It will be found to be a very readable article, and we advise our readers to peruse it carefully, if they have to skip all the rest of the book. The gentlemen who signed the Declaration have courteously furnished us their autographs, which we also take the liberty of placing before our readers. When the attention of Parliament was accidentally called to this article, in one of the papers above alluded to, its feelings may be more readily imagined than described. And when that quaint old fossil Disraeli put on his spectacles and read it “out loud” there was not a dry eye in the house. Parliament cried like a child, or, more properly, like a whole orphan asylum. Becoming calmer after awhile they got out immense illustrated yellow posters, representing an enraged lion engaged in bitter discussion with a sanguinary one-eared mule, and after stating that this was the Lion and the Unicorn, the poster went on to say that the Americans were rebels and humbugs, and further cautioned the public against selling them goods on credit. When these handbills were posted conspicuously and profusely on every stone wall, barn, and rail-fence in America, the spirit of ’76 rose to several per cent. above proof. War was declared, and General Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental army. He gave strict orders to place none but Americans on guard, while England sent more troops to America, and expected every man to do his duty. _CHAPTER XX._ REVOLUTIONARY AS BEFORE—“PLACE NONE BUT AMERICANS ON GUARD TO-NIGHT”—CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES—ALMOST A VICTORY—A BRITISHER SHOWS WASHINGTON GREAT DISRESPECT—WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DELAWARE. One dark, cold winter’s night General Washington issued very strict orders indeed relative to guard mounting, and each sentinel had to either show his naturalization papers or give affidavit of American parentage. The British hordes were encamped just across the Delaware river in numbers greatly superior to the Americans, and were only waiting for the river to freeze over in order that they might skate across and capture the entire Continental army. As there was no immediate prospect of that, however, owing to the mildness of the weather, and having much spare time on their hands, the Britons improved their minds by the study of High-low-Jack and other branches of science. It was Christmas night, and the whole army had been celebrating the day in good old English style. Every minion of them had inhaled more or less commissary whisky, and as night approached had succumbed to its sedative qualities.