The Angel Who Swayed the Signers of the Declaration of Independence

Revised from Secret Destiny of America by Manly Palmer Hall

President Reagan retold this story in his essay, What July 4^th Means to Me (Parade Magazine, June 1981)

On July 4, 1776, in the old State House in Philadelphia, a group of patriotic men were gathered for the solemn purpose of proclaiming the liberty of the American colonies. It is well to remember that if the Revolutionary War failed every man who had signed the parchment would be subject to the penalty of death for high treason. It should also be remembered that the delegates were not entirely of one mind as to the policies of the new nation.

There were several speeches. Jefferson expressed himself with great vigor; and John Adams, spoke and with great strength. Dr. Benjamin Franklin, quiet and calm as usual, spoke his mind with well-chosen words. The delegates hovered between sympathy and uncertainty as the long hours of the summer day crept by, for life is sweet when there is danger of losing it. The lower doors were locked and a guard was posted to prevent interruption.

According to Jefferson, it was late in the afternoon before the delegates gathered their courage to the sticking point. The talk was about axes, scaffolds, and the gibbet, when suddenly a strong, bold voice sounded:

"Gibbet! They may stretch our necks on all the gibbets in the land; they may turn every rock into a scaffold; every tree into a gallows; every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die! They may pour our blood on a thousand scaffolds, and yet from every drop that dyes the axe a new champion of freedom will spring into birth! The British King may blot out the stars of God from the sky, but he cannot blot out His words written on that parchment there. The works of God may perish: His words never!

"The words of this declaration will live in the world long after our bones are dust. To the mechanic in his workshop they will speak hope: to the slave in the mines freedom: but to the coward kings, these words will speak in tones of warning they cannot choose but hear...

"Sign that parchment! Sign, if the next moment the gibbet's rope is about your neck! Sign, if the next minute this hall rings with the clash of falling axes! Sign, by all your hopes in life or death, as men, as husbands, as fathers, brothers, sign your names to the parchment, or be accursed forever! Sign, and not only for yourselves, but for all ages, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the bible of the rights of man forever.

"Nay, do not start and whisper with surprise! It is truth; your own hearts witness it: God proclaims it. Look at this strange band of exiles and outcasts, suddenly transformed into a people; a handful of men, weak in arms, but mighty in God-like faith; nay, look at your recent achievements, your Bunker Hill, your Lexington, and then tell me, if you can, that God has not given America to be free!

"It is not given to our poor human intellect to climb to the skies, and to pierce the Council of the Almighty One. But methinks I stand among the awful clouds which veil the brightness of Jehovah's throne.

"Methinks I see the recording Angel come trembling up to that throne and speak his dread message. 'Father, the old world is baptized in blood. Father, look with one glance of Thine eternal eye, and behold evermore that terrible sight, man trodden beneath the oppressor's feet, nations lost in blood, murder, and superstition, walking hand in hand over the graves of the victims, and not a single voice of hope to man!'

"He stands there, the Angel, trembling with the record of human guilt. But hark! The voice of God speaks from out the awful cloud: 'Let there be light again! Tell my people, the poor and oppressed, to go out from the old world, from oppression and blood, and build My altar in the new.'

"As I live, my friends, I believe that to be His voice! Yes, were my soul trembling on the verge of eternity, were this hand freezing in death, were this voice choking in the last struggle, I would still, with the last impulse of that soul, with the last wave of that hand, with the last gasp of that voice, implore you to remember this truth-God has given America to be free!

"Yes, as I sank into the gloomy shadows of the grave, with my last faint whisper I would beg you to sign that parchment for the sake of those millions whose very breath is now hushed in intense expectation as they look up to you for the awful words: 'You are free.'''

The unknown speaker fell exhausted into his seat. The delegates, carried away by his enthusiasm, rushed forward. John Hancock scarcely had time to pen his bold signature before the quill was grasped by another. It was done. The delegates turned to express their gratitude to the unknown speaker for his eloquent words. He was not there.

Who was this strange man, who seemed to speak with a divine authority, whose solemn words gave courage to the doubters and sealed the destiny of the new nation?  His name is not recorded; none of those present knew him; or if they did, not one acknowledged the acquaintance. How he had entered into the locked and guarded room is not told, nor is there any record of the manner of his departure.  No one claimed to have seen him before or after that day. 

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The Miraculous Hurricane that Saved Boston

Note: This story was once included in Grammar School textbooks throughout America.  Although the story was well documented, it has been removed from most history books for religious reasons.  It is however, an important part of our American history and should be taught in our homes and churches.  Ten year old John Adams was in the church during this famous prayer and later declared, “That day, I became a patriot.”

In October 1746, French Duke of d’Anville sailed for New England, commanding the most powerful fleet of the time.  He had 70 ships with 13,000 troops. In fact, it was “the largest fleet ever to be sighted from American soil.” They started for Boston. The Duke intended that they avenge themselves for the loss they had suffered in Louisburg. They planned to recapture Louisburg, Nova Scotia, and destroy [all the English Colonies] from Boston to Georgia.

The situation was bleek for the Colonists. They had no chance of matching the power of the huge fleet on their own. Massachusetts Governor William Shirley gathered all the men, ammunitions and supplies he could find. He then turned the situation over to the Lord by declaring the 16th of October, 1746 a Universal Day of Fasting. He would have everyone pray and fast for deliverance.

Everywhere men observed it, thronging to the churches. In Boston the Reverend Thomas Prince from the high pulpit of the Old South Meetinghouse, prayed before hundreds. The morning was clear and calm, people had walked to church through sunshine. ‘Deliver us from our enemy!’ the minister implored. ‘Send thy tempest, Lord, upon the waters to the eastward! Raise thy right hand. Scatter the ships of our tormentors and drive them hence. Sink their proud frigates beneath the power of thy winds!’

He had scarcely pronounced the words when the sun was gone and the morning darkened. All the church was in a shadow. A wind shrieked around the walls, sudden, violent, hammering at the windows with a giant hand.  No man was in the steeple — afterward the sexton swore it — yet the great bell struck twice, a wild, uneven sound. Thomas Prince paused in his prayer, both arms raised. ‘We hear thy voice, O Lord!’ he thundered triumphantly. ‘We hear it! Thy breath is upon the waters to the eastward, even upon the deep. Thy bell tolls for the death of our enemies!’ He bowed his head; when he looked up, tears streamed down his face. ‘Thine be the glory, Lord. Amen and amen!’

… All the Province heard of this prayer and this answering tempest. Governor Shirley sent a sloop, the Rising Son, northward for news … she brought news so good it was miraculous — if one could believe it … the whole fleet was nearly lost, the men very sick with scurvy, or some pestilential fever. Their great admiral, the Duc d’Anville, was dead.

A week later the news was confirmed by other vessels entering Boston from the northeastward. D’Anville was indeed dead; it was said he had poisoned himself in grief and despair when he saw his men dying round him. Two thousand were already buried, four thousand were sick, and not above a thousand of the land forces remained of their fleet. Vice-Admiral d’Estournelle had run himself through the heart with his sword. The few remaining ships, half-manned, were limping off to the southwestward, headed it was thought for the West Indies.

Pestilence, storm and sudden death — how directly and with what extraordinary vigor the Lord had answered New England prayers! The country fell on its knees…. A paper with d’Anville’s orders had been found, instructing him to take Cape Breton Island, then proceed to Boston — ‘lay that town in ashes and destroy all he could upon the Coast of North America; then proceed to the West Indies and distress the Islands.’”  

Written by Catherine Drinker Bowen, John Adams, Grosset & Dunlap, N.Y., 1950, pp. 5, 10-11

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The Faith & Determination of Christopher Columbus

On August 3, 1492 a small fleet set sail from Spain.  The entire fleet consisted of three small ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.  The ships were small in size (less than seventy-five feet long and twenty-five across) and were typical of ships that sailed the Mediterranean Sea at the time.  The three vessels were manned by a combined crew of eighty-eight men.

Instead of turning west, they traveled 700 miles south to the Canary Islands off the Northwestern coast of Africa.  In that way they were able to catch the northeast trade winds, which would propel them all the way to the Americas.  On September 6^th, after restocking provisions and making repairs, they left the safety of the civilized world and headed west.

In order to convince the Queen Isabella of Spain to invest in the expedition, Christopher Columbus had promised the trip from the Canaries to the Indies would be a “few days”.  He believed that Asia was only 2,400 miles away.  But after the few days had past and they traveled further (as they believed) than man had ever sailed, the crew became increasing uncomfortable.  To lessen their fears, Columbus purposely reported the length of each day’s voyage as shorter than they had actually traveled.   Numerous false sightings of land also caused morale to suffer.  By last week of September, the men could see their supplies diminish and it clear signs of mutiny were appearing among the crew.  The spirit of adventure and the promise of shared wealth soon turned to whispered threats and grumbling.

On October 8^th, the captains of the Nina and Pinta demanded a meeting.  They insisted that the search for land be abandoned.  Columbus agreed they would turn homeward if land was not found within 3 days.  He also avoided complete mutiny of his own crew by agreeing to turn back after 2 or 3 days. 

Columbus was resolute!  Later, in a letter to the Spanish hierarchy, wrote, “Our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my emprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?”[1]  His quest for the voyage was also explained in his writings, “The fact that the gospel must be preached in so many lands in such a short time – this is what convinces me.”[2]  Unwavering, yet running out of time, Columbus went to his cabin and, in his words, “prayed mightily to the Lord.”[3]

Finally, on October 11^th, a little after midnight, crew members found a sprig of green with a tiny white flower floating in the water.  Later a piece of floating board was discovered, then a little stick which appeared to have been carved into the shape of a man.  Finally, at 2:00 AM on October 12th, under a moon slightly past full, a sailor called out, “Land! Land on the horizon!”  The expedition, led by Christopher Columbus had discovered America.

Years later, when alone and frustrated, Columbus told of hearing a “Compassionate voice” that addressed him saying, “O fool, and slow to believe and to serve thy God . . what did He do more for Moses, or for David his servant, than He has done for thee?”[4]

Columbus had opened the doors to the most phenomenal spread of Christianity since the time of the early apostles and set the stage for the greatest nation in the history of the world.  To us and generations to come, the words of Columbus continue to encourage us, “No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Savior, if it is just and the intention is purely for His holy service.”[5] 

Learn more at www.TheGloriousCauseOfAmerica.org

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[1] Quoted in Mark E. Petersen; The Great Prologue, Deseret Book Co., 1975, p. 26

[2] Don Ferdinand Columbus; History of the Life and Actions of Admiral Christopher Columbus and of his Discovery of the West Indies, called the New World.

[3] N. Eldon Tanner, If They Will But Serve the God of the Land, Ensign, May 1976, 48

[4] Andres Bernaldez; The Voyages of Christopher Columbus, Being the Journals of his First and Third, and the Letters Concerning his First and Last Voyages, to Which is Added the Account of his Second Voyage. Introduction and Notes, by Cecil Jane. London: The Argonaut Press, 1930.

[5] Christopher Columbus, Book of Prophecies