Ida M. Tarbell
Author of "Th^^^Eif|3^^^Sß^^ ry
Tjtit, cont mental^congresSjWas^very
butv in^tiej spring' of Tl776.\ Jits*
daily, sessions "wero^takeh^ up with
the ;, ; reading f : Cof ';. letteni « f ram^tho
generals /of rlts" 'army,;iacctjptlns*'nevv
con-,panJes" i of.militW:""directing battal
ions and /gunpowder toward this or
that proyii*c<£ -Vfffearmlng people who
persisted^in refusing -to fight Great
Britain, ordering cannon cast* buying
saltpeter, imprisoning the suspected^
voting money Tor rations a»d 3 rft»^S^,-j
establishing hospitals, for^^^g|u«||^
with England — in shorij^itliTtbe^car-;
ryfng on of a vigprtfus fwar^s'^iant^Aj
co untry i o y. lxttsF : i t v & t "til foffl&ally^ac '-':
Thjs : condi Uon o f -affairs had • e^sred i
for nmre tli^n a: ycar.^bocVi^is^ty^jt
Is tr«c;:coßS^s*-lii<l'.suspcadedfl»ostili- \u25a0
Lies long cnbu^tb s p"wtcst > tb^£*thc col
onists wefe^xiotreteis. 1 oiJy*"pctfti6nefs .'
in arms" \bent' 'on^jKffiing right their,
v.rongs; but ihVfutility of its petitions,
and prayer» v liad gradually worn out
the patience and hope of even the most^
loyal" of the members. TVhen con'grg£s*i
cams togctlier in ilie spring, oC^l77€v
it "^is'pretty certain that~nbbody;.would/
advocate another petition. It'Jwaa 'more \
Mkcly that entire separgiion ifrbmtthe^ 1
mother country wasimm*laeiiti»?lf;theTes'
rvere many wlij^flreaded", such"^ B.isierpf-},
there v cre > j>tffeiraf^b*o wero'doingTthicfrs
utmost to hasten^ it;r ; 'Soj£tiw>hg.-Jwe'rt^
these latter jthatvinv k^yVthey^e^n^
forced "through? congress <\u25a0 a;. reSolutlon
cal 1 ing I tipon'th'e?'colonies i to/f or»' fnde
pendent : governments.' .The*" temper
n-hich had: carried ithlßj revolutionary,
measure /had "not.; jsubsided when i the *
ce?rs C reached ? Phifadelpaia that -- \u25a0 the
i^^i^a^ut^isiaiurc or -.Virginia . hacj
instructed its delegates to congr«^|to
bring in a"* resolution" declajtfJg%!tSe
united colonies free and irvd^pendent^l
It was on'June;7 tha^^|tfia|S®^^
Lee. ..the ', spol<e^ glft«^|§tli^y'ifiSnia
delegation^S3^^n|gongTse^|gi6;had
been ojgw^^^M^l^^^'unjjhl
rfe^^U^l^^^l^^^^ent' the v fol-'
|lo^Ss|jnMoiu^o^^^^ ','•' ,; \u25a0.'/. ;"
colonies •. arc, '.and:
pS£|j|^^^||^^ bc ' : frce""an'd' .indc^
iP^niipJitjstJitci^^lhat ' tbey - are ahsnlvj^ri
,crown;;ihat all;politicaT connectioJ^bc-^
i^trech ; them' and -Greatf B'ritaiii^S?jan'd»
"~
1 Lee^iiajJ not, taken.r;iu<^^^^^b^ror^
there; was /a; "second'V^P^i^p^Si^^iti
| cam'o ; from .'J oh ".^g^W^^^^^^^Bfj
setts. t A m .o r 5 - i'^^^^**^l^2ltt^
have faUen>^^ina^'^utf tliis' Tf&
J °hn A^aj*f£^tQ^^ojKb3^hoi«prom
-J^HIP-y^^l^r"^^^^ 1 : 111 *' the
; %^ts| of i as^fi^^^lwfSa for • years'
eaCTiflc^dw^biSiSwia^parmily, health,
pc ace / ©r|njtDd,>.tdJtl»<s . American > cause. 1
lielTras3Oi»e|of |the -. few, who' from the
firßt|^j^ev^d>l[liat"separation was/ the I
S^i^oiu&ome^of ; the * contention '•• with '
Great^Bri tain. -From -'the '\u25a0; he ea-< ]
terM'tHe^ first \u25a0congress-' of tho colonlea ?
ill 1774. he-had'boldlyf and- incessantly^
advocated . indepchdJencc_, And inoy."-iat J
last he had [ the; suprcino- hap > p4nwa''Pt :
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
f a »rcsolatS|s*offerea '^y^tti^
leading ? colony^^MS ? thirte^^^^il J
_ brought .bcffi^^^igrcsSv-'diit^yjtS^
very ; p °^^^V^^ lch .'-. 1 » e ' I^^^^ S^ t %
shou^ : .^W«^j^^P^^
c thia t co n gr es §^tSt"i?{'»s*»'tprt^^? •
prfesolution one has|«c^^^*xamife£?the.;
journal ; of ; its'; V^^^Voi^a£i^^^io}_7 t t'
' 1776. - So haz^®*l^^^teS^ScrVre-*.»
\u0084 jjardod -' lor' j^^^tak!a^^^|initiatiVQ '
that. in'^rft^J^^g^a^ll^alu^nE, • nci-", '
vv # t h c ; f : t h c^E^^^^^^^^^^L^e c's 1 and •* .
Mr. :.'-SM^^Mv^M^Sx^ mentioned^
• • •-. /•/ • >KSi®is^BfSsSKJ(yBßi*tos' - «^ -\u25a0•\u25a0.-\u25a0 . - \u25a0-\u25a0
The Story
of the
Declaration
of
INDEPENDENCE