The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-12-31
IhSATURDAY
H% NIGHT
\ SERMONS
By
-! MMuElW PURgnlD
RING. GRANDPA. RINGr'

stood Yesterday. hat in hand before
the Liberty bell in Independence hall.
A moment before had been out In
front Of the bronze statue Of the Ia.
Their Of His Country on the Chestnut
street sidewalk. Then visited the
museum and looked with wondering
eyes at the curios and relics. trod
halls Of fame where one may see the
pictures of the signers. the chairs in
which they sat. the inkstand which
they used. Then stood before the
bell As | gazed at the inscription. the
text above. my vision swan. 1t was
no longer 1914, with the electric cars
laundering past the hall and great sky.
scrapers casting their shadows over the
building. stood in July Fourth, 1910
what ! Have Written"
The morning was not hot, only
cloudy and sultry. Then came thun.
derstorm. and through the clouds burst
the sun. harbinger Of glorious things
War bad been raging for more than a
year in the colonies. Lexington, Con.
cord and Bunker Hill had been fought
| For fifty-four days. ever since May 10.
that provincial congress had been busy
with it's deliberations. SHOULD the
| colonies be free and independent
states?" 1t was tremendous Que<-
| ton and a momentous time for those
brave fifty-si signers 4 The oldest was
Benjamin Franklin. who had reached
his threescore and ten: the youngest
| was Thomas Lynch, Jr.. not yet TWEEN.
ty-seven. Thomas Jefferson was only
thirty three. There were eighteen law.
yers. nine merchants. seven farmers.
three physicians, three soldiers. two
surveyors, printer. Il college president.
clergyman. Nine Of the number were
ministers SONS. Eight were of foreign
birth. There was John Hancock In the
presidents chair: good Dr.. Rush: Rev.
John Witherspoon, descendant Of John
Knox: Richard Henry Lee. the Demos
themes Of the congress. the author Of
the resolution calling for the Declare.
ton. John Adams-but why enumcrate?
They were all brave men. They were
placing in jeopardy their lives. repu-
tations and estates. They pledged to
each other "our lives. our fortunes and
our sacred honor" On July they had
voted by states and unanimously
tor immediate independence. Jefferson
wrote the Declaration. He afterward
declared the reason Franklin was not
chosen for that task was the fear that
he would place In 1t some Jest: he was
inclined to be humorous. Did any one
sign the Declaration that late July aft
ernoon? Thomas NJ Keen declared no
one did. Jefferson said they all did.
Forty years later Adams and jefferson
bad a long correspondence about this
very question. Those who feel they
must defend apparent Bible contradic-
tons would do well to bear this in
mind One thing is certain-that copy
is not in existence. Jefferson's original
is in the state department at Washing
ton. So is the engrossed copy of Aug
4. That Is the one containing the big
signatures of John Hancock with
which the world Is familiar.
"Rins. Grandpa, Rine!"
Whether it was signed that immor.
tai day or not the resolution was. A
great crowd OF people had gathered
outside. They could see Hancock's
big. high backed chair behind the ma
hogany table, with its great silver ink
horn. Red faced John Adams and
Roger Sherman. the shoemaker. stood
near the window, Robert Morris. the
tna ncier. and Charles Carroll Of Car
roIlton. who outlived all the signers.
were near the door. Up In the belfry
hung the now famous bell brought
from England in 1852. cracked the first
Norris. speaker of the assembly. with
the famous inscription around It's top
Old William Hurry. whose Wondering |
dust now sleeps in old Pine Street |
Presbyterian churchyard. stood ut the |
belfry door. his hand ON the bell rope, |
ready to- ring out the expected glad |
tidings. his little blue eyed grandson.
Samuel. In the corridor below Out
side the crowd grew more dense. The
air was surcharged with excitement |
Men had left the plow tail. the store.
the workshop. Would they dare pass
the resolution? Suddenly at five min
utes before the lad dashed out clap
ping his hands. Ring. grandpa.
ring" The bell rang out the welcome
news prophetically cast upon its iron
throat twenty-four years before The
crowds answered with cheers.
The Voice That Is STILL
Many are the stories as to how the
famous bell became cracked The
most authentic Is that Major Jack"
Downing. caretaker. allowed six
boys to ring the bell on Washington's
birthday. 1885 Whenever 1t happen
ed. 1t was not noticed until the MORN
ing OF June y. 1888. when it was being
tolled for the death Of Chief Justice
John Marshall Several times later It
was rung on great occasions. but the
tones. once powerful. were sorry re-
minders of the past. On Washington's
birthday. 1913. it was tolled for the
last time Now for seventy-one years
1t has been voiceiess. When In 1850
the Prince of Wales. afterward King
Inward VII. Of England. visited the
United States the bell was In rub
bish heap in the garnet. He was amaz-
ed, Indignant. and pleaded for It. 1t has
never been neglected since Each year
II lS more vpnprated Ire ,norc,ro T.. |