last, and one evening Thomas
jefferson Of VirginM betook himself to
little house back of an oblong green,
where lived DR.. H'raBklin, 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-
J ton. 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, and the
little yirginian 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 We're to be
signed at all, must be signed quickly.
| So out Of humid morning grew the
afternoon Of the Sd of July for Phila-
delphia. It came in heat, with brazen
sky.
Opposite Mr.. Randolph's shop on the
same evening Joseph Galloway, the
lawyer. walking slowly. paused and
looked across the street. He was thick
Get and middle aged, with a smooth,
| crafty face and restless avas
He mad lacked Wing patriotism in
the First congress. The Second would
have none of him. And yet he had ear
her led the popular party against the
proprietary. Such strange overturnings
the new idea Of freedom was bringing
about. The fierce Tory rancor which
had made Of this man at first sthe de
fender of the prerogative" was to CON
vert him later into spy, refugee and
q sour pensicner of George III.
Now, there was the open hatred Of q
bitter Tory in the look Joseph Galloway
cast upon the little shop.
Good day, Mordecai," he said in
greeting to rotund merchant Quaker
who Joined him. IT see you also look
ing. What think you our Virginia hot
bloods will brew next in their den yon-
derT
The Quaker frowned. 81 love them
not" he answered. "What saith the
Scriptures? For the weapons Of our
warfare are not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down Of
strongholds.'"
Gentlemen Of birth and wealth, for
sooth," continued Galloway angrily,
"and yet prating like the veriest clouts
Of independence and brotherhood!
Whose was the bill to separate from
Great Britain? Richard Henry Lees.
And who has written the Declaration
that is to be thrust beneath the dele
gates noses tomorrow? Thomas Jeffer-
son. These Virginians! Would we had
never heard Of Virginia before we came
to this!
"Look you He broke OFF and
pointed with his stick where a coach
bowled along High street. 1t was rich
~ furnished and bore arms on its pam
els. On the cushions, exquisitely dress
ed In a white uniform, sat blocky,
military looking man with bushy wig
and foreign mustachios. He wore a
cooked hat.
"'Tis M. Pliarne," said the Quaker.
'These French parasites with powder
to peddle, Friend Joseph, would joy to
see the colonies plunged into bloody
strife. They would batten on our ex-