Yesterday was Veterans Day, a day honoring those who have fought to defend our freedom.  And over the last few weeks, some of the upper school scholars have recited portions of the Declaration of Independence—what might be called the founding charter of our freedoms. 

This week, we will consider a few of the essential parts of the Declaration.  But today, I simply wanted to share with you the contents of a letter, from Benjamin Rush sent to John Adams, years later about the day they all signed it.  Rush wrote to his friend:

“Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress, to subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants? The Silence & the gloom of the morning were interrupted I well recollect only for a moment by Col. Harrison of Virginia who said to Mr. Gerry at the table, ‘I shall have a great advantage over you Mr. Gerry when we are all hung for what we are now doing. From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.’ This Speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the Solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”

Don’t ever forget that those who founded this country did so, not assuming they would succeed, but rather fully expecting to be hung for treason.  But they did it anyway.

Have a wonderful day.