Answer:
I'm a good 90% sure that it's
It explains that just as America has gained freedom from the British, Rip has found freedom from his wife.
Explanation: I say this because the scene constantly talks about how he has some sort of freedom because of a woman that's gone which sounds an awful lot like his wife and in the last part of the paragraph it mentions
Whenever her name was mentioned, however, he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and cast up his eyes; which might pass either for an expression of resignation to his fate, or joy at his deliverance. Which could possibly mean freedom from his wife