National Republican., 1876-07-04


Thomas jefferson, on whom the choice by
common consent fell.
Jefferson thus sums up the result: 'It ap-
"pearing in the course Of these debates that
"the colonies OF New York, New Jersey, Penn
"sylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and South
Carolina were not yet matured for falling
"from the parent stem, but that they were
fast advancing to that state, 1t was thought
"prudent to wait while for them"
To secure unanimity, postponement of the
Resolution of Independence was agreed to till
the first day Of July. Two days later, June
10, a committee of one delegate from each
colony was appointed to report the form of
confederation, ard another committee of five
delegates was chosen to prepare a plan of
treaties to be proposed to foreign Powers.
The Three WeekS9T Suspense Preceding the
Declaration.-The history of those three weeks
while the nation was waiting for the Fourth
of July to come witnessed clouds of peril and
disaster closing around thicker than ever.
From the North news came that the fragments
of the Arnold and Montgomery expeditions
were being driven out of Canada. Admiral
Howe with his feet, and General Howe with
his army, composed of regulars, Hessians,
Hanoverians, Tories and Indians, were
"plundering and numbering, while the king
twas amusing distressed people with the
"sound of commissioners crying peace when
''there was no peace"
Loyalists were arming all through Della
ware, New Jersey and New York. "Anxiety
"and apprehension invaded every breast.
"Eyery popular assembly, every religious con-
"gregation, every scene of social intercourse,
'or of domestic privacy and retirement, was
"scene of deliberation on the public calamity
''and the impending danger"
The Commander in Chief was without money
or suffit lent military supplies. The Colonies
were in political chaos ; and to give any con-
ception to men now living of the awful sus-
pense that hung over the nation during those
long three weeks which intervered between the
appointment OF the Committee to draft the
Declaration of Independence, and its final
adoption, is an utter impossibility. But twelve
of the United COlonies-as they now called
themselves-had authorized their representa-
tives to unite in making the Declaration, for
as Judge Drayton said from the bench of
Charleston, in a charge the 18th of the fol-
lowing October: "Such a declaration was of
"right to be made only by the General Con-
" "gress, because the united voice and strength
"of America were necessary to give desira-
BILE credit and prospect of stability to a de-
"clared state of total separation from Great
" Britain. A decree has now gone forth, not
"to be recalled and thus has suddenly risen
" in the world new empire, styled the United
Estates of America"
Tie Morning Of the Fourth Of July, 11i6.-It
broke in all the splender of midsummer, and
the day closed more gloriously, for at sunset
the great bell on tie Hall of Independence was
to ring out its peals as gladly as If hailing a
festival of victory, instead of proclaiming a
crusade of struggle and blood. And well it
might, for the day was full of the inspiration
of hope; its founders had cast on the bell it
self an inscription which bade 1t "Proclainl
" Liberty throughout the land unto all the i,.haJ-
"tants thereof" The Congress had met at
ten O'Clock, and after the usual preliminaries
proceeded to the order of the day.
Some new members of Congress were pres
ent for the first time; among them Richard
Stockton, of New Jersey, who was so impor-
tunate in his demand for the question to be
further discussed that the. House exclaimed,
'sLet the gentleman be gratified, and now we
have a CLEAN of light on those proceedings.
In letter to Mrs. Mercy Warren, dated
Quincy, 1907, published by rockingham in
his "Rise of the Republic for the first time,
Mr.. Adams says: "All was silence; no one
would speak; all eyes were turned upon
me-" Mr.. Edward Rutledge came to me and
said laughing: "Nobody will speak but you
"upon this subject; you have all your topics so
'ready, you must satisfy the gentleman from
"New jersey" He further adds that "some-
'what confused at this personal appeal,
"rose and began. This is the first time in my
''life when 1 seriously wished for the genius
"and eloquence of the celebrated orators of
"Athens and Rome, called in this unexpected
"and unprepared manner to exhibit all the
arguments in favor of a measure, the most
" important in my judgment that had ever
" been discussed in civil or political society.
81 had no art or oratory to exhibit: and could
" produce nothing but simple reason and plain
" common sense. l felt myself oppressed by
" the weight of the subject, and l believe if
" Demosthenes or Cicero had ever been called
" would have relied on his own talents without
" a supplication to Minerva and sacrifice to
" Mercury or the god of Eloquence.' Mr..
Adams adds that when the Able Raynal after
wards requested him to furnish him with any
speeches he had publ lished or delivered he as
sured the Able that he had never published or
written speech in his life made in any public
assembly. That he did not wish that any one
he had ever delivered should be preserved in
form, excepting the one made upon the ques-
tion of Independence but of even that speech
he had no minutes himself of what he said,
and that no part of It had ever been published.
Jefferson had been requested to prepare the
first draft, and when he presented it to Adams
and Franklin it was his own work: neither
the order nor the substance Of 1t was impaired
by the few alterations they made.
Final Adoption of the Deeldrdtioa.-The
question before the House was on the adoption
of the paper which lay upon the table, with
the alterations, and finally, as the sun was
about setting, and the question, "Sh9ll the
Declaration now pass 7" was put by the Presi-
dent, the clear, firm aye rose as one voice.
The Secretary laid the greatest State paper in
the history of human government upon the
desk of the President, and 1t received the
bold, eternal autograph Of John Hancock.
The Declaration went forth authenticated
by John Hancock, as President, and Charles
Thompson, as Secretary. 1t had received the
vote OF every Colony except New York, its
delegates not having the authority at that
moment to act. But in the new Convention of
that State, on the 9th of July, it was referred
to committee, of which John Jay was chair
man, and this committee, without delay, re-
ported resolutions pronouncing the reasoning
of the Declaration cogent and conclusive, and
that the convention were resolved "to support
it with their fortunes and their lives" Itwas
adopted, and declared to be the act of the
representatives of the State of New York; and
thus the Declaration became the act of all the
United Colonies.
From the Journals of the Congress we learn
that on the 10Th of July it was resolved
That the Declaration passed ON the Fourth
"be fairly engrossed on parchment, with the
" title and style of The Unanimous Declara-
" 'tion of the Thirteen United States of Amer
" 'ica,' and that the same, when engrossed, be
" signed by every member of Congress" The