Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-04
OLD ISSUE REVIVED
Question of Declaration of
independence.
DATE OF SIGNATURES
GOV. McKEAN's LETTER TO JOHN
ADAMS.
Not All Unity as to Wisdom Of Action
Question Of Secret
Journal.
DATE OF SIGNATURES

A letter found in the correspondence OF
Governor Thos. Mexican of Delaware, who
was a member of the continental congress
and one of the signers of the Declaration
of independence, and the articles Of con-
federation and the last survivor of the first
congress of the colonies in 1765, addressed
to John Adams a fellow patriot tends to
dispel the popular idea that the Declare
ton of Independence was adopted en-
crossed and signed on the same day. 1t
also shows that the people of the colonies
were not unit on the subject of indie
pendence and the revolution, and a re-
spectacle minority was not represented by
the signers of the immortal document.
The letter says:
ION the list OF July, 1776, the question
was taken in the committee of the whole
Congress, when Pennsylvania, represent
ed by seven members, then present, voted
against it, to 3. Among the majority
were Robert Morris and John Dickinson
Delaware thaving only two present
namely, myself and Mr.. Redd) was di-
vided; all the other states voted in favor
of 1t. The report was delayed until the
4th, and in the meantime l sent ex-
press for Caesar Rodney to Dover in the
county of Kent in Delaware. at my pri-
vate expense, whom l met at the state
house door on the 4th of July, in his
DOotS. ne IeSlueO eighty HlIcS from tuc
city and just arrived Congress met
The question was taken. Delaware voted
In favor of independence; Pennsylvania
(there being only five members present
Messrs. Dickinson and Morris absenO
voted also for it; Messrs. Willing and
HUMPHREYS were against it, Thus the thir-
teen states were unanimous in favor of
independence. Notwithstanding this, in
the printed public journal of Congress for
1776, volume 2. it appears that the Decla-
ration of Independence was declared on
the Fourth of July, 1916, by the gentle
men whose names are there inserted !;
whereas no person signed it on that day,
and among the names there inserted one
gentleman, namely, George Reid esq,
was not in favor of it; and seven were
not in Congress on that day, namely,
Messrs. Morris, Rush. Climer, Smith, Tay-
lor and Ross, all of Pennsylvania and
Mr. Thornton of New Hampshire; nor
were the six gentlemen last named mem
berS of Congress on the Fourth of July
me hve for Pennsylvania were appointed
delegates by the convention of that state
on the 10th of July, and Mr.. Thornton
took his seat in Congress for the first
time on the 4th of November following;
New York and Thomas Mexican of Della
ware are not printed as subscribers
though both were present in Congress on
the Fourth of July and voted for indie
pendence.
An Alleged Explanation.
Here false colors are certainly. hung
out. What 1 have heard as an explana-
ton is as follows: When the declaration
was voted, it was ordered to be engrossed
on parchment, and then signed, and that
a few days afterward resolution was
entered on the secret journal sthat no per-
son should have a seat in Congress dur
ing that year until he should have signed
the Declaration of Independence After
the attn of July was not In Congress Cor
several months, having marched with
regiment OF associations as colonel to sup
port General Washington until the flying
camp of ten thousand men was completed.
When the associations were discharged
returned to Philadelphia. took my seat in
congress and signed my name to the decla-
ration on parchment. This transact
should be truly stated, and then the secret
journal should be made public. In the
manuscript journal Mr.. Pickering, then
Secretary of State, and myself saw a print
ed half sheet of paper with names of the
members afterward in the printed journal
stitched in. We examined the parchment
where my name is signed in my own ha nd
writing"
Quotes From Mr.. Adams.
In the same letter Colonel Mexican quotes
from Mr.. Adams: II venture to say that
about one-third of the people of the colo
MES were against the revolution" And as
will be seen he more than corroborates
him. He writes:
1T required much reflection before I
could fix my opinion this subject, but
on mature elaboration 1 concluded you are
right, and that more than a third of in
fuent1al characters were against it. The
opposition consisted chiefly of the Friends
or Quakers the Menonists. the Protestant
Episcopalians, whose clergy received sal
aries from the society for thus propagating
the gospel in foreign parts, and from Off
GERS of the crown and proprietors of prov
inces, with their connections. adding the
timid and those who believed the colonies
would be conquered and that, of course,
they would be safe in their persons and
property from such conduct and also have
the probability of obtaining office and dis
Gnction, and also the disconnected and
capricious Of all grades
Still Another Letter
In another letter to Mr.. Adams Col.
Mexican wrote:
ITO form an opinion that majority of
the people Of Pennsylvania were against.
the American revolution was not uncom-
mon, especially by strangers. The mistake
arose from the circumstance of large
majority Of their representatives and civil
officers being in the opposition. This state
was first settled by a colony of Quakers,
their proprietor and governor, William
Penn, being at the head Of the sect. They
had the entire government rule of Penn
sylvania from 1852 to 1716. by the follow
ing means: The province was in the be-
ginning divided Into three counties, Phila-
delphia, Chester and Bucks, and when the
three lower counties in Delaware (now
state of Delaware) separated from them in
17OO each. county had eight members in
the legislature, and the city, having been
Incorporated and inhabited chiefly by that
sect. was allowed two. Eight other coun-
ties were erected prior to the revolution,
and were allowed some two, some
but one representative, SO that in all
they had but ten. although, If they had
founded the representation according to the
number of human beings in district or coun-
ty, the Quakers would have been greatly
overruled. even adding all the tories or
enemies Of the revolution to their number.
THE voice Of the representatives was not
the voice of the people, as is the case with
the British parliament. The three Quaker
counties, having twenty-four members In
assembly, made all the laws. They gave
great trouble to the wings, but they were
kept under by fear as well as by superior
numbers. From that day the people called
Friends have ceased to rule Pennsylvania
They foresaw the consequences Of an equal
representation as 1t would affect them
selves, and this was their principal aver
sion to change in the form of our gov
eminent as a body, though many individ-
uals Of their society differed with them
and became active good citizens"
The War of 1912.