June 18 Sunday – Frank M. Etting wrote from Philadelphia to Sam.

Dear Sir / I have been so overwhelmed by the details of our celebration of 7th June & of 2d July as to be unable to attend to the duty of correspondence at all— You must therefore make due allowance for my delay in replying to your favor of 8th inst—

      I do hope that you will carry out your intention of coming to Phila with others of your “guild” for 1st July—You will ’ere this have recd I presume the official cards— A large part of the sentiment is dependent upon the personal presence of the men specially fitted for the purpose & who have prepared a stone to build up a cenotaph of letters to the Founders of the Republic in the very chamber which gave birth to the republic—

      Your own relationship to our revolutionary sires is nearer than to Adam & you will not need to come so far—in the former case either to deplore their loss or to give (as it is hoped we may thus do) renewed vitality to the real principles for which they struggled— Yes two thirds of the authors antiquaries c[o]unted have accepted & I expect them to be present—about 150 in number—thus while the sketches cannot be read entire each may be expected to say a few words in laying his biographical sketch upon the table upon which the Decn of Indce was signed— Saturday the 1st has been selected to celebrate the 2d, the several days following—as well—will be variously celebrated publicly & socially— My list of authors has been put into requisition to enable them to participate in every event or celebration of interest— Tell Mr Trumbull he must come too—we cannot spare either of you— / very truly yours— / Frank M. Etting / [MTPO].