The Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania received its copy of this order of Congress of July 4th, which they immediately directed to be entered on their minutes, together with "copy of the Declaration", on the 6th 6.

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"[Pa] Letters were wrote by them immediately to the Counties of Bucks, Chester, Northampton, Lancaster and Berks, "Inclosing Copy of the said Declaration," and requesting that it be published on the next Monday at the places where the elections for Delegates to the Convention9 were to be held.

They then adjourned to 5 o'clock, when they 10 "[Pa] Ordered, That the Sheriff of Philad'a read, or Cause to be read and proclaimed at the State House, in the City of Philadelphia, on [the same] Monday, the Eighth day of July, instant, at 12 o'Clock at Noon of the same day, the Declaration and that he cause all his Officers, and the Constables of the said City, to attend the reading thereof. Resolved, That every Member of this Committee in or near the City, be ordered to meet at the Committee Chamber, before 12 o'Clock, on Monday, to proceed to the State House, where the Declaration. is to be proclaimed. The Committee of Inspection of the City and Liberties were requested to attend the Proclamation of Independence, at the State House, on Monday next, at 12 o'clock."

On the same day, as appears from his Diary, Marshall, a member of the Committee of Inspection, “near eight, went to committee, Philosophical Hall Agreed that the Declaration of Independence be declared at the State House next Second Day. At same

time, the King's arms there are to be taken down by nine Associators, here appointed, who are to convey it to a pile of casks erected upon the commons, for the purpose of a bonfire, and the arms placed on the top. This being Election day, I opposed the motion, only by having this put off till next day, fearing it would interrupt the Election, but the motion was carried by a majority."

On Monday, the 8th 11 12, in accordance with the order and resolution of the Committee of Safety, «13 The Committee of Safety 14, and Committee of Inspection, went in procession to the State House [in Philadelphia], where the Declaration 15 was read 16 to a very large number of the Inhabitants 7 of this city and county, which was received with general applause and heart-felt satisfaction."

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John Adams, in his letter of July 9th to Chase, describes the scene thus: "[QyC] Yours of the 5th 18 came to me the 8th You will see 19 by this Post, that the River is past and the Bridge cutt away. The Declaration was yesterday published and proclaimed from that awfull Stage 20, in the State house yard, by whom do you think? by the Committee of Safety! the Committee of Inspection, and a great Crowd of People. Three Cheers rended the Welkin.-The Battalions 21 paraded on the common, and gave Us the Feu de Joy, notwithstanding the Scarcity of Powder. The Bells rung all Day, and almost all night. Even the Chimers 22, chimed away. The Election for the City was carried on amidst all this Lurry with the Utmost Decency, and order . . agree with you, that We never can again be happy,

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under a single Particle of British Power. indeed this Sentiment is very universal. —The Arms, are taken down from every public Place."

in the evening 25 [of the 8th] our late King's coat of arms was brought 26 from the Hall, in the StateHouse, where the said King's Courts 27 were formerly held, and burned amidst the acclamations of a crowd of spectators."

George Ross, as chairman, also on the 6th writes, "In Committee, Lancaster," to Colonel Galbraith (evidently at Elizabethtown): "We this day received 28 the enclosed resolves of the Congress as to the Independency of the United States of America, which we forward to you for the regulation of your conduct in the present alarming situation of our affairs. The battalions in this town were this day drawn out

The Declaration was received at Easton, Northampton County, on the 8th. On the same day the day of the celebration in Philadelphia —, 29 The Colonel and all other field officers of the first battalion repaired to the court-house, the light infantry company marching there with drums beating, fifes playing, and the standard (the device for which is the thirteen United Colonies) which was ordered to be displayed, and after that the Declaration was read aloud to a great number of spectators, who gave their hearty assent with three loud huzzas, and cried out MAY GOD LONG PRESERVE and UNITE the FREE and INDEPENDANT STATES of AMERICA." 30

The Declaration, as seen, was formally approved by the Convention of Pennsylvania on July 25th.

31 On the same day (the 8th) that the Declaration was read in Philadelphia and in Easton, it (together with the new State Constitution, adopted on the 2d) was proclaimed at Trenton. 32 The members of the Provincial Congress, the gentlemen of the committee, the officers and privates of the militia, under arms, and a large concourse of the inhabitants, attended on this great and solemn occasion. The declaration, and other proceedings, were received with loud acclamations."

We are still more interested in the scene at Princeton

on the following night. 33 Nassawhall was grandly illuminated, and INDEPENDENCY proclaimed under a triple volly of musketry, and universal acclamation for the prosperity of the UNITED STATES. The ceremony was conducted with the greatest decorum."

The Declaration reached New Brunswick, according to Charles D. Deshler 34, on the 9th 35 and was proclaimed there on either the same or the next day. He gives an interesting account of the scene, which, he says, he had from his grandfather, Dr. Jacob Dunham: "When the Declaration of Independence was brought to New Brunswick, I was a boy about nine years old. There was great excitement in the town over the news, most of the people rejoicing that we were free and independent, but a few looking very sour over it . . . The Declaration was brought by an express rider, who was at once furnished with a fresh horse, and despatched on his way to New York. The County Committee and the Town Committee were immediately convened, and it was decided that the Declaration should be read in the public street [Albany Street], in front of the White Hall tavern,

that the reader should be Colonel John Neilson, and that the members of the two committees should exert themselves to secure the attendance of as many as possible of the staunch friends of independence, so as to overawe any disaffected Tories, and resent any interruption of the meeting that they might attempt. Although these Tories were not numerous, they were, most of them, men of wealth and influence, and were very active. Accordingly, at the time appointed [I cannot now recall the hour, if, indeed, my grandfather stated it], the Whigs assembled in great force, wearing an air of great determination. A stage was improvised in front of the White Hall tavern, and from it Colonel Neilson, surrounded by the other members of the committee, read the Declaration with grave deliberation and emphasis. At the close of the reading there was prolonged cheering. A few Tories were present; but although they sneered, and looked their dissatisfaction in other ways, they were prudent enough not to make any demonstration."

36 A letter written by Major Barber to Mr. Caldwell, on the seventeenth of the same month, informs us how the news of independence was received by Colonel Dayton's New Jersey command then at Fort Stanwix. After the Declaration had been read, cannons fired, and huzzas given, the battalion was formed in a circle with three barrels of grog in the center. The Colonel took a cup and drank to the toast God bless the United States of America.' The other officers followed, drinking the same toast, as did afterwards the battalion, accompanied by loud hurrahs, shouting, and other signals of approbation,"