, 1876-07-30

al.rfion of even good q Democrat rs nr. IT'LL
III f'c p.ohable consequences, deprive Mr. Con-
WIS letter Of the weight it might otherwise carry.
II will probably convince very few who were not
convinced be1pEc.
And now, in this very Centennial year, it is
discovered that JEFFERSON didn't write the
Drf3arstion OF Independence and that, when he
claimed be did, he simply stole the laurels that
should haye decked the grave Of Tom PAINE.
That is what the writer of an elaborate article
1,nou tie subject in the Washington Chronicle
has discoycrcu. He recalls that JEFFERSON, in
none OF his contcmporancous correspondence
or other writings, sc: up any claim to the au-
thorship Of the Declaration. In 1903, in answer
to a proposition for the publication Of his works,
hr avoided the question BY putting that immor-
tai instrument in the category Of the acts Of
publc bodies" to which s'therc can be no per-
sousl clain.'' In 1919 he again published his
notes made On the spot as to the framing Of the
Declaration, but therein made no claim or &C
acknowledgement that he was its author. In 1Sol,
upon tic same subject, he wrote:
The Committee for drawing the Declaration Of
Independence desired me to do it. It was accord
insly done; and. being approved by them, report
cd it tu the House.
In 1928, twelve years after PAISE's death,
JEFFERSON said, ~ drew it," and, two years
later, within twelve mouths of his death, he
wrote that he stdrafted" it. In the original
draft was rcmonstrance against sending "not
only soldiers Of our common blood, but Scotch
and foreign mercenaries, to invade and destroy
us" which clause was stricken out, as JEFFER-
SON stated, because " it excited the ire Of gen.
tleman or two Of that country" But in at
tempting to quote that very clause it is remarked
that JEFFERSON quotes it inaccuratcly, as
sScotch and other foreign auxiliaries,'' an
error which, had he written the original, he
c ,uld scarce have fallen into. The ideas of the
Declaration, 1t Is also noted, are identical with
those that pcryadc PA1SE's cage Of Reason"
to the style OF which the Declaration more near
" conforms than to that OF any of JEFFERsoS's
writings before or since The argument that
PAINE, and not JEFFERSON, wrote the Dcclara-
ton, for the rest, is analogous to that by
which the authorship of SHA11sPEARE IS
attributed to BACON, that PAINE was the
only American of that time who could have
written it. But against this all is the fact that
the ideas pervading the Declaration we're not
peculiar to either PAINE or JEFFERSON, but
were current III both Europe and America at
that time; that the style of that instrument,
while precise, strong, harmonious, and glowing,
is not such as was above the capacity OF many
writer's Of that time when dealing with such
theme; and. above all, that JEFFERSON him
self, whose vcracity was unimpeachablc in his
time, III bis statement, pledges himself to
Heaven for tho truth Of bis assertion that he
.sdrew" the Declaration, which phrase, rs he
used it, meant that he was its author.
The father OF CHARLEY Ross isn't writing his
book about the case for the sake Of making
speculation out Of his misfortune. But, in his
prolonged and bootless search for the boy, he
has exhausted all his fortune and drawn large
ly upon the resources Of his friends. At the
same time, all the clews obtained indicate that
the lad is probably yet alive, in the possession
Of confederates Of the burglars MosHER and
DOUGLASS, shot while breaking into house.
That being the case, he would be worse even
than specu1ator in his own misfortnnes If he
gave up the search; and it is to raise money to
prosecute it the more vigorously that he pro-
poses to publish the book, every dollar realized
from which he will devote to that purpose. He
proposes also to use the book to facilitate, if
possible, the discovery Of the boy, by giving
full and minute description Of him and OF the
several parties who are believed to have him
now in hiding, and by awakening interest in the
matter to thus put the whole public on the look
out for him and them. Those well informed
about the case are still confident that CHARLEY
Is within short distance Of Boston in conceal
ment with the woman to whom he was given by
the partner Of M0sHER and DOUGLASS.
The British Consul in New York, in his official
report to the British Foreign Office, speaking Of
the decline in trade between Great Britain and
America, says:
NrT&$n 1n&o
Increasing competition in the United States in
tacse Two branches OF industry [iron and cottonl,
as we'll as in fabrics OF silk In regard to cotton
nearly cheaply as in England but for certain
9nalites Of goods manufactured IN come OF the
Aew York and Scw England mills. decided pref,
shlrtinEs Of Manchester But with stimulated
production wages in the United States:W Doubt
!ess advance, indirectly owing in small degreet
1he increased expcuae Of living, caused by the
aeavy protective duties TO which American manu-
IacfuEcrs 80 tenscouey cling, and this element in
the cost OF production u'iH tend to Diminish TIE
force Of TIE competition with which British manu-
1ecturcrs will have to contend and giEe kea tet-
nence-
1he etiquette OF the kitchen, according tothe
LONDON World, daily grows more complicated
a "ell-known noblcman recently engaged
eook, who gave him warning ut the end Of two
or three days because she A)und that he dealt at
co-opczatiyc stores. lie accepted the notice,
aud Informed her she could go at the end OF her
month. She insisted on leaving at once, as she
could not remain in the house with people who
Gid such things'' Upon this his L ordslip as
serted his legal claim, and made her pay him
months wages, which lie sent to St. Georges
Hospital.
NAsT's doub1e-ended Democratic Confederate
tiger, which appears in Uarper's Weekly, is
truthful, though laughable, representation Of
mat party on the currency question. The
Chlcago Times aud old BILL STOREY pull with
Inc I1LDES hard-shcll end, and WASH MCLEAN
ono his Cincinnati Enquirer tug ut the HEN
DR1cKs soft-shell end OF the animal, which is
nearly pulled in two. Between them tue tiger
Is IN predicament.
PERSONAL.
The London 4Athennum OF the 18th announced
tne dangerous illness OF DR.. Hans Won GuloW.
The presence OF Prof. Swing and daughter ut the