Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1906-07-07
JULY SECOND THE DAY
GOVERNMENT HISTORIAN SAYS
REAL INDEPENDENCE ISNOT
THE FOURTH.
Colonies Made Declaration Against
England Previous to Drawing his
torical Paper Final Signing OF
Document on August Second.

According to the opinions Of n
latest historical authorities both n
school children of bygone davs an
nose OF the present time have bee
Taught incorrectly as to the proper In
dependence day Of the nation. No on
date seems to develop such excitabl
emotions as does the mention of tb
Fourth Of July but how unattractiy
would 1t seem if we were to state tina
the second of July is the day of fire
crackers, bombs and Roman candles
ana yet, according to Mr.. William n
Mlchael, Chief Clerk and Historian q
the department of state, The real In
dependence Day is the second of .Tulv
since we bent over our Childhood
histories we have always had an idna
mat our fathers severed the ties wifi
Great Britain on the Fourth of .Tulv
l'l6 and we have had word of no less
an authority than Thomas Jefferson
author Of that hallowed instrument
that the Declaration was signed on
mat date, on whose anniversary the
great father Of democracy died. But
Mr.. Michael says no, and for years he
has toiled for his country beneath the
same roof which shelters the sacred
document; has had the nations arch
ives at his fingers ends.
INDEPENDENCE ON JULY ..
"The independence Of the United
States was declared by resolution on
the I'd Of July and the adoption of the
form of Declaration on the 4th of July
was a secondary matter" SAYS Mr.
1T is a little strange that
more importance was not attached to
The I'd of July in connection with the
Declaration Of Independence. The res
1lution introduced by Richard Henry
Lee, was passed on that day (July ,,
l776). This was really the vital point
the crucial iuncture.'
The real act of independence, which
Mr. Michael has had reproduced in fac
smile, was then the Lee resolution !
declaring:
That these United colonies are, and |
# right ought to be, free and indie. |
PENDENT states; that they are absolyed |
rom all allegiance to the British |
Jrown, and that all political connection
letween them and the State of Great |
Britain is, and ought to be, totally |
dissolved"
SIGNED AUGUST ..
Concerning the actual date of the
Declarations signing, Mr. Michael
avs Mr. Jefferson in his account
tates that all the members present
Except Mr.. Dickinson. signed the Dec
aration in the evening of the Fourth
# July The journal shows that no
ne signed It that evening except Mr.,
hancock and Mr. Thomson, The
ournal entry is Signed, John Han
ock. President, Attest, Charles Thorn
on, Secretary On August
. the Declaration. as engrossed under
he order of Congress, was signed by
II of the members of Congress
resent"
What really did happen on July 4.
f that year of years was the final
doption of a draft Of the form of
nnouncing the fact to the world"
nat independence had been decreed .
vo days before. Jefferson had writ
m this draft in his Philadelphia Z
partments, consisting Of a readyfur- !
ished parlor and bedroom in the new
rick house of Hyman Graft, at the
,uthwest corner of 18th and Market
reefs. "On the outskirts of the city"
he Penn National Bank now occupy
IL the site of this dwelling, is in the ,
,rv business heart of Philadelphia.
WRITTEN LATE IN JULY q
But the "original Declaration, which d
! pilgrims to Washington formerly G.
lzed upon in awe and reverence, was 81
IT ordered written for more than two d
eeks after that long but unjustly
,llowed July 4. On July 10, Con O.
ess ordered that the Declaration be fl
airly engrossed on parchment" and 81
at "the same, when engrossed, be II
gped by every member of Congress" is
me time within the next two weeks in
e beautiful pen work which thous' ia
IDS Of Americans have since mar n,
led at and admired was executed of
,on the great strip of sheepskin now tr
cked away in the Department OF tb
ate at Washington. pc
On August 2, 1776, Just a month
Ter the real stroke of independence tn
Is great sheepskin was unrolled In ev
; presence of the Continental Con In
ass. in Independence Hall. with the sill
riding of the corrected draft 1t was di
.efully compared at. the table. tn
is formality gone through with. I'M
was spread out upon a desk and sir
ned bv all of the members of Con
,ss present. Fifty OF these fathers for
the republic signed on that day. for
of the revered "signers, did not an
x their signatures until later dates mo
,rge Wythe of Virginia signed tha
INF August 27. Richard Henry Lee, aft
ginia; Eldridge Gerry. Massachu- abb
s and Oliver Wolcott, Connecticut
not sign until some time in Sen.
her Matthy Thornton, of New
nnshire, did not add his name until ire
,ember. and Thomas Mexican Of the
aware probably did not affix his, by
final SIGNATURE. until five years sus
~ or 1871. Matthew Thornton sim
-be wav was not appointed to Con Bio
C until September and did not var
. his seat until Nnvember--four low
tbs after the adoption Of the Dec a I
lion. other signers who were bre
Members of Congress on July 2 bro
were allowed to sign on August oun