The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-30

morning, and that the members be en- joined to attend promptly at 10 o'clock In order to take the same into considera- tion.' They debated all the next day, Saturday, and again all day Monday on the question. Who spoke and what was said are not certainly known as the Jour- nal has no record. John Adams, and his cousin, Sam Rodger Sherman, Oliver Vol colt, R. H. Lee, George Wythe-these were undoubtedly the great speakers for separation.
 The chief opponent, MT. Adams leading antagonist, was John Dickinson of Penn sylvana. Dickinson at this time was a man forty-four years of age, three years older than Adams, a gentleman who had had as good an education as the colonies afforded, and who had followed it by term in the Temple, London.
 From the beginning of the trouble with England he had opposed her on the ground that her acts were contrary to English law-that there were purely and legal constitutional reasons for resisting Great Britain. The colonists were not rebels, he argued, but "petitioners in arms" In the spring of 1776, although he had not hesitated to vote war supplies or even to command a Pennsylvania reg iment, all the force of his intellect was given to opposing the radicals in Congress and In struggling against any measure so irrevocable as a declaration of independ- enee.
 It was Dickinson, then, who, when the debate began on Lees motion, was first on his feet. His most practical arguments were that such a declaration was prema- ture; that the colonies should wait at least until they had perfected their mili- tary arrangements and secured, if pos sble, the aid of France, with which coun- try they were then negotiating. The names of all who followed Dickinson we do not know, but among them were able and loyal men-John Day, James Wilson, James Duane Robert R. Livingston, Ed ward Rutledge-but it was evident from the beginning of the debate that they were in the minority. The delegates or seven colonies-four in New England, three in the south-were either instructed to vote for independence or leaned toward 1t; those of six colonies-New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Dele ware, and South Carolna-were opposed to the resolution. In such matter una nimity was of the utmost importance, and after a three days debate it was decided to postpone a final vote until the first day of July, and in order that no time be lost committee was appointed to prepare a declaration suitable to lay be- fore the world, stating the grievances which drove them to separate from Great Britain.
 This committee was appointed by ballot on June H. and consisted, according to the Journal, of the following gentlemen: MT. Jefferson, MT. J. Adams, MT. Frank. lin. MT. Sherman and MT. R. R. Living stone"
 Naturally, one would expect to find at the head of this committee MT. Lee, who had presented the resolution. That he was not given the place seems to be due to one of those nice little matters of state politics, which had quite as much in- fluence with the "Fathers" as they have today MT Richard Henry Lee was not beloved by his colleagues from Virginia, and MT. Jefferson was sent up to rival and supplant him; so says John Adams.
 Jefferson was comparatively new man in Congress. He was only thrty-three years of age at the time, and had been member less than year. Even in this time he had not been at all prominent in the debates of Congress. But if silent in debate. Jefferson had shown himself