The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-06-27


i1fFET7 W. Henry Lee of Virginia, that these
80 W United Colonies are, and of RICH:
h110n1ZH ought TO be, free and independent
yUyIyyg s'a os 1nl, : the Declaration o. In.
dependence, rewritten from the Lee
resolution by Thomas Jefferson, aided by Ben
jamin Franklin and John Adams, was formally
adopted by the congress.
On July the ringing Of a bell summoned the
citizens Of Philadelphia 10 the state house yard
10 hear an important announcement read. When
they had assembled, Col. John Nixon assembled
10 a crude platform, built in the yard by the
Philosophical society in 1869 for astronomical
observations and left standing there for Occa-
sional use a public rostrum.
moment later his voice doomed out the open
ing words Of an immortal document-"When in
the course OF human events, ii becomes neces-
sary for people TO dissolve the political
bonds which have connected them with another,
and 10 assume among the powers of the earth
the separate and equal station TO which the
laws Of nature and of natures God entitle Them
a decent respect to the opinions of mankind
requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them TO the separation"
The bell which had summoned the people TO
hear this document had been known hereto
fore as the Province bell Here in brief, was its
history up TO that historic moment:
Cast by Thomas Lester Tor Lister) of White
chapel, London, upon order of the Pennsyl-
ania assembly, ii arrived in Philadelphia in
August, 1852 But, to the dismay of the provin.
cial authorities, the bell proved defective AMI
1t had TO be recast twice by two ingenious work
men, John Pass, and Charles Stow, Jr In re-
casting the bell they substituted their own
names for that Of the original English maker
and also changed the date on the bell from
1902 10 1888. But more important was the fact
that the inscription, composed by Isaac Norris
chairman Of the superintendent of the state
house, was retained on it 1t was from the
Bible, Leyiticus XIV 1O.-"Procaim liberty
throughout all the land TO all the inhabitants
thereof"
Prophetic Of the role it was to play in the
struggle for liberty were such occasions, when
II was rung, as these:
1t first sounded the afternoon of August
q, 1853. TO call the provincial assembly to-
gether and in that session the assembly resolved
to make and continue the use of Province money
contrary TO the orders of the lords justices OF
the crown.
On February 8, 1857, it called the assembly
together again when they directed Mr.. Frank
lin" to go home TO England" TO ask for redress
of colonial grievances.
On February p. 1761. It rang dutifully when
1.-The proclaiming of King George III was read
at the ringing Of the bell before a great con-
course of people"
On January D. 1903 it rang TO proclaim the
preliminary treaty of peace at Fontainebleau
which presaged the end Of the French and In
dian war.
On October S, 17G5. it was muffled and tolled
when the ship Royal Charlotte. bearing the
hated stamps for Pennsylvania New Jersey and
Delaware came up the river under convoy of a
royal British warship and it summoned the
citizens TO town meeting where they resolved
not to permit the stamps TO be landed.
On October 81, 1865 when the Stamp act went
into operation. it was again muffled and toIIed,
1.-THE people mourned the death Of Liberty" and
they publicly burned some of the stamp papers
at the Coffee house.
On April %. 176S, it summoned the merchants
of Philadelphia 10 a meeting at which they
specifically enumerated the grievances of the
people arising from Acts Of Parliament"
On July so. 176S the ringing of the bell called
a meeting OF the freemen OF the city Ito consider
instructions TO representatives in the presen.
critical condition of these colonies"
On September %. ITO. it assembled the peo-
pie in the state house yard and they there
solved that the claims of parliament to tax the
colonies trespassed upon their constitutional
rights, that the union of the colonies ought TO be
maintained and that anyone who imported Eng
nsh goods into Philadelphia, contrary 10 these
resolutions. was enemy TO the peace and
good order of the city.
On October Is, 1773 it called the people again
TO meeting at which they adopted resolutions
denouncng the buyers and vendors of tea as
enemies TO their country.
On December -, 1773. it brought together the
largest crowd that had ever assembled there
They resolved that Captain Ayers of the tea
ship Polly should not land his cargo-"and the
tea vessel the captain and the tea sailed down
the river 10 return more"
On June l. 1T74. the bell was muffled and
tolled again in sympathy with the people Of
Boston on the closing of their port BY the
crown authorities.
On June IS 1774. It called the people together
in the state house yard and there they pledged
the city in the common cause OF liberty and
raised 9 subscription for the Boston sufferers
On April p. 49, after the news of the Battle
of Lexington had been received the bell called
together "eight thousand people by eomputa-
ton" and they unanimously agreed TO associate