In the Days of Poor Richard

  CHAPTER XVI

  JACK AND SOLOMON MEET THE GREAT ALLY

  The Selectmen of Boston, seeing the city threatened with destruction,had made terms with Washington for the British army. It was to beallowed peaceably to abandon the city and withdraw in its fleet of onehundred and fifty vessels. The American army was now well organizedand in high spirit. Washington waited on Dorchester Heights for theevacuation of Boston to be completed. Meanwhile, a large force wassent to New York to assist in the defense of that city. Jack andSolomon went with it. On account of their physical condition, horseswere provided for them, and on their arrival each was to have a leaveof two weeks, "for repairs," as Solomon put it. They went up to Albanyfor a rest and a visit and returned eager for the work which awaitedthem.

  They spent a spring and summer of heavy toil in building defenses andtraining recruits. The country was aflame with excitement. RhodeIsland and Connecticut declared for independence. The fire ran acrosstheir borders and down the seaboard. Other colonies were making ordiscussing like declarations. John Adams, on his way to Congress, toldof the defeat of the Northern army in Canada and how it was headingsouthward "eaten with vermin, diseased, scattered, dispirited, unclad,unfed, disgraced." Colonies were ignoring the old order of things,electing their own assemblies and enacting their own laws. The Toryprovincial assemblies were unable to get men enough together to make apretense of doing business.

  In June, by a narrow margin, the Congress declared for independence, onthe motion of Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. A declaration was draftedand soon adopted by all the Provincial Congresses. It was engrossed onparchment and signed by the delegates of the thirteen states on thesecond of August. Jack went to that memorable scene as an aid to JohnAdams, who was then the head of the War Board.

  He writes in a letter to his friends in Albany:

  "They were a solemn looking lot of men with the exception of DoctorFranklin and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. The latter wore along-tailed buff coat with round gold buttons. He is a tall, big-bonedman. I have never seen longer arms than he has. His wrists and handsare large and powerful.

  "When they began to sign the parchment he smiled and said:

  "'Gentlemen, Benjamin Franklin should have written this document. Thecommittee, however, knew well that he would be sure to put a joke init.'

  "'Let me remind you that behind it all is the greatest joke inhistory,' said the philosopher.

  "'What is that?' Mr. Jefferson asked,

  "'The British House of Lords,' said Franklin.

  "A smile broke through the cloud of solemnity on those many faces, andwas followed by a little ripple of laughter.

  "'The committee wishes you all to know that it is indebted to DoctorFranklin for wise revision of the instrument,' said Mr. Jefferson.

  "When the last man had signed, Mr. Jefferson rose and said:

  "'Gentlemen, we have taken a long and important step. On this newground we must hang together to the end.'

  "'We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately,'said Franklin with that gentle, fatherly smile of his.

  "Again the signers laughed.

  "Last night I heard Patrick Henry speak. He thrilled us with hiseloquence. He is a spare but rugged man, whose hands have been used totoil like my own. They tell me that he was a small merchant, farmerand bar-keeper down in Virginia before he became a lawyer and that heeducated himself largely by the reading of history. He has a rapid,magnificent diction, slightly flavored with the accent of the Scot."