With glory immortal she here sits enthroned, Nor fears the vain vengeance of Britain disown'd, Great Washington guards her, with heroes surrounded; Her foes he, with shameful defeat, has confounded. To arms! we to arms flew! 'twas Freedom invited us, The trumpet, shrill sounding, to battle excited us; The banners of virtue, unfurl'd, did wave o'er us, Our hero led on, and the foe flew before us. In Heaven and Washington we placed reliance, We met the proud Britons, and bid them defiance; The cause we supported was just, and was glorious; When men fight for freedom, they must be victorious. FRANCIS HOPKINSON. A committee had already been appointed to draw up a paper which should be worthy this solemn occasion. Thomas Jefferson was its chairman, and was chosen to be the author of the Declaration. On the evening of July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted by twelve colonies, the New York delegates being still unable to act. THE FOURTH OF JULY Day of glory! Welcome day! Freedom's banners greet thy ray; See! how cheerfully they play With thy morning breeze, On the rocks where pilgrims kneeled, On the heights where squadrons wheeled, When a tyrant's thunder pealed O'er the trembling seas. God of armies! did thy stars On their courses smite his cars; Blast his arm, and wrest his bars From the heaving tide? On our standard, lo! they burn, And, when days like this return, Sparkle o'er the soldier's urn Who for freedom died. God of peace! whose spirit fills All the echoes of our hills, All the murmur of our rills, Now the storm is o'er, O let freemen be our sons, And let future Washingtons Rise, to lead their valiant ones Till there's war no more! JOHN PIERPONT. News of its adoption was received throughout the country with the greatest rejoicing. On the 9th of July it was ratified by New York, and the soldiers there celebrated the occasion by throwing down the leaden statue of George III on the Bowling Green, and casting it into bullets. Everywhere there were bonfires, torchlight processions, and ratification meetings. INDEPENDENCE DAY