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 The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

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were on the committee appointed to prepare of the Whole that the Colonies were free, an address to the Commons. On the last Delaware came near counting as a zero, it day, after suspicions of defection had been was thanks to him that she gave her voice for some time in the air, several refused to in favor of liberty. Read, Rodney, and Mc sign the proceedings, Ruggles among them. Kean were the three delegates. Read voted McKean demanded his reasons, which he re ' no,' McKean ' aye;' but Rodney was absent. fused to state, — an anomalous attitude for Upon this, his friend McKean despatched an the presiding officer. Pushed hard, he ex express to him down in Delaware, and Rod plained at length that " it was against his ney started instantly for town. On the great conscience." Then in

4th he marched into the meeting Mr. Mc the State House in Kean rose to his tall his boots and spurs, length, and fixing a and splashed with cold, hard eye on his mud, just in time to victim, made such a cast Delaware's vote number of embarrass for Independence. ing plays on the word And then, as we know, "conscience," that the on "a warm sunshiny sickened Ruggles morning," at eleven challenged him, and o'clock, John Nixon he accepted promptly, came out on a balcony — to find by morn at the Hall, and read ing's light that his the Declaration to the conscientious adver cheering crowd, while sary had decamped the old bell clanged from New York. away in the tower Rodney and Mc above. Kean again appeared About this bell it together as delegates is curious to remem from Delaware to the ber that the Quaker Continental Congress opponent of war, Isaac of 1775; and soon Norris, was responsi McKean was on the ble for its famous TARED INGERSOLL. Secret Committee, motto. He was far active in procuring from dreaming of the money and arms. He was enrolled as a battle-thrill that was destined to pervade its private in " John Little's Company; " and words. The following letter, dated Nov. 1, the year following, " Colonel Thomas Mc 1851, explains itself: — Kean " appears with the Fourth Battalion Respected Friend, Robert Charles, — The among the Associators, — a military body, Assembly having ordered us (the Superintendents the members of which volunteered their ser of the State House) to procure a bell from Eng vices at the first, but whose code was soon land ... we take the liberty to apply ourselves to made compulsory by the Assembly. During thee to get us a good bell. . . . Let the bell be the following weeks Mr. McKean took an cast by the best workmen. . . with the following energetic and unswerving part in every pub words well shaped in large letters round it, viz. : lic act that led to the Declaration of Inde By order of the Assembly of the Province of Penn pendence; and when on the 2d of July, in sylvania, for the State House in the City of Phila the vote on the Resolution in the Committee delphia, 1752.