The Coolidge examiner., 1935-06-28

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C~4l% On Jmly the Declaration OF In-
dependence rewritten from the lee
resolution by Thomas jefferson. aided hy Ben.
Jamln Franklin and John Adams. was formally
adopted by the congress-
On July the ringing of n belt summoned the
citizens of Philadelphia 90 the state house yard
Go hear an important announcement read. when
they bad assembled. Col. John Nixon assembled
10 crude platform. bull; In the yard hy the
Philosophical society IN i7tD for astronomical
observations and left standing there for coca.
slonai use as n public rosgrum.
moment later his voice doomed out the open.
ing words ~ an immortal documenl-~when In
the course oi human events. It becomes neces.
sary for one 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 entltle them.
decent respect 10 the opinions OF mankind
requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them TO the separation"
The bell which had summoned the people 10
hear this document had been known hereto
fore as the Province bell Here Ia hrief. was It's
history up 10 that historic moment:
Cas-; by Thomas Lester tor Lister of White
chapel. London. rpon order OF the Pennsyl.
ania assembly !: arrived 10 Philadelphia In
cial authorities ne bell proved defective AMI
II had TO be recas' twice by two ingenious WORK.
men. John Pass. Ind 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
lT52 to lT51 But more important was the fact
that the inscription. composed by Isaac Norris.
chairman OF the superintendeuts OF the state
house. was retained on IL II vas from the
Bible. Levitlcus XIV. l0.-"Proclaim liberty
throughout all the land to all the inhabitants
thereof"
Prophetic OF the role Il was TO play In the
struggle for liberty were such occasions when
Il rung. as these:
IL first sounded on the afternoon OF August
q. iI53 TO call the provincial assembly TO
geiher and In that session the assembly resolved
TO make and continue the use Of Province money
contrary 10 the orders OF the lords Justices OF
the crown.
On February 3, 1857. Il called the assembly
together again when they directed "AIr Frank.
lin" 10 go home TO England" 10 ask for redress
of colonial grievances.
On October 5. 1895. II was mufT1ed and toled
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 warshlp and IL summoned the
citizens to town meeting where they resolved
not 10 permit the stamps TO be landed.
On September -. lTT0 II assembled the peo-
pie In the state house yard and they there re-.
solved that the claims OF parliament 10 tax the
colonies trespassed upon their constitutional
rights. thar the union OF the colonies ought TO b.
maintained and that anyone who imported Eng
llsh goods into Philadelphia. contrary to these
resolutions. was enemy TO the peace and
good order OF the city.
on June i. iTT4 the bell was mur.>d and
tolled again In sympathy with the people ~
Boston on the closing OF their port by the
crown authorities.
On April D. 1175. after the news OF the Battle
OF Lexington had been received, the bell called
together eight thousand people by computa-
tion' and they unanimously agreed ito associate
for the purpose OF defending with arms. their
lives. liberty and property against all attempts
TO deprive them Of them"
Thus In the clear notes Of this famous old
bell can be traced the successive steps leading
up TO that historic day. July S. 1TT6 when the
bell rang out once mOre-loudly. joyously-
'proclaimlns liberty throughout all the .and
unto all the inhabitants thereof" Before this
time IL had been the Province bell. From that
time on. forever. IL was the Liberty Bell
On September II. 1777. Gen George Washing
ton and his 1900 Continentals were defeated
by General Howe and his $4,000 British at the
Battle OF Brandywine. In Washingtons army
was young Virsinian named John Marshall. the
son OF Col. Thomas Marshall who before the
Revolution opened had foreseen the coming of