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40 THE LIBERTY SONG.
liberties of his country by marching to Elizabethtown, at the head of his regiment, a short time after the declaration, to repel the invading enemy. In November, 1767, the first of a series of communications written by him, entitled " Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania, to the inhabitants of the British Colonies," appeared in the Pennsylvania Chronicle. Dickinson died February 14, 1808.
8 Arthur Lee was a bold and fearless patriot. At the commencement of the troubles with the mother country, he went to England, from whence he rendered most important services to his country, by sending to the patriots the earliest intelligence of the plans of the Ministry. His writings are numerous, chiefly political; among them the most celebrated, are the letters under the signature of " Junius Americanus." In a letter to Samuel Adams he says, " The first wish of my heart is, that America may be free—the second is—that we may ever be united with this country. But this union, however desirable, must not be upon dishonorable and slavish terms."
3 In the Pennsylvania Chronicle, published at Philadelphia, July 4 -11, 1768, this amended copy appears; but we do not find it complete in any of the Boston papers. It is probable that the request of the author was never complied with, and if there was any alteration in the copy published after July 18, it was done without any note or comment. Late in September, it appeared in a ballad sheet, set to the majestic air, "Hearts of Oak," and was sung in the streets of Boston and the villages of New England, by all the sons of freedom, who " promised themselves that all ages would applaud their courage."
4 Swarms of placemen and pensioners. The Ministry have already begun to give away in pensions the money they lately took out of our pockets, without our leave.—Note by the author of the song. |
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