Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-06-27

and NAV also give satisfaction 10 tue
minds ofoihers, who have turned their
thoughts upon the subject. III am correct
in INV statement, il may be OF use to IT.
ture historians il not, my errors can pe
readily corrected ! wish. therefore, by
means of your paper, to make the follow
ing statement of the facts WITHIN my
knowledge, relative to the subject OF en-
quiN. =,
arguments in Congress for ami against
the Declaration of Independence, having
been exhausted, and the measure fully
considered, the Congress resolved itself
iato Il committee OF the whole the cues
ton was put bv the chairman, ana All Inc
States voted in the affirmative, except
Pennsylvania, which was in the negative,
and Delaware, which was equally diNl-
dea. peunsy iva1ia. ut that time, mad Sc
ven nemherS. viz: John Merton, Benia
min Franklin, James Wilson, John Dick
inson, Robert Morris, Thomas Wiling,
and Charles Humphreys. All were pre-
sent on the first of July, and the three
first named voted for the Declaration OF
lndenrndence, the remaining tour a.
rainst II. The State of Delaware ilad3
members, Caesar Rodney, George Read,
and myself. George Read and were
present. voted for II, George READ a,
gainst it. When the President resumed
Tie chair, the chairman Of The committee
Ofthc whole made his report, which was
no, acted upon until'Thursday, the Ith of
July, In the mean time, had written to
press the attendance Of Cesar Rodney,
the 3d Delegate from Delaware. who APP
reared early on that day AZ the state
honee in his place When the Congress
assembled, the question was put ON the
report Of the committee ofthe whole, and
approvedhv every State. OF the mem
bers fron, PENNSYLVANIA, The three first,
as before. voted in the affirmative, and
the two last IN the negative. John Dick
inson and Robert Morris were not pre-
sent. AMI did no, take their seats on that
| dav. Cesar Rodney, Cor the state of De
laware, voted with me in the affirmative,
and George Read in the negative.
Some months after this, ] saw printed
publications of the names of those gen
! tlemcn, who had, as il was said, voted for
the Declaration OF Independence, and
| o hscrved, that my own name was
| mitted. was not a little surprised at,
ror could account for the omission
| because knew that on the 2ftll OF June
preceding, the deputies from the commit
! tees Of Pennsylvania, assembled III the
| provincial conference, held at the Car
| penters Hail Philadelphia, which had
| met on the 18th, and chosen me their pre-
| si3ent, had unanimously declared their
| willingness 10 eonCur in vote of the
| Congress, declaring the United Colonies
| free and independent states, and had or
| dered their declaration 10 be signed, and
| their President to deliver it into Con-
| gress, which accordingly did the day
! following knew also, that regiment
of associators, Of which ! was Colonel,
, had, at the end of May before, unani-
! mouSiy made the same declaratiOn.-
| These circumstances were mentioned, at
| the time, 10 gentlemen of my acQuain-
! lance. The error remained uncorrected
| till the year 1881, when was appointed
! TO publish Tic laws of Pennsylvania. TO
which prefxed the Declaration of In
| dependence, and inserted my own name,
with tic names Of my colleagues. After
wards, in 1897, when the late A. J. Dali
| las, Esq. then Secretary of tie Com
morwealtl, was appointed to publish an
| edition of the Laws, on comparing tn c
names published as subscribed OF the
| Declaration of independence, he observ-
ed q variance, and the omission, in some
publications, Oft the name of Thomas NJ
! kean having procured certificate from
! the Secretary of State that the name of
| Thomas M'Kean was affixed ~ his own
! hand writing TO the original Declaration
! pt independence, oiul'ttti the
| Journals of Congress; Mr.. Dallas then
! requested an explanation Of this circum-
stance from me, and from my answer to
| this application. the following extracts
were taken and published by Mr.. Dallas
! in the appendix TO the first volume Of his
edition of the laws:
| 3" For several wears past have been
"taught to think less unfavorably OF
sceptcism than formerly. So many
a" things have been misrepresented, mis-
4" stated with seeming authenticity IN
" der my own eve, az III my opinion to
/ :" render those who doubt of every thing,
&" not altogether inexcnsable. The pub
&c LEGATION of the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence on the 4tb day of July, I776, as
printed in the journals of Congress,
| &c vol. 2, page 90, &c. and also in the acts
" of most public bodies since, so far as
respects the names of the delegates or
deputies who made that declaration,
sc has led 10 the above reflection. BY the
printed publications referred TO, it
would appear as if the fifty five gentle
men, whose names are there printed,
" and none other, were on that day, lper-
sonally present in Congress, and assem-
Z" ting to the declaration ; whereas, the
truth is otherwise. The following gen
"tlemcn were not members on the 4th
" of July, l776, namely, Matthew Thorn
90 ton, Benjamin Rush, George Clymer,
James Smith, George Taylor, and Geo.
" Ross, Esqrs. The five last named were
" not chosen delegates until the Goth of
&c that month; the first, not until the 18th
" day of Sepiember following, nor did he
take his seat in Congress, until the 4th
" of November, which was four months
l. Of xnI