The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-22

Liberty Boys and the soldiers cana q,
last the Battle OF Golden Hill. foy,s,
in ITO at John and William stres,.
In which the first blood Of the Ansrt
can Revolution was she'd The nol..
were on many spots in the cornnor
One of the largest was planted a,
what would now be the middle Of Man
street, and several seem to have r.
reared on the site of the old post of,ca
Opposite Murray street was one wb,o,
was protected for weeks against ~.
onslaught Of the troops OF the British
Governor. ~. ,.s 90.
II was useless to argue with ~.
Liberty Boys and to bid them ttisnsr,.
for was It not their common on Whit
they gathered to register their nv
tests? They might well have poin,ss
to the deed of Gov. Dongan him,,,,
bestowing this ground upon the crr
OF New York for purposes Of publc
assembly.
The protestants against the Bos,o,
port act gathered here in the commor
in l774 in storm and on the rostr,,r.
stepped Alexander Hamilton, then a
student at Columbia College, better
known as Kings. which was only 70,
blocks distant. and delivered an "a
dress so convincing and so eloouer,
that from that hour his political li,.
may have been said TO have begun
The days which were to try msr,
souls grew on apace. The temper q,
the people rose. The patriots eaInsS
possession OF New York and held ~
for weeks. Not long after that Gsr
George Washington saw a young ofp'
Ger OF artillery in City Hall Park dr,n.
ing his company with such precision
and ability that he asked at once vSo
he was. and thus met Hamilton, whom
he honored with place on his own
stan In the Continental Army
Reading the Declaration,
The news of the battle Of Lexins+o,
had reached the old common. ava
here, the British redcoats willy-nIuv
the citizens gathered to talk o, N.
gathering war clouds.
Five days after II had been signed
that is. on July 9, l778-the peclar,.
ton Of Independence was read bv m.
direction OF Washington TO sever,I
regiments of the Continental Army
which were drawn up in the old com.
mon. The greater number OF them
were, as nearly as can be determined
from the descriptions penned al INA
time. deployed on the site OF the build.
ing which is now in such dIsfayor
There Is a tablet on the City Hair,
south 'front.' just under the windows n,
the Mayors reception office, which
bears witness to that dramatic occs.
sion.
The disastrous battles OF Long Island
and OF Harlem resulted in the defeat
OF Washington and obliged him 10
withdraw. leaving 1000. prisoners IN
the hands Of tie British. Hundreds O,
the men who had heard the Declara.
ton read were brought back 10 tina
common to be thrust into Jail and pu,
at the mercy OF the infamous Gun.
bingham or transferred from that
point to be sent to lingering deaths in
prison hulks.
The old common saw another srh.
when the victorious Continentals re-
turned and the British marched away
and took ship down the harbor on tina.
memorable Evacuation Day Gun.
bingham departed with curses on his
lips. The bells of the churches pealed
their greetings and into the barracks
vacated by the British in City Hall
Park the soldiers OF the republic
marched.
Now the Great War Heroes.
In more recent years II has echoed
with the feet of the men from overseas
VINO nave come back from the battle
Tor world freedom. covered witt
wounds and proud in the thought O.
having done their duty 10 the full
thousands and thousands OF them
have passed in review on tho long
plaza directly in front Of the steps Of
the City Hall within sight of the table.
which marks the proclamation Of that
great bill OF human rights which made
possible the sending OF vast armies
beyond the ocean 10 spread the doc
trine OF the inalianable rights Of man.
So, what better use could the CITY
Hail serve. cleared OF all structures
which do not convey its mission, than
the meeting place for Americans.
Some OF them Will be seen there this
coming Fourth OF July probably
more than at any other time since
the movement for a real and revived
national holiday was started. One @,
these Fourths, who knows hut what
many thousands will assemble thora
and completely fill the new paths ard
squares which will be dedicated anew
n he aft l. I,-y 14tF.'rN
so long by the dark gray pill" for 10
demolition of which so many public
spirited citizens arc moving Then