The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04

unpaid DN tne bTlllSn government
In the same city Of Philadelphia was
wise, frugal. industrious and opu,rnt
BENJAMIN trankliI. whose fortune aud
whose iife went into Jeopardy at h.s
signature. lie was 30 years old when
he put his name among the tfty-tive
other rebels and invited poverty and
a fclon's death. We must &c unari-
nous John Hancock urged. we
must all hang together"
Yes" Franklin answered. pen in
hand. 'or most assurediy We shall
hang separately"
Jefferson wrote the Declaration Of
Independence. hut John Adams passed
1t through Congress he was It's floor
leader. the manager who sent Samuel
Chase to Maryland and DIR. Rush
through Pennsylvania for the purpose
OF creating public sentiment.
Adams was ~ years old at the time
| the Declaration was adopted by Con
gr-ss. lie was saving a competence
from his earnings as a lawyer and was
writing his wife. Abigail. to be eco-
nomical for the sake OF their children
and themselves. A la Of established
position and great promise, with n
fortune growing under his hand. he
was no less an enemy OF England than
was Samuel. the other Massachusetts
Adams. the poor gentleman" as he
VAS known at home and among his
colleagues in Congress.
The Lees likewise were rich-Fran-
els Lightfoot and Richard Henry-the
former almost Idly so. with a great
landed estate worked by slaves. bu,
he signed. The resolution leading to
the Declaration was written by
Richard Henry Lee as early as FRI
day, June Z.
A British captain Of marines at the
head of a company of men broke into
Lees house during the night. Lee
was to he arrested as a traitor 10 the
king and imprisoned. II not hanged
He vas saved. however, by the quick
intelligence OF his negro servants. who
told the British captain that theii
master had returned to his duties II
Philadelphia.
The sessions OF the Congress had
been held in secret. No reports of tn,
debates were g made. HanCoCk's
for nearly a month was the only name
officially made known TO the public
But the British were aware of r.,
fact hat Richard Henry Lee had
written the resolution deClarina
these United Colonies are, and oi
right ought to be. free and independent
States"
The persecution Of the siGners
though they did not sign until Angus
2. b'gan at once, The penalties visited
upon the leaders w|lo made the Dec
laration of Independence possible and
who gave It form and substance Were
no greater than those inflicted up I
every member Of Congress.
The thirteen children Of Homes,
John Hart fled from their home IN
New Jersey to escape n troop Of Hes
slams, Their mother was too il, &c
I've moved and o d.ed, but happily
In her own house, John Hart, an oil,
man. hunted i'm woods and hills, new
stayed twice in the same place a
night and once slept in "A kennel viii
n dog, His large farm was pillaget
and his live stock driven away.
\ British army was enCamped nca
his estate and a British sloop was a
anchor "A short distance from hi
house when Lewis Morris of New
York, a wealthy man and a gradual,
of Yale, wrote his name on the parch
meat among the rest. His forest o.
more than a thousand acres was Gu
down or burned. his mansion wa,
ruined and his family had to flee foi
their lives.
The I.~ivingstons Philip, his wife
and ch!ldren-coIonial ~ariStocrats
want into hGdinr William FloVd hur.