The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-11-21
A SHATTERED IDOL.
Independence Day was not Fourth Of July.

; Independence Day was not Fourth Of July.
| In the course Of his recent speech in
Dover upon the occasion of the unveil-
ing Of q monument to Caesar Rodney,
ex-Secretary Bayard read hitherto
unpublished letter from Thomas Nc
Kean to Caesar Augustus Rodney, ne
phew of Caesar Rodney. 1t was dated
August %, 1918, and recounted how
Rodney's timely arrival at Indepen-
dence Hall on July 4, 1776, after having
ridden hard and fast all the way from
Dover, had prevented the dangerous
consequences that might have attended
the dissensions of a single State, and
had in fact saved the Declaration of In
dependence from being tabled or post
poned. The letter continued in the
following interesting fashion:
"Now that 7 am on this subject, I
will tell you some truths not generally
known. In the printed public journal
of Congrese for 1776, Volume 2, it
would appear that the Declaration Of
Independence was signed on July 4th
by the members whose names are there
inserted, but the fact is not so; for no
person signed it on that day nor for
many days after, and among the names
inscribed one was against it-Mr. Read
and seven were not IN Congress on
that day, namely. Messrs. Morris, Rush,
Clymer, Smith, Taylor and Ross Of
Pennsylvania, and Mr.. Thornton of
New Hampshire, nor were the six gen.
tlemen last named at that time men,
bers; the five for Pennsylvania were
appointed delegates by the convention
of that State on July Goth, and Mr..
Thornton entered Congress for the first
time on November 4, following, when
the names of Henry Wisner, Of New
York, and Thomas Mexican, of Della
ware, not printed as subscribers, though
both were present and voted for lnde-
pendence. Here false colors are certain
ly hung out; there is culpability some
where. What can offer as an apology
or explanation is that on July 4, 1776,
the Declaration Of Independence was
ordered to be engrossed in parchment,
and then to be signed, and I have been
told that a resolve had passed few
days after and was entered on the secret
journal, that no person should have a
seat in Congress during that year, un-
til he should have signed the declara-
ton, in order, as have been given to
understand, to prevent traitors or spies
from worming themselves among US.
was not in Congress after the Fourth
for some months, having marched with
my regiment >ofzassociates of this city,
as colonel, to support GeneraEWash-
ington until flying camp of 10000
men was completed. When the asso-
ciators were discharged I returned to
Philadelphia, took my seat in Congress,
and then signed the declaration on
parchment. Two days after I went TO
New Castle, joined the convention for
forming constitution for the future
government of the State Of Delaware,
having been elected member Of New
Castle County, which wrote in a tav-
ern without book or any assistance.
You may rely on the accuracy Of the
foregoing relation. It is full time to
print and publish the secret journal Of
Congress during the revolution. I have
thus answered your request, and trust
it may reform errrors."
The Date Of the Declaration.
From the Philadelphia Press, Nov. 81
Prof, John B. McMaster, the histo-
rian, was asked last night for his views
Of the letter of Thomas Mexican that
was read by Ex-Secretary Bayard at the
unveiing of the monument to Cesar
Rodney on Wednesday, Mr.. McMaster
said: "There is nothing in the letter
that was not already Known. 1t is well
,r1nown that the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence was adopted on July 2 and
was read to the public from the State
House steps on July i, and so became
a public docum ent. 1t was not at that
time signed by all the colonial delegates,
for the reason, among others, that sew
eral of them were waiting for further
instructions from their respective col
onies. 1t was signed after these instruc-
tions had been given. The secret jour
nails of the Continental Congress have
quite all been published in fragments.
What remains of them are on deposit
in the State department at Washing
ton, and their contents are we'll known.
1t seems to me that Congress ought to
make an appropriation to have them
all printed, together with letters and
other man uscripts throwing additional
light on the subject. The journals are
now, of course, necessarily imperfect.
The sessions of the Congress were pri-
vate. Nobody was admitted except
members, unless by leave, and only
record of proceedings was made that
would be safe. The journals were also
partly burned when the British were
in Washington in 1914, and afterward
by an accidental fire.