Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-04
How the Declaration was Signed.

y
zine William l.. Stone discusses t"The
Declaration of Independence in New
Light" and contributes some information
which, if known before, has undoubtedly
been forgotten by nine out of ten persons
The popular conception Of the reyered
document. to which Mr.. Stone apprOpri-
ately alludes as "a shrine almost of WOr-
ship at the present day." is that it was
drawn up in solemn and stately form, and
after being duly submitted to the in
spectiOn of the august body of dele
gates, was signed by each of them with
becoming dignity and impressiveness.
Nothing" it would seem from Mr.
Stones article, ''cOuld be further from that
which actually took place. Very few of
the delegates, if indeed any, signed the
original document on the 18th. and none
signed the present one now in Indepen-
dence Hall. for the very good reason that
it was not then IN existence" The fact
is, very little seems to be known about
the original declaration adopted on the
4th of July. 1116, and it was either lost or
destroyed. Congress itself gave the mat
ter slight attention at the time, attach
ing premier importance to the resolution
passed two days before declaring the
united colonies free and Independent
States, and absOlyed from all allegiance
TO the British crown. This was the real
=
rather than July /, is the actual natal
day of the republic; but the passage of
the esOlutiOn of independence was not
made public until the formal declaration
had been prepared, adopted and read to
the people. 1t was of the ID of July. and
not Of the 4th, that John Adams oft-quoted
words were written, in a letter from
Philadelphia to his wife:
''The second day of July, 1916, will be
the most memorable epoch in the history
of America. l am apt to believe that it
Will be celebrated by succeeding genera
tiOns as the great anniversary fcStiUdl
be sOlemniZed with pOmp and parade.
with shows, games, sports, guns. bon
fires and illuminatiOns from one end of
the continent to the other, from this time
fOrevermOre. 1t ought also to be COM
memOrated as the Day of Deliverance by
solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.
Through all the gloom l can see
the rays Of ravishing light and glory;
and prosperity Will triumph in this days
Transactions
POsterity has justified the sturdy old
patriots fondest hopes, but the centre of
national rejOicings and popular interest is
not the day that John Adams eulOgized so
rapturOusly. though his letter is usually
regarded as referring to July 4. Mr..
Stone explains the transpOsitiOn of senti-
ment from the earlier TO the later day by
apprOvingly citing the words of another:
aThere was nothing i'm the phrasing
of the resolution to cause it to
live in the popular memory, whilst
there was everything in the Declaration
TO give it a vital hold upon the
affections of the American people," which
Is undoubtedly true. So, though none
of the statesmen of that mOmentOus period
fOresaw it, and while Jefferson, the framer
of the declaration, never allowed the lat
ter to ONershadOw in Importance the
former. vet the splendid, manly and fear
less eIOqUence Of the declaration has cap
tiYated the sense Of the people, quite dis
placed the resolution OF independence
from the popular mind, and made the 4th
instead OF the I'd Of July the national an
niversary.
But to return to the signing of the Dec
laratiOn. Mr. Stone shows that the pres
ent venerated document was ordered en-
crossed by Congress July 19, 1T76. The
engrOssed parchment was presented
August ,. and the delegates who were
then present signed it. Many were absent,
and some did not sign it for a cOnsidera-
ble time afterward. Matthew Thornton,
of New Hampshire, signed itin November,
when he was first admitted-he had not
been present at the passage Of the Origi-
nal. Thomas Mexican, of Delaware,
did not sign until January, l777.
In fact, the engrossed document
came to be- a sort of test oath, which
all members were required to
sign before entering Congress. AS
evidence OF the little Importance attached
TO signing the first declaration, Mr.. Stone
relates that though Robert II. Livingston,
Of this state. was one Of the five that re-
ported the declaration, yet he did not
sign il, unless his signature was lost with
the original document. Mr.. Stone also
reprOduces letter from Thomas Mokean,
of Delaware, written in 1913. stating the
facts substantially as here given, and
adding that among the names subscribed
to the present declaration are those of Mr..
Reed, who voted against it. and seven
others. whom he mentions, who were not
present when it was adopted,
Thus il will be seen that the common
understanding to which history and art
notably in the case of TrumbulFs famous
picture in the rOtunda of the capitol at
Washington have ministered, is very
wide of the truth, with reference to the
facts, though il has made no mistake as
to the principles involved ia the celebra-
tfOn f Independence Day.