The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-11-19


| Virginia, IN the ehair,) and entered upc,
1.-THE consideration Of the important motion
introduced the day belure. The day was
passed with deep and solemn delibora,ion,
hut without coming 10 any conclusion.--
The next day being Sabbath, Cos, :ress met
again on the 10Th. which day was passed
hike the s,h, 10 deep and cautious cGnanl,a.
ton bat 10 steps we're taken with regard
10 the important suhject of their deiibera
lion, until late 10 the evening, when il was
resolved TO postpone the consideration Of
The main subject until Monday, the III Of
July ensuing and that in the mean Wide
"that no tine may be lost IN case Congress
agtee thereto, a committee be appointed 10
prepare a declaration TO tho effect Of the
first resolution, which is IN these words
That these United Colonies, Be
Before committee IVES appointed 70
prepare the declaration directed by the
above resoi,e, Mr. LEE received informa
lion llisi Mrs. LrE Wis dangerously ii, and
set oul for Virginia 90 tie lllh 81 June,
aud did not return until after committee
~as appointed 10 prepare declaration,
which was Tho cause Of his not Lciag one
OF that committee.
The long poslponemeu' Of nny direct &C.
lion upon Ills important subject BY Con.
grcss furnishes a strong presumption that
he members 10 general sill viewed 4 With
much dread. But Mr.. ADAAs, WHO very
likely had medl'atcd upou The sub ct Ion.
ger and more Intensely ld4n any other
member, had already made up his mod,
aud had cone 10 the conclusion that there
was no other alternative pointed cut By
the finger Of Heaven 10 save the People d
our land, ard Their r0s'eriiy, from d State
Of the most dr.raItug slavery and wretch
edn4ss than Cor Congress promptly TO de
clare the CoonieS free and independent,
and in order to tiy similar impressions on
the MINDS Of his fellow members, Mr. An
S,is abored with uBceaslng diligence.
A shor, time after tho post ponemen,.
Congress appointed a committee 10 prepare
a declaration ia conformity with the resolve
Of 'he 10th OF June +; and vhen the balloiug
was abou, commencing, Mr.. ADAMS went
among the members and obtained al the
votes be could for Mr.. JEFFERSON, end by
giving him bis own vote, made him chair.
man Of the committee, and gave ban the
opportunity Of writing the Declaration Of
Independence, which contributed greatly to
his fame.
When, vt length, the reported declare
ton, "a framed BY Mr.. JEFFERSON, was
LAID before Congress, that body treated Il
with great severity. and altered and struck
out about one (oudh part Of 4, which was
the cause Of much vexaIion 10 h:m but, 10
addition to lhls, he had to experience the
pain Of listening 70 long speech by ono II
the mos, learned aud eloquent ~ mbers on
that floor against adopting the declaration;
and such VAS the dlscouragng effect oil
the Tong string d objections brought for
ward by that member, that several Of the
members have expressed to the writer Of
this that it was their belief that, il a vote
had been Immediately taken al the closing
Of that speech, a uailri,y would have voted
agains, adopting the declaration,
This became a painfully embarrassing
momcn, to Mr.. JEFFERSON. According
10 the usual practice, a reply to the speech
ol The Directing member ought to have
been made BY him IN defence Of bis report,
ed declaration but he did not possess a tai.
ent for speaking in public bodies, although
he was ready writer. But the bold and
powerfully eloquent john ADAMS rose, aud
so firmly rtcted the attention Of the mem
bers, that they could pay attention 10 moth.
my but his reasoning aud the subject he
was reasoning upon, and could give no &C
couu, of the length Of time that he occupied
~ addressing them Ills eluquence must
have been of the mos, powerful description,
as, hy the account Of 1t BY Mr. JEFFERSON
md others, IN closing his address he start
ed every member from his seat and, as an
evidence ol the merit and pow.
erlu effect OF his speech, no other member
thought that Mr.. ADAMS had left single
word that was necessary Tor any Of his eI.
low mcmbers to add and no other speech
was made in Congress, either IN refulatlon
Of the argument Of The oblecung member,
or IN defence Of the Declaration of lude
pcndoncc, after MIR. JErFERsoN's report
was presented on the tloor.
Although none who did not witness the
perls of the times when the Declaration OF
Independence was made can appreciate pro
perry the mort OF Mr., JEFFERSON, IN en- (
gaglug IN such responsible act as that OF
framing the declaration; and although he
was much appauded for the part be per
formed IN that important work, yet the ap !
pause which Mr.. ADAMS received from
members Of Congress aud the People for
hrs bold aad perseverlng labors IN bringing
about that ineSpresslbly important event
was still greater, aud was noticed with a
similar distinction TO that made by Mr..
JEFFERSON but was expressed IN different
words. Instead Of saying with Mr.. JET
rERsoN, IN his classical style, that Mr.. Al
ANS was chef among the Argonau's 10 that
adventurous achievement, they often allu
ded TO the case of Saul and David by say
ing that, IN overcoming the obstacles that
we're opposed to the Declaration of lnde