The Columbus journal., 1908-07-01
DECLARATION OF INDEPEND-
ENCE.

ENOE.
One hundred and thirty.two years
,go today the Colonial Congress enter
ID upon direct consideration of the
question of independence by voting to
resolve itself into committee Of the
whole. The action was taken on .
resolution introduced by Richard
Henry Lee of Virginia ito refer the
draft of this declaration to the COM
Benjamin Harrison, . name
since familiar in American history,
was called to the chair. At the clos
ing hours of the day the resolution was
carried, but final action was not taken
until the following day. July 2, on
which date the resolution was adopted.
No record is in existence of the precise
hour of the day of the Declaration Of
Independence was adopted.
1t was not until after the adoption
of the Declaration of Independence on
July 2, that the form of announcing
the action of congress to the world was
adopted. The, debate on the form Of
the draft lasted two days, July I'd and
18th, and on the evening Of the last day
the form of the declaration, as written
by Jefferson, was adopted. On the
10Th of July the draft was ordered
engrossed. and on the End Of August
the engrossed copy was signed by fifty
members. and it was not until some
time in September that all the mem
bers affixed their signatures to the
document. The general understand
ing has been that all the members
signed the Declaration on the evening
of July 4th, but the journal shows
that only John Hancock, President Of
Congress, and Mr.. Thomson signed.
The first celebration of the event
was held in Philadelphia, August Sth
1776, when the Declaration Of Indie
pendence was read to large gather
ing of people, and later copies were
distributed throughout the colonies.
There are two men, John Adams
and Benjamin Franklin, who have
never been given the credit they de-
serve for the part they took as mem
bers of the committee that drafted The
Declaration of Independence. Adams
had been for years in favor of the col
onies separating from the mother
country, and for more than q year
those who had hoped to have thu
wrongs inflicted upon the colonies
righted without resorting to rebellion
were not on friendly terms with Adams
A year previous to the adoption Of tn
Declaration of Independence, Adams
was Kissed on the streets of Philadel
phia for his alleged radical views OF
independence and his we'll known hos
tile attitude toward the ministry o
Lord North. But throughout thu
| period when Adams was looked upol
as dangerous public character, Ben
jamin Franklin, who, more than an!
| other man in America, knew NOR
about the English court and the senti
ment that prevailed in official circle
against America, was Adams stead
fast friend and adviser.
When the committee appointed t.
draft a declaration, consisting of Johl
| Adams, DR.. Franklin, Roger Sherman
Robert r. Livingstone and Thoma
Jefferson met, James Partlow, the his
torian, relates that the suggestion wa
made that Adams write the declare
ton, but as jefferson was the bette
penman the other members of the com
mittee, at the suggestion of Mr.. Adams
assigned the work to the Sage Of Mon
ticello. The Declaration, as penne,
by Jefferson, contained the views o
Adams and Franklin, althoug h tn
former has been given credit for tn
entire work.
Today the Declaration Of 1ndepend
ence rests in a steel cabinet with tn
original signed copy Of the Constitu
ton, where it is locked and sealed, ant
is no longer on public exhibition. TIL
document shows the wear of age, AM
some of the names of the signers hav
almost faded away.