The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-09-27
Our @lip.
The Declaration of Independence.


WHEY, HOW AND WHERE WAS 1T WRITTEN?
There is much Of interest in the above
question from one Of your correspondents,
in the Observer Of the 14th, and how
much easier it is to ask than to answer.
There is nothing left us but to gather
what we can from the records and traditions
of the men Of that day, who were in that
Congress, and especially from the immortal
COMMITTEES who were assigned TO draw up
the wonderful paper. Its well known that
the committee were as they were named,
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Bepja-
min franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert
r. Livingston. John Adams says in his
Autobiography. "The committee had
several meetings in which were proposed
the articles Of which the Declaration was
to consist, and minutes were made ofthem.
The committee then appointed Mr.. JefFer-
son aud me to draw them up in form, and
clothe them in a proper dress. The sub
committee met and considered the minutes,
making such observations on them as
occurred" He goes on to say that Jeffer-
son desired him to make the draft which
he declined for several reasons, the last
of which is, Il had great opinion of the
elegance Of his pen, and none at all Of my
own" In letter to Timothy Pickering,
dated the 9th of August, 1922, as to the
origin of the Declaration of Independence,
he expressed the same recollections, and
says that Jefferson said, aWell, If you are
decided, I will do as well as / can !" ard
he replied, "yery well, when you have
drawn it up, we viii have a meeting
He goes on IA meeting we accordingly
had, and conned the paper over. / was
delighted with its high tone and the
flights of oratory with which it abounded,
especially that concerning negro slavery,
which, though / knew his Southern
brethern would never suffer to pass in
Congress, | certainly never would oppose.
There were other expressions which ]
would not have inserted, If / had drawn it
up, particularly that which called the
King tyrant. | thought this too personal,
for never believed George to be tyrant
in disposition and in nature; / always
believed him to be deceived by his courtiers
on both sides of the Atlantic, and in his
official capacity only, cruel. / thought
the expression too passionate, and too
much like scolding, for so grave and
solemn a document, but as Franklin and
Sherman were to inspect it afterward, !
thought it would not become me to strike
ii out / consented to report it, and do
not now remember that / made or sug-
gested single alteration. We reported
il to the committee Of FIVE. It was read,
and do not remember that Franklin or
Sherman criticized anything. We were
all in haste, Congress was impatient, and
the instrument was reported, as ! believe,
in Jeiferson's handwriting, as he first drew
it. Congress- cut off about quarter oft,
as expected they would, but they oblit-
Grated some Of the best Of it, and left all
that was Objectionable, If anything in it
was. l have long wondered that the
original draft has not been pablished. /
suppose the reason Is the vehement philip
pic against negro slavery" Benson ].
LOSING in his Lives Of those Signers, gives
the original draft, and this letter to Rich
ard Henry Lee, four days after.
PmIADELrHIA, July s, I776.
"DRAR Sm For news, refer you to your
brother, who writes on that head. | enclose
you a copy Of the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, as agreed to by the House, and also as
originally framed; you viii judge whether It
is the better or the worse for the critics. j
shall return to Virginia after the llth of
August, wish my successor may be certain
to come before that time in that case, I
shall hope to see you, and not Wythe, in
convention, that the business Of Government,
which Is Of everlasting concern, may receive
your aid. Adieu, and believe me to be,
Your friend and servant,
Thomas. JEFFERsos.
To Richard Henry Leo, ESQ.,
Webster, in bis discourse on tho Lives
and Services Of John Adams and Thomas
jefferson, talks in this wise The merit
Of this paper is Mr.. Jefferson's. Some
changes were made in it at the saggs stion
of other members Of the committee, and
Others by Congress, while it was under
discussion, But none of them altered the
tone, the frame, the arrangement, or the
general character Of the instrument. AS
a composition, the Declaration Is Mr.
Jeiferson's. II Is the production Of his
mind, and the high honor Of il belongs to
him clearly and absolutely. To say that
he performed his great work well, would
be doing him injustice. To say that he