The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-03
wnas s.sa where IL sssc Original
rsensarasaon Of Independence?

what Rzsa Nuefc u ssS
Decsarasaon Of Independence
aThe original manuscript Of the Decfala-
ton Of Independence is rapidly fading away,
and, Judging from the past. but leW !sa a,,
~rilf esapse before the naked parc!ifnenI VII, VIII
be the only sosteentr remaining OF tuss vra
manifesto. Already nearly all tne Nsna,I ,a.t
are entirely effaced, and the rest e IN ~
much longer without something ~ VII -,
1sssnr,s the writing. - Dispatch Of 2sm m.
Wassrs. Etlitors,-The above Is correct 10
}ts Information. aided by certain xpiana-
zion: yet: without that explanation Is may
noss{sIv create misapprehenslon.
.TeGersou's rough draught OF his Immortal
,,rod,,et;cp il, ] believe. kept In the arch''es
~ the state Department: but it of course !.
NOT. so to speak. the statutory paper, anu IL
;s Interesting only RS Il souvenir OF us ati"oi.
Your 1ise Of the term "originul i, posi-
hlv euiiyo,.sl. The " original Declaration
of inde,nndence, I'm the sense of that passeo
and adopted BIZ Congress on the AN o. guy,
in other words, the document OF statutory
effect in the matter flor VI was iii'y enacoea
or accomplished on that day, It being slsnea'
no hereafter noticed, by president. secretary,
and all the members present. when the t"c
first were only necessary to give 1t legal au,
thority. and, indeed, had authenticated all
other acts uf the same Congress,) DOES NOT
EXIST! This loss or delinquency explained
in an article published in last July's LtPpsn.
COTS Nn1oSfne. entitled 1.-The History OF
the Fourth Of july" to the following effect
at Is perhaps not generally known that
no less than three dates may, with reason.
compete for designation as the natal Gay OF
American independence, and Tor me h9hors
of the anniversary of that event. On the "a
of July. 1915, was adopted the resolution OF
Indepepdence, the sufficient Legislative act !;
and il was this day that Mr.. Adams designa-
ted as the anniversary in the oft-quofcd Jet.
ter. written on his desk at the time, prophe-
swing its future celebration by bells, bontires,
cannonades, &c. On the All: Of July oc-
CURED the declaration of independence. On
the I'd of August following took place the
ceremony Of SIGNATURES. which has furnished
TO the popular Imagination the common pic
torial and dramatic conceptions OF the event
of independence.
"The history connecting these three dates
may be intelligibly told In brief sWcc.
-. On the LIST of July there was
again called up In Congress the resolution
proposed by Mr. Lee. On the I'd of July II
passed. Two days later the 4tli of JULY was
afopted. after various amendments, the De
claration.' from Mr.. JetTerson's pen. The
document was authenticated, like the other
papers of the Congress, by the signatures OF
the president and the secretary, and, in add.
ton, was signed by the members present,
with the exception of Mr.. Dickinson, of New
York. who. as Mr. Jefferson has testified, 're-
fused to sign it,
"But It did not then bear the names of the
members of Congress as they finally appeared
on il. 4 number Of these still opposed II
and had voted against 1t. 1t was passed
unanimously only us regarded States. Thus
q majority of the Pennsylvania delegation
had persistentlv opposed it, and il was only
the absence of two of their delegates on the
final vote that left Il majority for this State I'D
Its favor. Some days after the Declaration
had thus passed, and had been proclaimed at
the head of the army. it was ordered by Con.
uress TINT it be engrossed on parchment ana
signed By every member; and 1t WAS not IN
I'll the second Of August that these signatures
were made and the matter concluded ny tlils
peculiar and august ceremony OF personal
pledges IN the autographs of the members.
II IL this copy, or form, OF the Declaration
which has in fact been preserved as me orr
anal. The first signed paper docs mol cT'St.
and ,oas probably destroyed az mconpiefc.
'.If The natal day Of American lndcpend-
'cnce Is TO be derived from the ceremony OF
these late signatures. and the real date OF
what has been preserved Us the legal original
of the Declaration. then it would be the ri
of August. IT derived from the substantial,
legal act OF separation from the British
Crown, which was contained rather in the
resolution of Congress than in its Declar1i-
ton of Independence, 1t would be the I'd OF
july, But common consent has determined
10 date the great anniversary from the appa-
rently subordinate event of the passage OF
the Declaration, and thus celebrate the
Fourth Of July as the day Of the nations
great delirerance and JOY
What became of the Declaration of the
Fourth Of July proper | am LEFT TO con-
lecture, and have supposed that 1t was de.
stroyed when replaced, in the way of clerical
convenience. by Chat whose signatures were
completed on the I'd Of August.
unaware that the Dispatch has many
scholars In its constituency OF readers; tla'
itself has "a laudable passion for literary GU
riosltiss"; and that 1t has developed IN If
excellent and entertaining style OF Journal
ism SORT of /" Notes-and-Q Queries feature
Hence these lines on such invitation, and i'll the
unaffected hope that you or your readers may
pursue this curious subject-The Romance
of q Lost Document one that has III espc
cial interest, In view Of preparations aileauy
busy, for Che Centennial Celebration of otl
Independence.
land, by the way. why call the immorta
PAPER q Declaration Of Independence -; II
was officially entitled only "a Declaration
by" &C.; "of Independence IS a popular
addition, not ON the document; and, us
have argued in the article referred to. 1t is Il:
much declaration of rights as Of indepen
dence indeed, that Its higher Significance /.
that of d" charter,' as Jefferson himself, in ,
letter describing his production, eApressl!
called it, and distinctly designed it.]
EDWARD A. POLLARD.