Show UK 4 f. f ri i I Am g J d Z J rf A V s'S sS J I s s fb 1 Epi A J T 1 rr e 4 7 n- n zd 9 r- r 2 II k 1 0 J d N J 7 7 r r 9 I. I i Y z- z i tr t. t z J I f t f. f y Pa rr u wr Y LJ Q dP f A N I h v V. j d J lt Af L' L 18 5 sr 4 7 U I J S I Z Y L- L luY lu- lu J I It 4 p S T f t rI on J n. n A L S SCOTT WATSON 9 MERICA'S 50 jQ who mo who who are are they They They were were ere th the themen rn men n whose autographs phs are shown above j b but ut you i u ont don't necessarily have hae to Q be a collector of at autographs auto auto- graphs graphs' to tobe bL be e I interested n t eres In them It are ore a real American to whom Independence day m means something more th than an takIng a b holiday from your jour everyday e Job or enjo enjoying Ing the opportunity p of or engaging In In an annual noise making orgy so dear t to the heart beart of ot Young America you jou should be be Interested In them and andl and what they stand for tor They represent n a certain handwriting activity w which 11 1 c h took place years Sears years ago and which It Is Is safe to assert changed the whole course of at human history history- For tor these are the autographs o a t of 3 the signers 1 n of t the American Declaration of at Independence an ang and those signers g are Americas America's IC S 'S 50 Immortals whose deed we commemorate on the F Fourth of Tuly Considering n rd g the Importance of ot what t hl they did It Is a bit strange that we v Americans know so little about these sinners signers Of Ot course the names name of 10 some flome of ot them pre fire familiar familial From our school histories we know 0 John m Hancock who put down his its name In such a n hold bold handwriting that even King George Georte the Third could rend read It without hl his spectacles sr and who has given n us the by Word of ot put your John Hancock lc On that as a syn synonym for sign on the thc dotted line From O our lt school histories too oo we k know T O Thomas Jefferson the Author q of the Declaration of ot Independence whoso whose original draft of or It bearing also the corrections In the handwriting of ot BenJamin Franl Franklin n and John Adams Is one of t our most national heirlooms We Know the names of ot some of ot the others who were prominently connected with Revolutionary Re events e and v with Ith the founding fO of ot the ne new new- r 1 m nation Samuel nation Samuel Adl Adams Robert Tr Treat a Paine raine Richard Henry T. T Lee e Robert Morris Philip Livingston Francis Frands LIghtfoot Lee Gerry Roger Boner Sherman and Charles Carroll of Carrollton We also know Button Gwinnett e but 1 not Par for t the reason His I Vise rise Ise ot e. e came Ip e re reason Q t to tb fame has been ee n a l moie ol modem no el de de and has come about because his signature Is one tle of ot the greatest rarities known to autograph collectors Two Two years n ago ago o Button Dutton G tt de dead these 0 years ears wo won a I- place e In the newspaper per headlines l 1 because a Q a Ncy New Yo York k collector had paid 2500 for his autograph raph Last November ember another specimen of at his signature 1 JUl ture was vas sold for for tor and this fact was widely heralded hel as the highest price ever paid for an nn autograph Then In March 1927 1027 a n new v r record was established when the only known example of or ora a le letter with ith a Button signature attached sold for The fact tint that the sl signatures natures natures' of ot five he other signers s of the Declaration of at Independence also appeared on this letter t mn may have had something to do with the hl high h price but the principal congress i reason reason was vas was tl the appeal appearance ance e. e tl leoo ot of the thc g of at this Continental of congress ate c from G Georgia Who 11 was v as killed In a duel a year after he had placed his signature on Americas America's Magna Charta And this man whose I aut autograph graph Is s worth a n fortune today because It Is the rarest of or all aU of at those ot of the signers once saw his property sold to satisfy an nn Indebtedness of ot P 1500 OOt So Button Gwinnett's n name me dt tit th the present time Is probably the best known of all an the signers even en If It many of t the le others had longer ronger and more distinguished careers But ut take out the dozen en or more more named above and consider the remaining forty Not only do few of ot us s know their names but what do we know about the men themselves More than a hundred years ago a historian set to work to preserve e for tor future generations ns some of nt the facts about about these men It Is this book Sanders sons son's Biography of oC the Signers of the Declaration of Independence dence published In Philadelphia In nine volumes vol vol- tol- tol umes from 1820 1520 to 1821 which gives us us most Cour knowle knowledge ge of them Here are some of at the facts about them Of Ot the 56 signers of ot the Declaration of Independence nine were born in Massachusetts eight In Virginia five In Maryland I four tour In Connecticut four In New J Jersey four tour In Pennsylvania four tour In tn South Carolina three In New York three In Delaware two two In Rhode Island one In Maine alaine three In to Ireland two In England two In Scotland and one in Wales one Twenty ono clergyman were attorneys ten merchants four physicians ph three one printer sixteen were men of or fortune Eight of or Harvard college w were re grade gad four of Yale Tale three of ot New phia two of or William Jersey two of Philadel Philadel- Philadelphia and Mary three burgh h and one of ot St St. Omers rAt r of or Cambridge England two of Edin At the time of ot their deaths five were Wre ninety over years cars of age seven eighty and ninety eleven between seventy and eighty twelve between e sixty and und seventy eleven between fifty and sixty between forty and fUt fifty seven n one dl died d at nt the age of or seven M en tho and two Is age of uncertain At the time of ot the signing of or the Declaration lon the the tho members average of t Was waR four forty years ears They lived five years and ten months The to the tho average age of or more than of ot South of-South South youngest member was Edward Rutledge Carolina who of ot one fifty The was In his twenty seventh year He lie lived to the n age afie e next youngest m member was as was Thomas Lynch of ot the same state who was also In hIs hla twenty se year r tall r-ll n of ot 17 1776 6 Benjamin year He was c cast st away at sea In the Franklin seventy first entY year when was th the oldest member He lie was aa In to his he ho signed the Declaration He lie died In fn 1790 and sixteen of or Ms survIved sur sur- next ol oldest lest younger 1 brethren Step n Hopkins of or Rhode Island the thil member memoir was wai WI WIborn born In 1797 7 and died In 1785 outlined attained tI the greatest age oge d dying Charles Carroll In his sixth ninety-sixth year Willam Rhode Island died In ih Ellery of oC hU hie lter became Pre President ninety first year Two of ot tho the signers rs both of or whom if died 4 1 4 1826 They were Thomas on the same day exactly fifty yearS yearS- later July Jefferson and John Adams Adams- Interesting as ns thc these e statistics m may b be to 1 rc considered of some persons persons persons-at at t least ast they sufficient moment for tor some same Indu Industrious compiler to dig out nut those facts facts they y do It pore nore lint hint than at the real human Interest ti that ut lies In the careers nn an ank of ot these thee men and that tremendous en event nt with which their nat s ps are associated The years that have o since they signed the De Declaration of at passed lit if Independence have ha thrown such a n haze hare romance lomance around them and their deed that It Is s difficult t for us to see this event In a clear light We look at Trumbulls s In to the dramatic painting and see an net act pageantry of History Making But who were these be be white patriots shown In that picture Not diplomats nor pleni plent- i nor such men of ot high degree as aj the world was then accustomed to think of ot as being n. n associated o ed with events were ele twenty one Instead they attorneys ten merchants four physicians Que three farmerS farmers one une cler clergyman one printer and only sixteen men of fortune Thus the majority of them w were rc men who po worked for fOl- their living at som some occupation or profession occupation pro surely profession surely an appropriate group to lay the tho foundations for demo democracy racy In which all men are arc created for a e i 1 Such were Americas America's Immortals actors C In n a mighty pageant drama Perhaps they realized that th they y were W b but t It Is doubtful If It they as na we are arc accustomed to think Wink of It We think regarded It of at thorn thom as to lo take tale their places in n the picture posing for tor coming forward a moment scene mc and then lien stepping forth to receive tho the In the historic different plaudits of the world orld But nut how must mist It have ha been een for fOl them thorn 1 I What i m U as aK misgivings must have troubled they took look the cIe decisive step Remember that the sentiment for S v A 7 1 J r 7 Jl y d a r riL iL a 7 tl tw Ji ef 1 u 7 h. h Iff L 1 7 atz f A d Jt Ic S. S t rt rr ff yf A t r 7 y i ff e I fw f 1 U e t tJ 4 J A It AW y 4 y z iea- iea fJ c t IL At 1 tUf Q e a- a 7 q I nr I I fi J H r U b ezi c ud- ud ft A t V V j 1 jl uMP f MP mfr Jt cA I L 0 r I If 5 I 1 L 4 11 r fI v x S s. S r or C e crr cv cr- r independence was not ot yEt lt unanimous throughout the tho c. c colonies Remember that they still sun felt a certain loyalty to the moth mother r country ev even n though the people they represented had suffered from the stupidities of at the king of at that country They realized that membership In the Continental congress was n 11 position of at peril as well as ns a n position of honor During November of C the previous pre year ear 87 members of congress 50 of at whom later signed the Declaration had signed the famous oath of or secrecy which read Resolved that every member of this Congress considers himself und under r theties the tho theties ties of ot virtue honor and love lova of his country not to divulge directly or indirectly Indirectly Indi indi- indirectly any matter or thing agitated ns or debated In Congress nor any matter or thIn thine d determined In Congress which a d majority of ot the Con Congress shall shaH order to tobe be kept secret and that If It any member shall violate this agreement he ho shall be expelled from Crom this Congress s and T Teemed erred nn rm enemy to the liberties of ot America and ad a d liable to be treated as such and that every overy member signify hla hie assent to this agre agreement ment by signing the same This Indicates 6 that they realized cU fully the seriousness of the bus n ss But what was wits was even en nl more re serious was taking the final step of at severing all ties with England arid and declaring for independence They were rebels against what by tradition and anti training had always been recognized as the properly constituted authorities If Tt the failed If It the conflict which had already been and which this declaration of Independence necessitated seeing the thing through to the end went against the patrIot I cause there was for them theta the promise of ot the treatment which history has usually dealt her uns unsuccessful c rebels rebels Imprisonment Imprisonment and perhaps the rope J Even Jen en If It the the revolt re succeeded there was no certainty that the Jealous and discordant colonies could co come to together ether under any stable form torm of at govern govern- ment So they were taking a n fearful re responsibility upon themselves th those these se attorneys JS J'S and md merchants these farmers a clergyman and n a printer As for the men men of ot fortune they bad 1 Jf even e more to lose In material wealth In social position and In civic post of trust tru tt thou than th ll did lid the others if the rebellion failed For 1 that reason honor more moie to them bec because uS tile the did cUd what they dI did I l ISo So It Is well to remember Americas America's Immortals on Independence day tl tills this ls year and to pay their memories the respect due them Despite a mo modern tendency to e examine critically the events of ot the past with the evident effort on the part of oC some historians to show up national heroes and prove Q that the they were something less In historic stature than we have been thinking and despite the fact Jact that It has become a fashion to question the motives of ot the tile Fathers of at the Republic the estimate of ot one Ge George r e C. C Ellis In Windsors Windsor's Narrative an and Critical History of America may still sUII be accepted as nn an adequate characterization of the tho signers We have become accustomed to associate with the term congress the Idea Iden of at a le legally all constituted or organic anc body with defined powers assigned to It the exercise of ot which Is binding on Its constituents Our Continental congresses were of ot quite another sort and had no authority rave save what might be granted to the wisdom and practicability of the measures they advised Most lost certain It Is that only a n er very small l minority of ot the p people plc o of ot the colonies were wele concerned In calling the early eaily congresses As certain also Is s It that a aery very ery large preponderance of ot the people of ot all classes were then strongly opposed to violent any measures to sun sundering ties of ot allegiance or to seeking seel anything beyond a peaceful redress of ot grievances On the whole while hUe it must be admitted that congress was wag generally gene In advance nd of ot its constituency nc It knew how to temporize and to give gl Int intervals of ot pause in steadily working on to Its ultimate declaration Natural l lenders leaders always start f forth fth in s such ch a cause and they learn their skill skull by practice When we consider th j distractions of ot the times the overthrow o of at all previous u authority the presence und and threats of ot anarchy the Ule lack of unanimity t an and the tho number umber and Yhu cuce of discordant Interests and above ove all that congress had only advisory hardly Instructive powers we can easily pardon excesses and errors and heartily yield our admiration to the noble qualities and virtues of ot those wh who proved their claim to leadership When we ye rea read the original papers and the full biographies of ot these thee men tIlen we the ore are Impressed by the tho balance mid and force of their Judgment tin ir llO cr power pi of expressing of their purpose reasons and convictions cori their calm self mastery imd the tho f I |