Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1885 — The Liberty Bell. [ARTICLE]

The Liberty Bell.

The Philadelphia News gives some interesting particulars of the history of the Independence Bell: The order for the bell was given in 1751. The State House of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, work on which had been suspended for a number of years, was then approaching completion. The lower floors were already occupied by the Supreme Court in the chamber, while in the other assembled the Freemen of the Province of Pennsylvania, then consisting of one body. A committee was appointed by the Freemen, with Peter Norris as Chairman, and empowered to have a new bfell cast for the building. The commission for the bell was in the same year awarded to Robert Charles, of London, the specification being that the bell should weigh about 2,000 pounds and oost £IOO sterling. It was to be made by the best workmen, to be examined carefully Before being shipped, and to contain, in well-shaped letters around it, the inscription; “By order of the Province of Pennsylvania, for the State House in the City of Philadelphia, 1752.” An order was given to place underneath this the fatal aud prophetic words from Leviti .us xxv. 10: “Proclaim liberty throughout. the land and to all the inhabitants thewof. ”

The reason for the selection of this text has been a subject of much conjecture, but the true reason is apparent when the full text is read. It is as follows : “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the laud and to all the inhabitants thereof.” In selecting the text the good Quakers had in memory the arrival of William Penn and their forefathers more than half a century before. In August, 1752, the bell arrived, but though in apparent good order, it was cracked by a stroke of the clapper while being tested. It could not be sent back, as the captain of the vessel who had brought it over could not take it on board. Two skillful workmen undertook to recast the bell, which, on being opened, revealed a bell which pleased very much. But it was also found to be defective. The original bell was considered too high, and a quantity of copper was added to the composition, but too much copper was added. There were a great many wjtticims on account of the second failure, and the ingenious workmen undertook to recast the bell, which they successfully did, and it was placed in condition in June, 1753. On Monday, the 6th of July (not the 4th), at noon, true to its motto, it rang out the memorable message of “Liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.”

For fifty years the bell continued to be rung on every festival and anniversary until it eventually cracked. An ineffectual attempt was made to cause it to continue serviceable by enlarging the cause of its dissonance and chipping the edges. It was removed from its position in the tower to a lower story, and only used on occasions of public sorrow, sueh as the death of ex-Presidents and statesmen. Subsequently, it was placed on the original timbers in the vestibule of the State House, aud in 1873 it was suspended in a prominent position immediately beneath where a larger bell presented to the city in 1866 now proclaims the passing hours.