The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1903-03-16
AN ORIGINAL DRAFT.
Tho First Manuscript of the Declare
tiun Of Independence In Phlla-
delphia.

Tho First Manuscript Of the Declara-
ton of Independence In Phlla-
delphia
The original DRIFT Of the Declaration
Of independence is not in the state de-
partment at Washington, as the guil3
books say and most people believe, but
in the library of the American Philo~
sophical Society of Philadelphia. The
parchment at the State department is
the official draft. containing the COR
reetions made in Jeiferson's original
manuscript by the committee and by
Tie continental congress. The original
draft, which was submitted for the
approval of the committee by Mr.. JET
ierson, was presented by him on the Sd
Of July, 1776. to Richard Henry Lee,
dean OF the Virginia delegation ID the
continental congress, who made the
motion for a committee to draw up o
declaration of independence from
Great Britain. 1t was accompanied by
q letter from Mr.. Jefferson reciting the
circumstances under which the docu-
mont was written, and acknowledging
MI. Lees prominent part in the great
announcement. Both the letter and
the draft remained in Lees family duI
ing the next two generations, whom his
great t-grandson, also Richard Henry
Lee. gave it to the American Philo-
sophical society. of which both Mr..
Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were
presidents. 1T consists of four closely
written pages of white foolscap, twelve
and one-half by eight inches in size
with very few erasures, and some bad
spelling
There are six copies in Mr.. Jeffer-
sons handwriting:
i. The official draft in the depart
ment of state containing the correc-
tions and amendments made by don
sress.
2. The original at Philadelphia,
which have just described.
9. A rough copy of the original draft
made for James Madison. which was
purchased by congress with the other
Madison papers several years ago, and
is retained in the archives Of the state
department
q. a rough copy made for Jefiersons
autobiography and purchased by con
gress many years ago with the other
Jefferson papers from his granddaugh-
ter, Mrs Randolph.
S. a copy of the official draft, con-
tanning the corrections and amend
ments believed to have been sent By
the author to John Page, an old friend.
once governor of Virginia. In some
manner unknown it came into posses
sion OF the Lee family. and was sold
in 1857 by Cassius i. Lee Of Alex
andria to Elliott Danforth Of New
York, and afterward sold by the latter
to the Lenox library. u may now te
seen in that library, corner Of Fifth
avenue and Seventy-second street
6. A mutilated copy Of the original
draft now in possession Of Mrs. Wash
burn. Boston. This is one of the soy
eral copies made by Mr.. jefferson f0r /
the information Of his friends.
The copy sent to Governor Page he's /
been partially identified. Other copies /
were sent to George Wythe Of VIII /
liamsburg. Mr. Jenerson's preceptof in /
law: to Edmund Pendlet0n, who was
associated with him in revising the
code Of virginia, and 10 Philip Mazzei, /
an Italian patriot and exile, who came
to live in Virginia and afterward went
TO Europe as an emissary from the
American colonies to borrow money
and arouse sympathy. The latter pre-
senfad his copy 10 the Countess de
Tesse Of Paris. and 4 IS now in one Of
the museums in that city Washing
ton letter