The Washington herald., 1909-06-27

L
tions for a safe and sane and glorious
Independence Day. and from the least 10
the greatest. from the oldest tnhabitant
10 the latest importation. the significance
Of The day We Celebrate IS pretty wei
understood.
But it is 70 be feared that While the act
OF July Fourth. I776 is remembered the
actors are Wen nigh forgotten. save for
the pair who served the country as Chief
Magistrate. John Adams and Thomas JEFF
ferson- This is hardly fair. for apart from
[ the action. whose fearlessness and IN
selfshness made the United States OF
to-day possible. they we're al above the
average in education and attainment OF
even our present-day standard. and GER
tainly deserve something more Of Us than
/ 10 be regarded collectively
/ These -Signers." as We dub them. haz-
farded by the act OF signing not only their
/ lands and possessions. but their personal
/ freedom and their lives; and when il IS
! remembered that most Of then were II
/ the v.gor OF existence, g!fter wiki con
siderable fortunes and with al the oAoes
and emoIUments az the disposal OF royalty
within the.r reach. the sacrifices which
/ they risked, appears naagnids6, and their
idisinte-ested patriotism w5u worthy Ct re-
lmemberance. they had little 20 gain and
risked the loss OF all
Z Washington City Is probably more mind
I ful OF the individuality OF these actors in
/ the great drama Of Independence Day
than most cities. for. IN addition 10 mon
uments 70 the TWO Presidents among their
number. a hne bronze 70 John WiIheI-
spoon. as al know. was but recently put
| IN place: and 3 statue 20 BENJAMIN Rush
/ IS IN the groulr1S OF the old Observatory,
OF the larter-WhO was one OF TIRE i've
/ doctors In the body-nuch has been writ
/ ten and more forgotten he was the
7 hero of the yellow fever-scOUrged Phila-
delphia IN 1873, where BY an heroic course
I OF treatment he was wonderfully success
fui- In one week of the scOurge the doc
aOr visited nearly a thousand patients.
I One cay he reports I'D calls, with The
comment. thank God. 7 have lost not one
I OF them" After al were well n the town
I the doctors methods were called in ques-
tion as being TOO heroic. and the tide OF
favor receding. he was called & murderer
and threatened with expulsion from the
city.
HOnOred by Foreign Powers.
Il IS pleasant 70 note that DR.. Rush
was honored with two gold medals by
4 foreign powers and the Emperor of Rus
sia sent him q diamond ring. which must
! IN part have caused him 10 disregard the
/ bigotry of the town be had saved. The
( last fourteen yesrs OF his lie were passed
4 as Director OF the Mint, and during his
( last illness his house was beset BY crowds
OF citizens anxious for news OF him. and
the whole city-the city which had wished
/ 10 expel him-was thrown ln-O gloom
when he died
The life and death OF Elbrl6Ss Gerry.
who died while Vice President n this
city. Is remembered because OF the tomb
stone erected IN his honor n a local cene-
tery. Benjamin Harrison IS also recalled
among the signers because the name IS
( associated with two Presidents who fg-
ured among Us; Charles Carroll also left
I q strong local impress upon the ten
miles square"
I Some one commented not long ago. on
( the fact that Charles Carroll was the
Z only signer who gave his residence T.
+ signing. and argued from this q kind OF
t conceit-nothing could be more unjust;
+ the story Of that departure from the simple
afixing OF 4 name IS this: Some one az
The elbow Of Carroll said. -'you'u get clear
when We are al hulg-there are several
I OF that naUe-they viii not know which
20 take" Not So" replied Carroll and
Immediately wrote ''of CarroIlton."
II IS so easy 10 be unjust. looking a.
I the signatures Of the great document the
name OF stephen Hopkins is 50 shaky as
20 be almost llegible, this IS IN strong
contrast with the hrmness OF al the 9TH
ers. for even Il the gentlemen seemed %
realize tnat they were signing their own
warrant OF death. their penmsns1ip gave
10 indication o. internal or external treu-
Ors-in reading the life OF Mr.. Hopkins
and finding he was noted for the exceilen-
cy OF his penmansnip one is more con-
viace6 tkan ever that he was scared OF
his life" until one finds that he was
seventy years OF age and paralyzed 50
that 10 write at al he had 20 guide his
( right hand with his left. then one Is sor-y
and ashamed.
Hancock Had No Fear.
Judging these historic specimens OF pen
-,-sLF- 0-e x~or,r1 f>.-~T,-EA tLes LIa-