large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_71
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
Here it was granted almost half a century of undisturbed if not secluded slumber. HERE IT WAS GRANTED ALMOST HALF A CENTURY OF UNDISTURBED IF NOT SECLUDED SLUMBER
as so firmly set in the American mind that no power could possibly dislodge it. In accordance with this suddenly acquired respect, it was decided to move the huge bulk to the more conspicuous location of the Town Square. When it was lifted from its prehistoric bed, it broke, and this was hailed as a propitious omen of the coming separation of the Colonies from the mother country. Only the upper half was dragged up to the Town Square--a process which took twenty yoke of oxen and was accompanied by wild huzzahing. There the poor, broken thing lay in the sun, at the bottom of the Liberty Pole on which was flying, "Liberty or Death." But its career as a public feature had only begun. It remained in the square until 1834, and then on July 4 it was decided to drag it to a still more conspicuous place. So with a formal procession, it was again hoisted and hauled and set down in front of the entrance porch of Pilgrim Hall, where it lay like a captive mammoth animal for curious folk to gaze at. S SO FIRMLY SET IN THE AMERICAN MIND THAT NO POWER COULD POSSIBLY DISLODGE IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUDDENLY ACQUIRED RESPECT IT WAS DECIDED TO MOVE THE HUGE BULK TO THE MORE CONSPICUOUS LOCATION OF THE TOWN SQUARE WHEN IT WAS LIFTED FROM ITS PREHISTORIC BED IT BROKE AND THIS WAS HAILED AS A PROPITIOUS OMEN OF THE COMING SEPARATION OF THE COLONIES FROM THE MOTHER COUNTRY ONLY THE UPPER HALF WAS DRAGGED UP TO THE TOWN SQUARE A PROCESS WHICH TOOK TWENTY YOKE OF OXEN AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY WILD HUSSAWING THERE THE POOR BROKEN THING LAY IN THE SUN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIBERTY POLE ON WHICH WAS FLYING LIBERTY OR DEATH BUT ITS CAREER AS A PUBLIC FEATURE HAD ONLY BEGUN IT REMAINED IN THE SQUARE UNTIL EIGHTEEN THIRTY FOUR AND THEN ON JULY FOURTH IT WAS DECIDED TO DRAG IT TO A STILL MORE CONSPICUOUS PLACE SO WITH A FORMAL PROCESSION IT WAS AGAIN HOISTED AND HAULED AND SET DOWN IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE PORCH OF PILGRIM HALL WHERE IT LAY LIKE A CAPTIVE MAMMOTH ANIMAL FOR CURIOUS FOLK TO GAZE AT
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb.flac