ly　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　rallying　center　for　the　numerous　but　harassed　Loyalists　of　the　South。　The　third　and　largest　of　these　expeditions　was　to　strike　at　New　York　and；　by　a　show　of　strength；　bring　the　colonists　to　reason　and　reconciliation。　If　mildness　failed　the　British　intended　to　capture　New　York；　sail　up　the　Hudson　and　cut　off　New　England　from　the　other　colonies。
  The　squadron　destined　for　Charleston　carried　an　army　in　command　of　a　fine　soldier；　Lord　Cornwallis；　destined　later　to　be　the　defeated　leader　in　the　last　dramatic　scene　of　the　war。　In　May　this　fleet　reached　Wilmington；　North　Carolina；　and　took　on　board　two　thousand　men　under　General　Sir　Henry　Clinton；　who　had　been　sent　by　Howe　from　Boston　in　vain　to　win　the　Carolinas　and　who　now　assumed　military　command　of　the　combined　forces。　Admiral　Sir　Peter　Parker　commanded　the　fleet；　and　on　the　4th　of　June　he　was　off　Charleston　Harbor。　Parker　found　that　in　order　to　cross　the　bar　he　would　have　to　lighten　his　larger　ships。　This　was　done　by　the　laborious　process　of　removing　the　guns；　which；　of　course；　he　had　to　replace　when　the　bar　was　crossed。　On　the　28th　of　June；　Parker　drew　up　his　ships　before　Fort　Moultrie　in　the　harbor。　He　had　expected　simultaneous　aid　by　land　from　three　thousand　soldiers　put　ashore　from　the　fleet　on　a　sandbar；　but　these　troops　could　give　him　no　help　against　the　fort　from　which　they　were　cut　off　by　a　channel　of　deep　water。　A　battle　soon　proved　the　British　ships　unable　to　withstand　the　American　fire　from　Fort　Moultrie。　Late　in　the　evening　Parker　drew　off；　with　two　hundred　and　twenty…five　casualties　against　an　American　loss　of　thirty…seven。　The　check　was　greater　than　that　of　Bunker　Hill；　for　there　the　British　took　the　ground　which　they　attacked。　The　British　sailors　bore　witness　to　the　gallantry　of　the　defense：　〃We　never　had　such　a　drubbing　in　our　lives；〃　one　of　them　testified。　Only　one　of　Parker's　ten　ships　was　seaworthy　after　the　fight。　It　took　him　three　weeks　to　refit；　and　not　until　the　4th　of　August　did　his　defeated　ships　reach　New　York。
  A　mighty　armada　of　seven　hundred　ships　had　meanwhile　sailed　into　the　Bay　of　New　York。　This　fleet　was　commanded　by　Admiral　Lord　Howe　and　it　carried　an　army　of　thirty　thousand　men　led　by　his　younger　brother；　Sir　William　Howe；　who　had　commanded　at　Bunker　Hill。　The　General　was　an　able　and　well…informed　soldier。　He　had　a　brilliant　record　of　service　in　the　Seven　Years'　War；　with　Wolfe　in　Canada；　then　in　France　itself；　and　in　the　West　Indies。　In　appearance　he　was　tall；　dark；　and　coarse。　His　face　showed　him　to　be　a　free　user　of　wine。　This　may　explain　some　of　his　faults　as　a　general。　He　trusted　too　much　to　subordinates；　he　was　leisurely　and　rather　indolent；　yet　capable　of　brilliant　and　rapid　action。　In　America　his　heart　was　never　in　his　task。　He　was　member　of　Parliament　for　Nottingham　and　had　publicly　condemned　the　quarrel　with　America　and　told　his　electors　that　in　it　he　would　take　no　command。　He　had　not　kept　his　word；　but　his　convictions　remained。　It　would　be　to　accuse　Howe　of　treason　to　say　that　he　did　not　do　his　best　in　America。　Lack　of　c