Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-27
THE VESTS OWN LIBERTY BELL
On July 1 1t Proclaimed the Amercanzation of the Coun
try North of the Oho-How the Kenuckans Came to Kas
kaskia-A Romantic Tale
By ROBERT HILDRETH

TNHERE'S another Liberty Bell beside that
L on which the railroads are now Of
ferng cut rates. On July 4, 177S, just two
years after famous event in Philadelphia,
the Liberty Bell Of the West joyously pro-
claimed the Americanization of that vast
country lying between the Ohio River and
the Great Lak6s-the old Northwest Terri
tory. In the dim vestbule of the Church of
the Immaculate Conception, in New Kas-
kasllia, it rests today, somewhat corroded
with age, and, 10, the heavy bronze is
cracked. There is something else of aca-
demc interest to Philadelphians. The Lib
erty Bell of-the West has been to the fair
the Worlds Fair in Chicago in 1898. 1t is
ten years older than the relic now following
the transcontinental circuit, for it was the
gift of Louis XIV long ago to his children of
the little French village of Kaskaskia, in
New France.
1t then that the France of the New
World comprised the valleys of the four
great rivers the st. Lawrence, the Ohio, the
Missouri and the Mississippi. 1t was the
country of Nicolet and Allouez, Marquette
Joliet and La Sale, bold adventurers and
soldiers, brave and patient priests. On the
banks of the mighty Father of Waters where
the Okaw formed peninsula which today is
the Ragged Island" the Jesuit missionaries
founded a church, and there French set
tlement grew up, called Cascasqua by the
people then. In few years the King of
France heard of the little church in the far
away wilderness, and to show his pleasure
he ordered a great bronze bell to be cast
and shipped over the seas and borne through
the forest TO the hardy pioneers Of religion
and empire. On it was graved an inscription,
part of it illegible today, but telling the peo-
pie that the bell was the gift of the king"
In the winter Of 1742, thirteen years before
the French and Indian Wars, it reached
Kaskaskia.
Clark Comes to Kaskaskia
In course of time New France east of
the Mississippi, became English soil. The
British soldiers built new forts in the Illinois
and ONO countries. Their commander when
the Revolution came, was Hamilton the
Hair Buyer" he who hired the Indians for
murder. But before this, from Virginia and
the Carolinas, the Boones and the ClarlSs and
hundreds of other intrepid spirits had crossed
the blue wall of the Alleghenies into Ken
lucky. The year 1777 was above all years the
year of murderous Indian raids upon the new
made homes of the Kentucky frontiersmen.
George Rogers Clark, one of the chief heroes
on the roll of American history recrossed the
mountains into Virginia and laid before Gov
ernor Patrick Henry his plans for seizing
the British posts north of the Ohio, whence
the Indian raiders were dispatched south
ward to kill and massacre The Governor
listened with little favor at first but granted
Clark a commission as lieutenant colonel and
gave him small supply of ammunition and
Virginia money. Clark returned to Ken
lucky and raised force OF $50 backwools-
men. From their rendezvous, on an island
of the Ohio opposite the site of the present
city of Louisville they set out on the expe-
dition so graphically described in Churchilrs
novel, THE Crossing" The hardships of
their marches in the Northwest country need
not be recounted here, but they were such
as to try the mettle and physical endurance
of even the hardest of the hardy pioneers
Of that romantic age OF difficulties and perils
cark's first capture was Fort Gage. at the
foot OF bluf few miles to the east OF
Kaskaska Then he advanced on Kaskas-
kia, the territorial capital, which the British
had left almost unprotected through ignor-
anee OF the colonial expedition. which Clark
had organized with as much secrecy as pos
slble. The American force stealthily entered
the village about midnight, aiming TO sur
prise the fort. The lone sentry inside the
stockade was doing. Clark's ringing voice
woke him with the summons.
open the gatel Open the gate in the name
Of Virginia and the Continental Congress"
The bolt was drawn and Clark with a num-
Der OF his men entered the fort The thor
oughly disgusted British Governor was mn,
under guard. The.yillage OF Kaskaslsia then
woke up. Excitement ana fear continued IN
the houses and the streets until JOY came
N the morning. with better knowledge Of
the invaders purposes
Colonel Clark sent men through the vi