1776 Page #2

what I suffered in there.

I heard, all right. Along with

the rest of Philadelphia.

Lord, your voice

is piercing, John.

Well, I wish to heaven

my arguments were.

My God, Franklin, when are they

going to make up their minds?

With one hand

they can raise an army,

dispatch one of

their own to lead it,

and cheer the news

from Bunker's Hill.

And with the other,

they wave the olive branch,

begging the king for a happy

and permanent reconciliation.

Fat George has

declared us in rebellion.

Why in bloody hell can't they?

John, really? You talk as if

independence were the rule.

It's never been done before.

No colony has ever broken from the

parent stem in the history of the world.

Damn it, Franklin, you

make us sound treasonous.

Do I?

Treason, eh?

Treason is a charge

invented by winners

as an excuse for

hanging the losers.

I have more to do

than stand here,

listening to you quote yourself.

No, that was a new one.

Damn it, Franklin, we're at war.

To defend ourselves,

nothing more.

We expressed our displeasure,

the English moved against us,

and we in turn have resisted.

Now our fellow congressmen want

to effect a reconciliation

before it becomes a war.

Reconciliation, my ass.

The people want independence.

The people have read

Mr. Paine's Common Sense.

I doubt very much Congress has.

That's true.

John, why don't you give it up?

Nobody listens to you. You're

obnoxious and disliked.

I'm not promoting John Adams.

I'm promoting independence.

Evidently, they cannot help

connecting the two.

Even your own cousin.

And if Sam Adams can't put

up with you, nobody can.

You're getting at something.

How can you tell?

All right,

out with it, Franklin.

What new intrigue

are you cooking up?

Let someone else

in Congress propose.

Never!

Why? Who did you

have in mind?

I don't know. I really haven't

given it much thought.

You sent for me, Benjamin?

Never.

Hello, Johnny!

Richard.

Uh, Johnny and I

need some advice.

If it's mine to give,

it's yours, you know that.

Thank you, Richard.

As you know,

the cause that we support

has come to

a complete standstill.

Now why do you suppose that is?

Simple.

Johnny here is obnoxious and disliked.

That's true.

Now, what's the solution,

I wonder?

Get somebody else in

Congress to propose.

Oh, Richard, that's brilliant.

Wasn't that brilliant, John?

Brilliant.

Yes. Now the question

remains, who can it be?

The man that we need

must belong to a delegation

publicly committed

to support independence.

And at the present time,

only Massachusetts,

New Hampshire and Delaware

have declared our way.

And Virginia. Don't

forget Virginia, Benjy.

Oh, Richard, I haven't.

How could I?

But strictly speaking,

while Virginia's views on

independence are well known,

your legislature in Williamsburg

has never formally authorized

its delegation here in

Congress to support the cause.

Now, if we could

think of a Virginian

with enough influence

to go down there

and persuade

the House of Burgesses...

Damn me if I haven't

thought of someone!

Who?

Who?

Me.

Oh, why didn't I think of that?

I'll leave tonight.

Why, hell, I'll leave

right now, if you like.

I'll just stop off in Stratford

long enough to refresh the missus,

and then straight to the matter.

Yes, sir. I really have to compliment

you on your judgment, Johnny.

Whoa, boy. Steady.

You've come to the one colony

that can get the job done.

Virginia, the land that gave us

our glorious Commander in Chief,

George Washington,

will now give the continent

its proposal on independence.

And when Virginia proposes,

the South is bound to follow.

And where the South goes,

the middle colonies go.

Gentlemen, a salute.

To Virginia, the mother

of American independence.

Incredible. We're free,

and he hasn't even left yet.

What makes you so sure

you can do it?

My name is Richard Henry Lee

Virginia is my home

My name is Richard Henry Lee

Virginia is my home

And may my horses turn to glue

If I can't deliver up to you

A resolution on independency

For I am FFV

The first family

In the sovereign colony

of Virginia

Yes, the FFV

The oldest family

In the oldest colony in America

And may the British burn my land

If I can't deliver to your hand

A resolution on independency

You see, it's here a Lee,

there a Lee

And everywhere a Lee, a Lee

Social...

Lee

Political...

Lee

Financial...

Lee

Natural...

Lee

Internal...

Lee!

External...

Lee!

Fraternal...

Lee!

Eternal...

Lee!

The FFV The FFV

The first family

The first family

In the sovereign colony

of Virginia

And may my wife refuse my bed

If I can't deliver as I said

A resolution on independency

Spoken modest-Lee.

God help us.

He will, John. He will.

They say that God in heaven

is everybody's God

Amen!

I'll admit that God in

heaven is everybody's God

But I tell you, John, with pride

God leans a little

on the side of the Lees

The Lees of old Virginia

You see,

it's here a Lee, there a Lee

And everywhere a Lee, a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

And everywhere a Lee

Look out! There's

Arthur Lee, Bobby Lee

General Light-horse

Harry Lee

Willie Lee, Jesse Lee

And Richard H That's me!

And may my blood

stop running blue

If I can't deliver up to you

The resolution on independency

Yes, sir, my God,

it's here a Lee, there a Lee

Come on, boys, join in with me!

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

When do you leave?

Immediate-Lee!

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

When will you return?

Short-Lee!

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

And I'll come back

triumphant-Lee!

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Everywhere a Lee, a Lee

Forward

Ho

That was the most revolting

display I have ever witnessed.

They're a warm-blooded

people, Virginians.

Oh, not him, Franklin. You.

You and your infernal

obsession for deviousness.

If you'd come straight

out and asked the man,

he'd have been gone

a half hour ago.

Yes, and he'd have been

doing us a favor.

Cheer up, John.

At this very moment,

Sitting straight in the saddle

and in full gallop for Virginia.

And our women are serene

Oh, good God.

Full-bosomed

Full-bosomed, Benjy

Everyone a queen

Why they are Lees, damn it

Lees of old Virginia!

Yes, sir, by God,

it's here a Lee, there a Lee!

C'mon, John, step lively

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Everywhere a Lee, a Lee

Everywhere a Lee, a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Here a Lee, there a Lee

Everywhere a Lee, a Lee!

Everywhere a Lee, a Lee!

Forward, ho

Uh, excuse me.

Yes?

I'm Dr. Lyman Hall, the new

delegate from Georgia.

I'm Andrew McNair,

congressional custodian.

If you'll be wanting anything at

all, just holler out "McNair"

as all the others do and there

won't be too long to wait.

Where does the Georgia

delegation belong?

Oh, they mill about over there in

that corner, near the two Carolinas.

It's after 10:
00.

I was told Congress

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