Part 16

His home, Shadwell Farm, was a hundred and fifty miles to the north-west of Williamsburg among the mountains of central Virginia. It was a plain, spacious farmhouse, a story and a half high, with four large rooms and a wide entry on the ground floor, and many garret chambers above. The farm was nineteen hundred acres of land, part of it densely wooded, and some of it so steep and rocky as to be unfit for cultivation. The farm was tilled by thirty slaves.

And Thomas Jefferson, this student of seventeen, through the death of his father, was already the head of the family, and under a guardian, the owner of Shadwell Farm, the best portion of his father’s estate.

His father, Peter Jefferson, had been a wonder of physical force and stature. He had the strength of three strong men. Two hogsheads of tobacco, each weighing a thousand pounds, he could raise at once from their sides, and stand them upright. When surveying in the Wilderness, he could tire out his assistants, and tire out his mules; then eat his mules, and still press on, sleeping alone by night in a hollow tree to the howling of the wolves, till his task was done.

From this natural chief of men, Thomas Jefferson derived his stature, his erectness, and his bodily strength.

_James Parton_ (_Arranged_)

A CHRISTMAS GUEST

Shadwell Farm was a good farm to grow up on. Thomas Jefferson and his noisy crowd of schoolfellows hunted on a mountain near by, which abounded in deer, turkeys, foxes, and other game. Jefferson was a keen hunter, eager for a fox, swift of foot and sound of wind, coming in fresh and alert after a long day’s clambering hunt.

He studied hard, for he liked books as much as fox-hunting. Soon he began to be impatient to enter college. Then, too, he had never seen a town nor even a village of twenty houses, and he was curious to know something of the great world. His guardian consenting, he bade farewell to his mother and sisters, and set off for Williamsburg, a five days’ long ride from his home.

But just before he started for college, he stayed over the holidays at a merry house in Hanover County, where he met, for the first time, a jovial blade named Patrick Henry, noted then only for fiddling, dancing, mimicry, and practical jokes.

Jefferson and Henry became great friends. Jefferson had not a suspicion of the wonderful talent that lay undeveloped in the prime mover of all the fun of that merry company. While as little, doubtless, did Patrick Henry see in this slender sandy-haired lad, a political leader and associate.

Yet only a few years later, in May 1765, Patrick Henry was elected a member of the House of Burgesses, and Jefferson was become a brilliant law student.

In 1775, Jefferson was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress, that declared the Independence of the United States of America.

_James Parton_ (_Arranged_)

THE AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION

The English settlers of Virginia, brought with them English rights and liberties. The settlers and their descendants were “forever to enjoy all liberties, franchises, and immunities enjoyed by Englishmen in England.” They received from England the right to make their own laws, if not contrary to the laws of England.

It was a Governor of Virginia who summoned the first representative Assembly that ever met in America, the first American Colonial Legislature. This happened about a year before the Pilgrim Fathers reached the New World, and drew up the Mayflower Compact.

It was not strange, therefore, that Thomas Jefferson, born and reared in the atmosphere of Virginia Freedom, should have been a Patriot who fearlessly defended American Liberty.

He was also a man of unusual intellectual power and a writer of elegant prose. So when Congress appointed a Committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, he was made a member of that Committee.

When the Committee met, the other members asked Thomas Jefferson to compose the draft. He did so. The Committee admired his draft so much, that with but few changes, they submitted it to Congress.

After a fiery debate, some alterations being made, Congress adopted Thomas Jefferson’s draft, as the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.

PROCLAIM LIBERTY

_July 4, 1776_

The Declaration was signed! America was free!

Joyously the great bell in the steeple of the State House at Philadelphia, swung its iron tongue and pealed forth the glad news, proclaiming Liberty throughout all the land.

The tidings spread from city to city, from village to village, from farm to farm. There was shouting, rejoicing, bonfires, and thanksgiving. Copies of the Declaration were sent to all the States. Washington had it proclaimed at the head of his troops; while far away in the Waxhaws, nine year old Andrew Jackson read it aloud to an eager crowd of backwoods settlers.

The great bell--the Liberty Bell--that had proclaimed Liberty, was carefully treasured. To-day, it may be seen in Independence Hall, as the old State House is now called.

Around the crown of the Liberty Bell are inscribed the words which God Almighty commanded the Hebrews to proclaim to all the Hebrew People, every fifty years, so that they should not oppress one another:--

_Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land, Unto all the inhabitants thereof._

Twenty-three years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, these prophetic words from the Bible had been inscribed upon the crown of that great Bell.

ONLY A REPRIEVE

_Fondly do we hope,--fervently do we pray,--that this mighty scourge of War may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”_

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

There were two statements in the Declaration of Independence, which must have profoundly disturbed its Signers:--

“All men are created equal,” and have the right “to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Many of the Signers were slave-holders.

Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, the Framer of the Declaration, was an Abolitionist, and an active one, throwing the weight of his great influence against the institution of slavery.

He earnestly believed that all men--white and black alike--are born equal. So, when he was asked to frame the Declaration of Independence, he put into it a clause condemning the slave-trade, as an “assemblage of horrors.” During the debate in the Convention, this clause was stricken out.

Though Jefferson had his reasons for not freeing his own slaves, he continued to speak and write against slavery as a violation of human rights and liberties.

“This abomination must have an end,” he said.

There were other Americans who believed as he did.

George Washington, in his Will, left their freedom to his slaves, to be given them after his wife’s death. He ordered a fund to be set aside for the support of all his old and sick slaves, and he bade his heirs see to it that the young negroes were taught to read and write and to carry on some useful occupation.

Kosciuszko was Jefferson’s intimate friend, and like him a believer in Freedom for all men, without regard to race or colour. Before he left America, Kosciuszko made a will turning over his American property to Jefferson, for the purchase of slaves from their owners and for their education, so that when free, they might earn their living and become worthy citizens.

From the time of Jefferson until the Civil War, slavery to be or not to be, was the burning question. Men and women, specially those belonging to the Society of Friends, devoted their lives to the abolition of slavery.

Many of these Abolitionists were mobbed, and otherwise persecuted, because of their humane efforts. William Lloyd Garrison was the great leader of the Abolitionists. “The Quaker Poet” Whittier was also a leader in the agitation against slavery.

But to go back to Thomas Jefferson: When the Missouri Compromise went into effect, and “the house was divided against itself,” Jefferson was deeply and terribly stirred. He looked far into the future.

“This momentous question,” he wrote, “like a fire-bell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror. I considered it at once as the knell of the Union. It is hushed, indeed, for the moment. But this is a _reprieve_ only--not a final sentence.”

And again he said:--

“I tremble for my Country, when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep for ever.”

First the reprieve! Then as the crime was continued, the execution of the sentence! Nearly a hundred years of slavery passed after the framing of the Declaration, then on North and South fell the terrible retributive punishment of the Civil War.

ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

1826

It was the Fourth of July, the fiftieth anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

In his home at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson had closed his eyes for ever on the Fourth of July, the fiftieth anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

MAY 29

PATRICK HENRY

THE ORATOR OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

_I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me Liberty or give me Death!_

PATRICK HENRY

TO THE READER

_Whether (Independence) will prove a blessing or a curse will depend upon the use our People make of the blessings which a gracious God hath bestowed on us._

_If they are wise, they will be great and happy. If they are of a contrary character, they will be miserable. Righteoutness alone can exalt them at a Nation._

_Reader!--whoever thou art, remember this; and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others._

PATRICK HENRY

PATRICK HENRY was born in Virginia, May 29, 1736

He was elected Governor of Virginia, 1776

He died June 6, 1799

THE ORATOR OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

_A Surprise to All_

In 1765, there was an important meeting of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, as the lawmaking body of that Colony was called. They had come together to debate upon a great question, that of the Stamp Act passed by the British Parliament for the taxation of the Colonies.

Most of the members were opposed to it, but they were timid and doubtful, and dreadfully afraid of saying or doing something that might offend the King. They talked all round the subject, but were as afraid to come close to it as if it had been a chained wolf.

They were almost ready to adjourn, with nothing done, when a tall and slender young man, a new and insignificant member whom few knew, rose in his seat, and began to speak upon the subject.

Some of the rich and aristocratic members looked upon him with indignation. What did this nobody mean in meddling with so weighty a subject as that before them, and which they had already fully debated? But their indignation did not trouble the young man.

He began by offering a series of resolutions, in which he maintained that only the Burgesses and the Governor had the right to tax the People, and that the Stamp Act was contrary to the Constitution of the Colony, and therefore was void.

This was a bold resolution. No one else had dared to go so far. It scared many of the members, and a great storm of opposition arose, but the young man would not yield.

He began to speak, and soon there was flowing from his lips a stream of eloquence that took every one by surprise. Never had such glowing words been heard in that old hall. His force and enthusiasm shook the whole Assembly.

Finally wrought up to the highest pitch of indignant Patriotism, he thundered out the memorable words:--

“Cæsar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third--”

“Treason! Treason!” cried some of the excited members.

But the orator went on:

“--_may profit by their example_. If _this_ be Treason, make the most of it!”

His boldness carried the day. His words were irresistible. The resolutions were adopted. Virginia took a decided stand.

And Patrick Henry, the orator, from that time was of first rank among American speakers.

A zealous and daring Patriot, he had made himself a power among the People.

_A Failure that was a Success_

Who was this man that had dared hurl defiance at the King?

A few years before he had been looked upon as one of the most insignificant of men, a failure in everything he undertook, an awkward, ill-dressed, slovenly, lazy fellow, who could not even speak the king’s English correctly. He was little better than a tavern lounger, most of his time being spent in hunting and fishing, in playing the flute and violin, and in telling amusing stories.

He had tried farming and failed. He had made a pretense of studying law, and gained admittance to the bar, though his legal knowledge was very slight. Having almost nothing to do in the law, he spent most of his time helping about the tavern at Hanover Court House, kept by his father-in-law, who supported him and his family, for he had married early.

One day there came up a case in court which all of the leading lawyers had refused. What was the surprise of the people, when the story went around that Patrick Henry had offered himself on the defendants’ side. His taking up the case was a joke to most of them, and a general burst of laughter followed the news. Yet Patrick Henry won the case!

He was a made man. He no longer had to lounge in his office waiting for business. Plenty of it came to him. He set himself for the first time to an earnest study of the law. He improved his command of language, the dormant powers of his mind rapidly unfolded. Two years after pleading his first case, he was elected a member of the House of Burgesses.

We have seen how, in this body, he “set the ball of the Revolution rolling.”

_Give me Liberty or Give me Death!_

Patrick Henry, in his spirit-stirring oration before the House of Burgesses, had put himself on record for all time. His defiance of the King stamped him as a warrior who had thrown his shield away and thenceforward would fight only with the sword.

The Patriot leaders welcomed him. He worked with Thomas Jefferson and others upon the Committee of Correspondence, which sought to spread the story of political events through the Colonies. He was sent to Philadelphia as a member of the first Continental Congress. In fact, he became one of the most active and ardent of American Patriots.

It was in 1775 that Patrick Henry, in a convention, presented resolutions in favour of an open appeal to arms. To this the more timid spirits made strong opposition. The fight at Lexington had not yet taken place, but Henry’s prophetic gaze saw it coming. In a burst of flaming eloquence, he laid bare the tyranny of Parliament and King, declared that there was nothing left but to fight, and ended with an outburst thrilling in its force and intensity:--

“There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come!

“I repeat it, sir, let it come! It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter! Gentlemen may cry Peace, peace! but there is no peace. The war is actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the North, will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms. Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?

“Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me Liberty or give me Death!”

_Charles Morris_ (_Condensed_)

FACING DANGER

It was the last day of August, 1774. The Potomac was flowing lazily past Mount Vernon. The door of the large mansion on the high river-bank stood open. Before it were three horses saddled and bridled. Three men came out of the house.

One was George Washington, large, handsome, resolute, dressed for a long journey. With him, was a tall, angular, raw-boned man, slightly stooping, carelessly dressed, whose dark, deep-set eyes flashed with peculiar brilliance. The third man was equally striking in appearance, well-proportioned and graceful, his face serene and thoughtful.

The tall raw-boned man with deep glowing eyes, was Patrick Henry; the elegant stranger, Edmund Pendleton. They were two of Virginia’s most devoted Patriots.

As the three vaulted into their saddles, Washington’s wife stood in the open doorway, trying to conceal her anxiety for him under a cheerful manner. Her heart was very heavy. But as the three gave spurs to their horses, she called out:--

“God be with you, Gentlemen!”

And so they rode away. It was dangerous business on which they were bent, as Martha Washington well knew. They were going to attend the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia. They were about to defy England.

But the three rode away from Mount Vernon fearlessly, with her words ringing in their ears:--

“God be with you, Gentlemen!”

JUNE 9

FRANCISCO DE MIRANDA OF VENEZUELA

THE FLAMING SON OF LIBERTY

_He took part in three great political movements of his age:--the Independence of the United States of North America; the French Revolution; and the Independence of South America._

_From an inscription to Miranda, by the Venezuelan Government_

_The Prince of Filibusters, the Chief of the Apostles of Spanish-American Independence, and one of the founders of the Republic of Venezuela, Francisco de Miranda will long live in song and story._ ...

_The career of this Knight-Errant of Venezuela has fired the imagination of many filibusters and revolutionists._

WILLIAM SPENCE ROBERTSON

MIRANDA was born in Venezuela, June 9, 1756

Flew Venezuela’s first flag of Freedom, the Red, Yellow, and Blue, March 12, 1806

Signed the Declaration of Independence of Venezuela, July 5, 1811

He died in Spanish chains, July 14, 1816

THE SPANISH GALLEONS

I

Have you ever read the voyages and adventures of the handsome young Amyas Leigh, who sailed the Spanish Main with the Seawolf, Sir Francis Drake? Have you read of Ayacanora the Indian Princess with the blowgun, of Salvation Yeo, of the lost Rose of Devon, of the old _Mono_ of Panama, and how Amyas and his fellows seized a gold pack-train and captured a Spanish Treasure-Galleon?

One of the most thrilling tales of adventure, of Spanish Gold and Spanish Galleons, is “Westward Ho!” the story of Amyas Leigh. But before the days of Amyas, Knight of Devon, and of the English Seawolves, the Spanish Treasure Ships began to sail upon the Spanish Main.

These Galleons were like huge floating castles, and were manned by armed Spaniards. They were filled with bars of glittering gold and silver and with other treasure of the New World.

For after Columbus’s discovery, there had come to the New World, greedy pearl-seekers and even greedier gold-hunters and slave-traders. They exploited the mines and pearl-fisheries, and, capturing thousands of helpless Indians, sold them to Spanish masters, to do all kinds of hard labour.

Thus Spanish America became a vast treasure-house for the Spanish Crown. Pack-trains of Indian and negro slaves and mules under guard, carrying bullion, gems, fragrant spices, and costly woods, toiled along the steep and narrow trails of the Andes, or threaded the dangerous mountain-passes. These miserable slaves, groaning under their heavy burdens, cringed beneath the lashes of their drivers’ whips. They shivered in the piercing cold of the high mountains, and panted from tropic heat, as the pack-trains wound their way across the Isthmus of Panama to the Atlantic side.

There the great Galleons took aboard the gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, spices, and woods, as well as cargoes of slaves, then sailed away with them across the Spanish Main.

But gold breeds robbers. And along the coast and on the Caribbean Sea, swarmed pirate ships waiting to swoop down upon the Galleons. Oftentimes, buccaneers grappled with the Treasure-Ships, putting the Spaniards to the knife, and carrying off the booty to their pirate-islands. So not every Galleon came safely to its Spanish port.

II

And in order that this stupendous wealth of the West Indies and of _Tierra Firme_, as South America was then called, should belong to no country but herself, Spain sent out Governors to rule with iron hand her Spanish-American Colonies. For the Spanish Crown had Colonies in South America, just as England had in North America. In South America were many important cities and towns.

These Governors were, for the most part, gold-grasping officials. They oppressed the Creoles, as the native-born Americans of pure Spanish blood were called. And besides the Creoles, there were in Spanish America, Indians, negro-slaves, and people of mixed blood, all subjects of the Crown.

Laws were enforced taxing the People heavily, closing their ports to foreign trade, and forbidding them to manufacture commodities which Spain herself wished to make and sell to the Colonists at exorbitant prices.

Not even the rich Creoles were allowed to travel abroad without permission from the Crown. When in Spain they were treated with contempt. Their education was limited, higher education is not for Americans, decreed the Spanish King. And they might not read books forbidden by Spain. And at that time, the Roman Catholic Church was exercising its power in Spanish America, in much the same fashion as the Established Church of England was misusing its function at the time of the Pilgrim Fathers, Roger Williams, and William Penn.

If any of the Colonists raised their voices in protest, their property was confiscated, and they were arrested. The slightest rebellion was mercilessly punished. Many of the captured rebels were either flung into filthy dungeons to die or were executed.

Large numbers of Indians, negroes and people of mixed blood, perished miserably in the mines and on the plantations, or while deep-sea diving for pearls,--all this to fill the Spanish Galleons with treasure.

III

Then came the _Liberators_, facing death or cruel imprisonment. But they were strengthened by the justice of their cause, and by the fact that the United States of America had succeeded in separating from her Mother Country, and had established a Republic in which the citizens, rich and poor alike, had a voice in their own government.

It is the story of some of these _Liberators_ that is told here, the Washingtons and Lincolns of their native lands, who freed their countrymen from the curse of the Spanish Treasure-Ships, and who established the Latin American Republics.

THE ROMANCE OF MIRANDA

This is the romance of Francisco de Miranda of Venezuela, the Flaming Son of Liberty, the Knight-Errant of Freedom, who made Spain tremble.

Romance was in his blood, for Alvaro, his great Spanish ancestor, had won the family coat-of-arms, by rescuing five Christian maidens from pagan Moors. And Miranda’s father, an adventurous, bold Spaniard, had crossed the Atlantic in those dangerous days of pirates to seek his fortune in Venezuela.

So the boy, who was to make Spain tremble, was born in Venezuela, and grew up in the City of Caracas. He liked to read and study. He was given a classical education. But the call of romance and adventure was too loud for him to remain quietly at home. When he was sixteen, he sailed for Spain to try his own fortune.