Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-07-04

strong debater and a sincere patFietS
acknowledging the grievances COM
planned Of, but lacking that stern and
heroic spirzt1that animated such men
as Adams, Witherspeon and Eeet
Hence he shrank from an open rap
ture with Great Britsin, as certain :
end not only in greater evils to Che
country, but to individuals prominent
in the rebellion. In this feeling two
other representatives from Pennsyl-
vsnia shared. Dickinson's speech
produced profound impression, and
this is not to be wondered at when we
consider the nature Of the contest
which it was the object Of that speech
to show. John Adams one of the
most fluent and powerful speakers,
answered Dickinson, and it cannot be
too much regretted that not a scrap Of
that speech remains, except perhsps
the tradition out Of which Mr.. Web
ster made one of his most splendid
paragraphs. It was on the 1st Of
July that the newly elected delegates
from New Jersey, Of whom Or. With
erspoon was one, took their seats and
voted a solid vote Tor the declaration.
The next day, July ID, the paper
was again read and subjected to a Sc.
we're process, which sifted out some
paragraphs. Some were thought too
-disrespectiul toward the English peO-
DIE, some too hostile to the King per-
sonally, and some were too condemna-
tory Indirectly Of the institution Of
slavery. During this eliminating pro-
cess, Jefferson was greatly excited, at
times showing his chagrin; which
state of mind Franklin greatly re-
Heved by telling to Mr.. Jefferson the
criticisms made on a sign which a
halter in Philadelphia had over his
store. About one quarter, according
to the elder Adams, u %One+hird, se-
cording to Jefferson, Of the original
per, was stricken out, leaving the
document as we now have it. The
adoption of this paper was warmly
debated through the second, third and
fourth days of July, and toward the
close of the latter day, the motion to
adopt prevailed. 1t was then signed
by nearly every member present, ex-
cept Mr.. Dickinson who refused to
sign. Willing and Humphreys, two
delegates from Pennsylvania, par
posely absented themselves toaavoid
signing. These three gentlemen were
decapitated forthwith by the Conven-
ton Of Pennsylvania, then in session,
and men elected in their places who
would sign. Ofthe other Pennsylvania
delegates, Franklin, John Morton,
and James Wilson, signed the de-
claratiOn at once, and Robert Norris,
the remaining delegate, was absent
on public business, and had permits
sion to sign afterward.
1t is a fact worth knowing, that the
delegates from New York were will
ing to sign, but waited for instruc-
tons from home, which they received
and put their names to the declara-
ton on the 18th of July.
Matthew Thornton did not take
his seat in Congress until the 4th Of
November, and at that time he signed
the declaration.
The original paper, as interIined
and amended, was given to the Secre-
tary Of Congress, to be engrossed on
parchment, and this engrossed copy,
the one in the Patent Office, was
again signed by most Of the mem
bers on the ID of August, and at diff
ferent intervals afterward by the rest.
Tucker, in his life of Jefferson, sup
plies the following remarkable pas
sage, stricken out Of the original draft
of the declaration:
He, the king, has waged cruel war
against human nature itself, violating
its most sacred rights of life and
liberty In the persons Of a distant peO-
pie who never offended him, capti-
waiting and carrying them into slavery
in another hemisphere, or to incur
miserable death in their transpOrta-
ton thither. This piratieal warfare,
the opprobrium Of Infdel nations, is
the warfare of the Christian King of
Great Britain. Determined to keep
open a market where men should be
bought and sold, he has prostituted
his negative for SURPRISING every
legislative attempt to prohibit or to
restrain this execrable commerce.
And that this assemblage of horrors
want no fact of distinguished
dye, he is now exciting those very
people to rise in arms among US, and
to purchase that liberty Of which he
has deprived them, by numbering
ihese people on whom he has obtruded
hem; thus paying OF former crimes
committed against the liberties of one
with the crimes which he urges
hem to commit against the lives of
another.
But when did the venerable bell, |
till preserved in Independence HaII,
zeal ont the notes Of liberty? Cor
lon, in his history Of the Revolution,
ives the following answer tosthe
question: "July sthLThis day, at Il
o'clock, the Declaration of Indepen-
Ience was ~proelsimed at the State
House in Philadelphia, amidst the
acclamations. The same
vening the equestrian statue Of the
King was laid PROSTATE on the ground.
me lead of which it is made is to be
nm into huIinta - /