Show 0 aa aarm AV oo 00 ae vas fels AM a or cc Z 21 0 the interest interesting ina story of the w writing biting H and nd signing of the declaration of ande j 1 S T july 2 or august 2 better entitled to c celebration than july 4 J y 4 history has fastened fasi ened upon our impressionable minds a poetic picture of the signing odthe declaration of independence as a graceful and formal function taking place july 4 1770 in a large handsomely furnished f urnis hed chamber rin in independence liall hall ladelphia to gi give the necessary touch of vivacity to the picture there la Is the ilie scene of i the small boy darting from the door ns as the last signer sets ills his autograph to the pr precious claus parchment and dashing down the street calling gollits to his grandfather to oli oh ring for liberty I 1 our ideal proclamation of the charter of american an freedom must be shattered in the cause of truth the Declara declaration ilon of independence cel was signed behind cocked doors and was not generally aly signed upon the fourth at all the city was not breathlessly aw awaiting alting the event outside nor did the liberty bell peal forth on that day th the triumphal note of freedom the accredited hist historian orlan of the united states department of state Is gaillard Gall lard hunt litt IJ LL D now chief of the division of manuscripts in the library of congress there Is really no reason for our celebrating the fourth of july more than july 2 or august 2 said doctor hunt recently to an inquirer 1 it was not until the latter date that the document was generally signed the virginia bill of rights of which george mason was also the author was drawn up and adopted in the last colonial assembly in virginia prior to the revolution the bill of rights Is in effect a part of every constitution in the land hind today it Is beyond doubt that this famous document of which ills his elderly friend was author was largely drawn upon by thomas jefferson when villen he be aoe wrote the declaration of independence the fundamental principles of government set forth in masons Alli sons bill of rights were the same as those in the english peti petitions dons to td the king the acts act of the long parliament and magna charta you know perhaps that it was another virginian richard henry lee who presented to congress gress on jupe june 7 1770 a set of resolutions containing the words that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states and that all political connection between them and the state of great britain Is and ought to be totally dissolved it was as a result of the favorable voting upon lees resolutions that the well known committee com composed posea of thomas jefferson john adams ben jamin franklin roger sherman and robert R livingston was named to draft the document the committee assigned the task of preparing the instrument S ment to the virginian jeffersons was the master anster political mind and it was by no mere chance that he was called upon to write the document which has been termed the best known paper that has ever corae come from the pen of an individual drafting of the declaration thomas JeT jefferson ferson was the personIfI personification cadon or of method remarked doctor hunt and immediately upon receiving Ms his commission to write the declaration lie he retired to the two rooms lie he rented as a working place at seventh and Alar market icet place phil philadelphia ad a and prepared to give hla his country one of the greatest monuments of human freedom the rhe department depart merit of state owns the first draft of the Decla declaration tation which jefferson presented to the committee for its approval his confreres contreres con freres made a tow few alterations which are clearly shown in the text and jefferson has written beside each change tho the name of its author making the document of inestimable value the fair copy which lie he made for presentation to congress and which bears the congressional congress lon al amendments and alterations Is lost the latter Is the formal declaration of independence pen dence 6 laid before congress on june 28 1776 1770 it was then read and ordered to lie on the table until july J on july 2 a resolution was passed decIn the independence of the united states although the exact form of the proclamation as prepared pre pored liy by jefferson was debated until july 4 when with some alterations and amendments it HUH uy lonn tinn cocK president of the epil gress and the signature attested by charles thomson secretary of congress july 2 ans actually the date of separation of ti the colonies from the mother country on july 3 we find jolin john adams whom jefferson called the colossus of the colonies writing to hl his s wife abl gall la in the fol following loving words esterday esl erday the greatest question which woi ever evar debated in america was decided and a greater perlin perhaps ps never was nor will be decided among great day was july 2 in a second letter written the same lay day he said but the lay day Is past july 2 will vill be the most ine morable in the history of Amerl america ca I 1 am ain apt pt to believe that irwill it will he celebrated by succeeding generations agthe anniversary festival it ought to be commemorated ns as trie day of deliverance by solemn solen in acts of devotion to god A almighty there Is little doubt douat but that the participants in the event considered july 2 as the true date of independence for the colonies but popular fancy seized upon the ath the date of acceptance of jeffersons fer sons formal and detailed settin forth as the proper date of celebration I 1 F john trumbulls Trum bulls famous painting of the scene hanging in the rotunda of the cap capitol capaiol liol ts Is a poetical piece of work and gives man many of the portraits of the signers with faithfulness hut but it Is somewhat fanciful no silken drapea th the stifling room on july 4 1776 and ill alie lv b eau order in which the be dierf are craned bp tor for signing the immortal document 1 Is elio Kt fictional ional of A al qt 4 lid 7 M j 4 efaw x the president of the congress john hancock with the secretary charles thomson alone signed the autograph jefferson document on that date immediately afterward it as hurried to the official printer for congress john dunlap to put in type and several copies were made by next morning the printed copies of f jeffersons declaration of independence were in hancocks hands when he came to write the proceedings for the fourth of july 1770 1776 into the journal of congress Clu charlea irles thomson secretary ecret nry of the congress left a blank space for the lie declaration and it Is this broadside which now appears into the alie space loft left for it in the journal this broadside was sentous sen bent tout out to the governors of the states to the continental army and it Is the paper from which the declaration of independence was read to tile the people july S 8 when the liberty bell was rung and the first public celebration was wa made in honor of the event signed august 2 july 19 dongress congress ordered that the declaration passed the ath be fairly engrossed it was very beautifully done on oil parchment chis Is the document which received the signatures of all abet members bembe rs of the continental Continent ril congress present in independence hall ball au august gust 2 1776 by this time however the membership had changed r slightly lightly so that the 11 signers were not identical with the body of delag delegates rites who had declared for independence a month before I 1 presumably it was at tw time vint hancock making his great familiar signature jestingly remarked that jolin john bull could SOP see it without his spectacles one or two of the signatures were not actually affixed until a later date than august 2 this Is the treasured Decin declaration ration of independence now in possession of the department of state said doctor hunt it Is kept in a hermetically sealed case which Is opened only by special order for very ery especial reasons reason it Is faded and it would have been better if this engrossed copy hart had been made on paper rather than parchment it 19 1 so faded that few of the signatures are recognizable nothing can now be done which will permanently berie benefit fit it I 1 I 1 1 I believe the thain main cause of the fading was the impression taken in 18 1823 23 by order of president 31 monroe fonroe two hundred were then made to give ghe n copy to ench of the then living signers ancl others taking the impression removed the ink |