The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-04

which might have been expected to
indulge In some vindictive per-
received the news quietly.
and in many cases the people seemed
to feel deeply the solemnity Of the
step which congress- had taken and 20
have rightly concluded that prayers
were more appropriate to the occasion
than the tearing down Ct 0tatueA The
only colony which had refused to vote
for Lees resolution on the "a was
New York No sooner had tho vote
been taken than the delegates from
that state sent q letter posthaste.
asking what was to be their line Of
action thereafter. On July . the pro-
vincial congress OF New York. which
was in session at White Plains. replied
that "the reasons assigned by the Con.
tinental congress for declaring the
united colonies free and Independent
states are cogent and conclusive and
that, while we lament the cruel neces-
sity which has rendered that measure
unavoidable. we approve the same and
will at tho risk OF our lives and for
tunes Join with tho other colonies In
supporting it." Congress was now
unanimous on Independence.
An Aug. (: committee appointed on
July 10 to prepare an engrossed copy
Of the Declaration for signing laid II
Who had fonrht over ~ on thu lth of
INV we're .ttll nre.ent. INIT In the
n,earttrra MANY ne~ 6e,e~.te. h.A
come 10 phila6e,phi. 40 that there
u,ere = !, numher nreaont who hsd had
nothing 70 40 WITH the original act az
adoption. Just what happened at the
signing we do not know any more than
we know the details OF the debate In
the critical days when II was under
consideration. One thing 10 certain.
however. Serious a. this matter OF
signing really was. nobody hesitated
"Give me liberty or give me death!s
was no mere phrase for these men.
They had weighed its grim meaning
and deliberately accepted the alterna-
tive. They even took up with 1ests
the matter of putting their names to
a document which. II the colonies were
defeated, would surely send them all
to the galiows. '~There-John Bull may
read my name without spectacles."
said John Hancock al he made the big
flourish with which We are % familiar
from facsimiles Of the Declaration.
I'VE must be unanimous" he aa1d
again. There must be no pulling dif-
ferent ways: We must all hang to-
must indeed all hang together or most
assuredly we shall all lang separate
ly.' There 60 few millions" said
one OF the members ~ John Carroll
Of Carrollton. then the richest man Of
the colonies. put his name to the
Declaration
The great charter Of freedom vas
now complete, ana while its makers
were struggling TO prove that Il was
something more than rhetoric the
document itself followed the danger
GUS wanderinGs of the Continental
congress, In 1883. when that body
made way for The frst federal con-
eress. the Declaration vaa conflded IN
the state DEPARTMENT Of the new euv.
eminent. It had q companion now.
the constitution Of the United States
a noble proof that the sentiment Of
Independence which had brought Il
into existence. far from being q bar.
rem enthusiasm, capable only OF elo-
ouent defamation. was a vital force
which could raise armies. win battles,
starve and freeze and still have life
and courage to devise and put into
operation a great government.
A the wears vent m the vener. taon
~ the neonIe for the nec,.r.tscr ~
Inse,,e,donc. 80 m. A~-,saA =.
g.. H.. doc,,,,ent to 800 -. &c 80
.~or,ina a.. .,gr.tur.. .t..Sn- ~
crea.ed with thi. feeI,n~ ~ rsvc.....
The rovernment n,turs,rv .on~Ae ~
satisfv tai. desire. but unh.nnsIv m
doin. ~ ~ .IIo~.S -.s S- :.