Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-11
JOHN DICKINSON
The Alleged Author OF the Declaration
of Independence.

DIR. George H. Moore, superintendent of
the Lennox Library, read paper before the
New York Historical Society on Tuesday
evening last, upon the Declaration OF indie
pendence, which he said was not written by
Thomas Jefferson, but by John Dickinson.
Mr.. Moore sketched the life OF Dickinson
from his youth in the Society OF Friends up
to his manhood in Congress and in the Revo-
lutionary army and said he was one oil the
most able, alert, and fervid advoc ltes of his
country's rights. DIR. Moore then set before
his hearers John Dickinson's positive aver
ment that the declaration, on taking up arms
in ITS, and all the other papers included In
the publication of his political writings,
were composed by him, and added that there
was no other claimant until twenty-five years
after John Dickinson's death. The ques-
ton of the authorship OF the Declaration OF
Independence" DIR. Moore continued, lis not
a very complicated one. There is only one
adverse claimant, and his pretense is
only to a part of the work. But
his reputation ia of the highest, and the part
he claims was said to be the best | propose
to settle this question now and here. Bat II
any further defense is needed j Will defend
against all corners the absolute, sole, and I'M
divided claim of John Dickinson to that I'M
perishable trophy of his pen, the original
draft of which, in his own handwriting, l
hold in my hand and shall further exhibit
hereafter" Dr. Moore went on to cite
proofs of the genuineaess OF Dlcklnson's
claim, and then quoted the following from
the memoirs of Jefferson, began by the
great Democrat in 1911, IN the seventy
seventh year of his age: 81 took my seat
with them on the 2lst Of June. On the 24th
a committee who had been appointed to pre-
pare declaration OF the cause OF taking up
arms brought in their report-drawn, | be-
lieve, by j ..Rutledge-which not being liked
the House committed it ON the 10th, and
added Mr.. Dickinson and myself to the COM
mittee. prepared draft OF the declara-
ton committed TO US. 1t WAS too strong Tor
Mr. Dickinson. We therefore requested him
to take the paper and put it into form he
could approve. He did so, preparing an en-
tire new statement, and preserving of the
former only the last four paragraphs
and half of the preceding one. We
approved and reported it to Congress, who
accepted it," After quotinglJ efferson as TO
the imperfect memory of aged men, DIR.
Moore exhibited the original draft of the de-
claration, and said that no person but the
author himself ever had a hand in prepar-
ing that document. 1t is in the handwriting
of John Dickinson, and the corrections, ad-
ditions, interlineations and revisions, in
number, extent, position and character, for-
bid the supposition that he copied any part
of the paper from a draft of Mr.. Jefferson
or any other person. 1t is the original first
draft of the whole, and the proof OF IT is in no
portion of the whole more conspicuous and
certain than in the "last four paragraphs
and half OF the preceding one" claimed by
Mr.. jefferson. In closing, DR.. Moore pleas,
antly raped George Bancroft's knuckles, in
timating that the great historian had &C
cepted er-pdrte testimony and jumped 10
a hasty conclusion. Those who examined
the original draft of the declaration, which
was exhibited after the lecture, concurred
with Dr. Moore as 10 the parts claimed by
Iefferaou ..s.-