The Washington herald., 1909-07-04

and the reader, John Nixon. was cheer
ed 10 the echo. After the ceremony
the crowd turned its attention 70 the
kings coat % arms. which was sus-
pended over the doorway in the court
room OF the statehouse. tearing II
down and taking il out ard burning T.
IN many places the reading OF the
Declaration. which had been ordered
by congress. was attended by similar
acts Of destruction. Thus in New
York the Sons Of Freedom tore down
an equestrian statue OF George III
which stood on Bowling Greer and
turned the monument over 10 TIE au-
thorities with the orde- 10 run the
LEAD INTO 5ullets IN Baltimore ~the
en1gy OF our late king was carted
tnrough the town and committed 20
the hames amidst the acc'amatio1 Ok
hundreds, the records say. In Sa-
Vannah IN august at the reading
there was great procession. almost
the whole town turning out 70 inter
an engy Of his majesty King George
As a whole. the demonstrations were
not noisy OF destructive. The army.
which might have been expected 10
Indulge in some vindictive per-
formances. received the news quietly
and IN many cases the people seemed
20 feel deeply the sOlemnity OF the
sep which congress had taken and 10
have rightly concluded that prayers
were more appropriate 10 the occasion
than the tearing down # statues. The
only colony which had refused 70 vote
for Lees resolution on the % was
New York No sooner had the vote
been taken than the delegates from
that state sent a letter pOsthaste.
asking what was 10 be their line of
action thereafter On July the pro-
vincial congress OF New York. which
was IN session al White Plains. replied
that the reasons assigned BY the Con
unental congress for declaring the
united colonies free and independent
states are cOgent and conclusive and
Jhat, while We lament the cruel neces-
sity which has rendered that measure
unavoidable. we approve the same and
viii al the risk OF our lives and for
tunes join with the other colonies in
supporting IL" Congress was now
unanimous on independence.
On Aug . a committee appointed on
July 19 10 prepare an engrossed copy
OF the Declaration for signing laid il
before congress. Many Of the men
who had fought over II on the 4th OF
July were stin present. but IN the
meantime many new delegates had
come 10 Philadelphia, 50 that there
were a number present who had had
nothing 70 do with the original act OF
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 Il was under
consideration. One thing IS certain.
however Serious as this matter OF
signing really was. nobody hesitated
Give me liberty or give me deathi-
was no mere phrase for these men
They had weighed its grim meaning
and deliberately accepted the alterna-
tive They even took up with jesJs
the matter of putting their names to
a document which. II the colonies were
defeated. would surely send them all
70 the gallOWs- @There-JOhn Bull may
read my name without spectacles.'
said John Hancock as he made the big
flourish with which We are so familiar
from facsimiles OF the Declaration
I'VE must be unanimous" he said
again. There must be no pulling diff
ferent ways; we must al hang to-
geCher~ And Franklin replied, We
must indeed all hang together or most
assuredly we shall all hang separate
"" There 20 a few millions" said
one OF the members as John Carroll
OF CarrolltOn. then the richest man Of
the colonies put his name 20 the
Declaration
The great charter OF freedom was
now complete. and while its makers
were struggling 10 prove that II was
something more than rhetoric the
document itself followed the danger
Gus wanderings Of he Continental
congress. IN I7S9. wnen that body
made way for Ihe first federal con-
ETess. the Declaration was confded %
the state department Of the new gov
ernment II had a companion now.
the constitution Of the United States
a noble prOOf that the sentiment OF
Independence which had brought II
into existence. far from being Z bar
ren enthusiasm. capable only OF elo-
quent defamation. was q vital force
which could raise armies. win battles
starve and freeze and still have life
and courage 10 devise anG put into
operation a great government
As the years went on the venera tfon
of the people for the Declaration OF
. Independence grew The demand 70
see the document 70 read its text end
examine It's signatures steadily in
creased with this feeling Of reverence
The government naturally sought 20
satisfy tits desire. but Uuhappuy n
doing so Il allowed great harm 70
come 20 the original Early in the
. century the INK was faded and the
parchment injured in securing a fac
smile for making copperplate
Still further injury was done when Il
. was placed on exhibition IN a strone
light in 1S49. Il remained thus ex-
posed UntE some Of the signatures had
f entirely vanished Finally. in 1894. ths
state department realized that in care
less good nature II was allowing tht
great charter to fade away Steps
were at once taken then 10 preserve II
. II was carefully covered and placed IL
a drawer in a steel case specially pre-
pared for its reception and a fac-simile
hung IN the place il once occupied A
the same time steps were taken Z,
preserve the original copperL late b
having electrOtype copies made. 81
that the original might be put into
6reproof safe The document itself I.
thus finally protected The grea
truths for which II stands are not 81
easily preserved. The eternal watch.
fUlness Of those who love liberty fot
its own sake IS ali that win secur,
the spirit OF the Declaration OF Iude
l nenlence. The eNercise Of this Nirf