Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-04

July = and Its Relation 90 the Declsr
alton OF independence.

/ alton OF Independence.
There are those who assert as historical
/ truth that the day we celebrate" July 4
plumes itself with more feathers Of the
eagle than the event warrants. one writer
IN Harper's Magazine insists that July Is
the proper date TO celebrate the immortal
declaration. other July dates have been
claimants for come Of the honors and that
they possess equal rights with the Fourth
| Ia not to be discussed seriously The
| Declaration OF Independence was agreed TO
In the continental congress in Philadelphia
| July T. 1T76 and 80 there is no occasion for
| Tightening the lid on our exuberant ex-
liberation. What was done on July 2
was to agree to resolutions of independ-
ence as framed originally by Richard
Henry Lee OF Virginia
But that the declaration adopted on July
was then formally engrossed and signed.
or even agreed to by all Of the thirteen
/ colonies, says the Springfield Republican.
is shown to be untrue in a volume recently
published by the Macmillan company, writ
ten by Herbert Friedenwald, entitled
THE Declaration Of Independence; an In
depreciation and Analysis"
Jefferson himself has recorded that after
the declaration had been agreed to Il was
signed by every member present except
/ Mr.. Dickinson The declaration itself
! goes to sustain this assertion, for II Is
headed, I'm congress, July 4, l71e.' and Is
! said to be 1.-THE unanimous declaration OF
the thirteen United States OF America
/ But II is here shown beyond all power OF
dlsputing not only that the document was
not signed on July T. but that, as the
New York delegates had no power to act
! at the time. It was not unanimously
adopted or proclaimed on that day, and In
this connection It may be worth observing
that the familiar tradition Of the ringing
Of the bell Of Independence hall in Phila-
delphia on that day to make loud the
proclamation OF independence is a legend
without the faintest show Of authority.
30 the bell has OF late years been golng
| round the country under a measure OF
false pretension.
These are matters Of interest IL not i'm
| poTtance. The facts as here brought out.
| though not altogether for the first time,
are that had the declaration been signed
| on July T. and had the signatures been
confined to members OF the congress pres
ent, quite a different list Of names would
now stand appended to the document, and
they would have numbered not more than
forty-nine. and possibly only forty-five, in
stead OF the ffty-six which appear on the
forty-hve members we're present on that
day. and their identity is known. and the
four others needed to make up the full
membership roll OF the thirteen colonies
may have been present, but left no certain
trace OF being so.
II is made pretty clear from the printed
records of the time that the declaration
was adopted on July 4, with the votes of
the New York members lacking for want
OF authority; that on July Is the New
York members passed in their approval;
that on July 10 1t was decided TO engrogs
the document on parchment and to have
II signed by every member Of the congress
after being engrossed. and the secret
journal OF the congress. first published
In 1871, records that the signing took place
on August q lT76, when the Declaration
of Independence being engrossed and COM
pared at the table, was signed by the
members" Thus the Declaration as sent
out to the colonies and read to the soldiers
Immediately after July was lacking sigma
lures. and 1t was not until January of the
following year that congress agreed to a
publication OF an authentic copy with the
signatures attached
It 10 the conclusion of this author that
the matter OF having the Declaration signed
by the men who promulgated IL came as a
kind Of afterthought, and that secrecy was
maintained for some time thereafter in
the possible idea OF protecting the signers
should the British government succeed In
suppressing the revolt, in which case, as
Franklin had said, they would all hang
separately even though they had hung to-
gether But II the fathers ever had any
such purpose in mind they did not cling to
It long. for congress published the sigma.
lures in January, III.
The evidence all goes to show that the
signing of the document extended ovel
quite a little period Of time, and did no
take place altogether on August or any
other day. Seven men who were presen
in congress on July never signed at all
seven men whose names do appear ap
pended to the document were not members
Of congress on July T. Some Of the mer
J who signed are known not to have beer
: in Philadelphia on August 2. and the con
} clusion is, accordingly. that the signing
, did not begin until that date, that Il ex
tended beyond August 2, as the convenience
: OF members dictated. and that 1t included
quite a number who had no part in adopt
: ing the Declaration Only a few Of tn
signers furthermore, seem to have appre
ciated the Importance OF getting theI
I names alta ched to this immortal document
J never dreaming that It was to obtain tn
! place II has in the literature and politic
OF the world. But there were some VIII
: did. Elbridge Gerry OF Massachusetts, wa
one. Bad health compelled him TO leav
Philadelphia twelve days after the adoption
OF the Declaration, but he continued nnx
ious about the signing for on July 2l
! writing from Kingsbridge, n. Y, to Johl
and Samuel Adams, he said Pray sub
scribe for me We Declaration OF Independ
ency IL we same is to be signed as pro
posed think we ought to have ye priv
ilege, when necessarily absent, of votin
and signing by proxy" This offers fur
: Their proof not only that there was no sign
: ing on July 4. but that late as July II
: when Gerry left Philadelphia. there ha
been no signing. Gerry did not return :
Philadelphia until September 8, and pre-
sumably did not sign until then.
As We have said, this is OF interest, II NO
especially important; but It is instructiv
I in going 20 show that there was no blazon
8 ing forth Of the document on July T. full
z rugged or with names attached, and accom-
y panied by the pealing of bells. as traditio
v has It. The Declaration itself was adopted
c lacking New Yorks vote. on that day. an
y quietly sent forth for proclamation in Oh
n colonies; but as an eng rossed and signe
i document, fully supporting the, legend 4