washington and his comrades in arms-第12章

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ally　know　Europe；　may　urge　reconciliation；　but　nature　is　against　it。　Paine　broke　loose　in　that　denunciation　of　kings　with　which　ever　since　the　world　has　been　familiar。　The　wretched　Briton；　said　Paine；　is　under　a　king　and　where　there　was　a　king　there　was　no　security　for　liberty。　Kings　were　crowned　ruffians　and　George　III　in　particular　was　a　sceptered　savage；　a　royal　brute；　and　other　evil　things。　He　had　inflicted　on　America　injuries　not　to　be　forgiven。　The　blood　of　the　slain；　not　less　than　the　true　interests　of　posterity；　demanded　separation。　Paine　called　his　pamphlet　〃Common　Sense〃。　It　was　published　on　January　9；　1776。　More　than　a　hundred　thousand　copies　were　quickly　sold　and　it　brought　decision　to　many　wavering　minds。

In　the　first　days　of　1776　independence　had　become　a　burning　question。　New　England　had　made　up　its　mind。　Virginia　was　keen　for　separation；　keener　even　than　New　England。　New　York　and　Pennsylvania　long　hesitated　and　Maryland　and　North　Carolina　were　very　lukewarm。　Early　in　1776　Washington　was　advocating　independence　and　Greene　and　other　army　leaders　were　of　the　same　mind。　Conservative　forces　delayed　the　settlement；　and　at　last　Virginia；　in　this　as　in　so　many　other　things　taking　the　lead；　instructed　its　delegates　to　urge　a　declaration　by　Congress　of　independence。　Richard　Henry　Lee；　a　member　of　that　honored　family　which　later　produced　the　ablest　soldier　of　the　Civil　War；　moved　in　Congress　on　June　7；　1776；　that　〃these　United　Colonies　are；　and　of　right　ought　to　be；　Free　and　Independent　States。〃　The　preparation　of　a　formal　declaration　was　referred　to　a　committee　of　which　John　Adams　and　Thomas　Jefferson　were　members。　It　is　interesting　to　note　that　each　of　them　became　President　of　the　United　States　and　that　both　died　on　July　4；　1826；　the　fiftieth　anniversary　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　Adams　related　long　after　that　he　and　Jefferson　formed　the　sub…committee　to　draft　the　Declaration　and　that　he　urged　Jefferson　to　undertake　the　task　since　〃you　can　write　ten　times　better　than　I　can。〃　Jefferson　accordingly　wrote　the　paper。　Adams　was　delighted　〃with　its　high　tone　and　the　flights　of　Oratory〃　but　he　did　not　approve　of　the　flaming　attack　on　the　King；　as　a　tyrant。　〃I　never　believed；〃　he　said；　〃George　to　be　a　tyrant　in　disposition　and　in　nature。〃　There　was；　he　thought；　too　much　passion　for　a　grave　and　solemn　document。　He　was；　however；　the　principal　speaker　in　its　support。

There　is　passion　in　the　Declaration　from　beginning　to　end；　and　not　the　restrained　and　chastened　passion　which　we　find　in　the　great　utterances　of　an　American　statesman　of　a　later　day；　Abraham　Lincoln。　Compared　with　Lincoln；　Jefferson　is　indeed　a　mere　amateur　in　the　use　of　words。　Lincoln　would　not　have　scattered　in　his　utterances　overwrought　phrases　about　〃death；　desolation　and　tyranny〃　or　talked　about　pledging　〃our　lives；　our　fortunes　and　our　sacred　honour。〃　He　indulged　in　no　〃Flights　of　Oratory。〃　The　passion　in　the　Declaration　is　concentrated　against　the　King。　We　do　not　know　what　were　the　emotions　of　George　when　he　read　it。　We　know　that　many　Englishmen　thought　that　it　spoke　truth。　Exaggerations　there　are　which　make　the　Declaration　less　than　a　completely　candid　document。　The　King　is　accused　of　abolishing　English　laws　in　Canada　with　the　intention　of　〃introducing　the　same　absolute　rule　into　these　colonies。〃　What　had　been　done　in　Canada　was　to　let　the　conquered　French　retain　their　own　lawswhich　was　not　tyranny　but　magnanimity。　Another　clause　of　the　Declaration；　as　Jefferson　first　wrote　it；　made　George　responsible　for　the　slave　trade　in　America　with　all　its　horrors　and　crimes。　We　may　doubt　whether　that　not　too　enlightened　monarch　had　even　more　than　vaguely　heard　of　the　slave　trade。　This　phase　of　the　attack　upon　him　was　too　much　for　the　slave　owners　of　the　South　and　the　slave　traders　of　New　England；　and　the　clause　was　struck　out。

Nearly　fourscore　and　ten　years　later；　Abraham　Lincoln；　at　a　supreme　crisis　in　the　nation's　life；　told　in　Independence　Hall；　Philadelphia；　what　the　Declaration　of　Independence　meant　to　him。　〃I　have　never；〃　he　said；　〃had　a　feeling　politically　which　did　not　spring　from　the　sentiments　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence〃；　and　then　he　spoke　of　the　sacrifices　which　the　founders　of　the　Republic　had　made　for　these　principles。　He　asked；　too；　what　was　the　idea　which　had　held　together　the　nation　thus　founded。　It　was　not　the　breaking　away　from　Great　Britain。　It　was　the　assertion　of　human　right。　We　should　speak　in　terms　of　reverence　of　a　document　which　became　a　classic　utterance　of　political　right　and　which　inspired　Lincoln　in　his　fight　to　end　slavery　and　to　make　〃Liberty　and　the　pursuit　of　Happiness〃　realities　for　all　men。　In　England　the　colonists　were　often　taunted　with　being　〃rebels。〃　The　answer　was　not　wanting　that　ancestors　of　those　who　now　cried　〃rebel〃　had　themselves　been　rebels　a　hundred　years　earlier　when　their　own　liberty　was　at　stake。

There　were　in　Congress　men　who　ventured　to　say　that　the　Declaration　was　a　libel　on　the　government　of　England；　men　like　John　Dickinson　of　Pennsylvania　and　John　Jay　of　New　York；　who　feared　that　the　radical　elements　were　moving　too　fast。　Radicalism；　however；　was　in　the　saddle；　and　on　the　2d　of　July　the　〃resolution　respecting　independency　〃　was　adopted。　On　July　4；　1776；　Congress　debated　and　finally　adopted　the　formal　Declaration　of　Independence。　The　members　did　not　vote　individually。　The　delegates　from　each　colony　cast　the　vote　of　the　colony。　Twelve　colonies　voted　for　the　Declaration。　New　York　alone　was　silent　because　its　delegates　had　not　been　instructed　as　to　their　vote；　but　New　York；　too；　soon　fell　into　line。　It　was　a　momentous　occasion　and　was　understood　to　be　such。　The　vote　seems　to　have　been　reached　in　the　late　afternoon。　Anxious　citizens　were　waiting　in　the　streets。　There　was　a　bell　in　the　State　House；　and　an　old　ringer　waited　there　for　the　signal。　When　there　was　long　delay　he　is　said　to　have　muttered：　〃They　will　never　do　it！　they　will　never　do　it！〃　Then　came　the　word；　〃Ring！　Ring！〃　It　is　an　odd　fact　that　the　inscription　on　the　bell；　placed　there　long　before　the　days　of　the　trouble；　was　from　Leviticus：　〃Proclaim　liberty　throughout　all　the　land　unto　all　the　inhabitants　thereof。〃　The　bells　of　Philadelphia　rang　and　cannon　boomed。　As　the　news　spread　there　were　bonfires　and　illuminations　in　all　the　colonies。　On　the　day　after　the　Declaration　the　Virginia　Convention　struck　out　〃O　Lord；　save　the　King〃　from　the　church　service。　On　the　l0th　of　July　Washington；　who　by　this　time　had　moved　to　New　York；　paraded　the　army　and　had　the　Declaration　read　at　the　head　of　each　brigade。　That　evening　the　statue　of　King　George　in　New　York　was　laid　in　the　dust。　It　is　a　comment　on　the　changes　in　human　fortune　that　within　little　more　than　a　year　the　British　had　taken　Philadelphia；　that　the　clamorous　bell　had　been　hid　away　for　safety；　and　that　colonial　wiseacres　were　urging　the　rescinding　of　the　ill…timed　Declaration　and　the　reunion　of　the　British　Empire。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　LOSS　OF　NEW　YORK

Washington's　success　at　Boston　had　one　good　effect。　It　destroyed　Tory　influence　in　that　Puritan　stronghold。　New　England　was　henceforth　of　a　temper　wholly　revolutionary；　and　New　England　tradition　holds　that　what　its　people　think　today　other　Americans　think　tomorrow。　But；　in　the　summer　of　this　year　1776；　though　no　serious　foe　was　visible　at　any　point　in　the　revolted　colonies；　a　menace　haunted　every　one　of　them。　The　British　had　gone　away　by　sea；　by　sea　they　would　return。　On　land　armies　move　slowly　and　visibly；　but　on　the　sea　a　great　force　may　pass　out　of　sight　and　then　suddenly　reappear　at　an　unexpected　point。　This　is　the　haunting　terror　of　sea　power。　Already　the　British　had　destroyed　Falmouth；　now　Portland；　Maine；　and　Norfolk；　the　principal　town　in　Virginia。　Washington　had　no　illusions　of　security。　He　was　anxious　above　all　for　the　safety　of　New　York；　commanding　the　vital　artery　of　the　Hudson；　which　must　at　all　costs　be　defended。　Accordingly；　in　April；　he　took　his　army　to　New　York　and　established　there　his　own　headquarters。

Even　before　Washington　moved　to　New　York；　three　great　British　expeditions　were　nearing　America。　One　of　these　we　have　already　seen　at　Quebec。　Another　was　bound　for　Charleston；　to　land　there　an　army　and　to　make　the　place　a　r