The Washington herald., 1909-07-04


er has been selected. Portraits OF all the
signers save two were made The ex-
ceptiOns are John Morton and Caesar
Rodney. OF the former there is no au-
thentic portrait. and the latter. owing ["
a scar on his face. never allowed MS DOT
trait painted The autographs are rae
smiles Of those on the engrOssed copy OF
tba Daclaratfon Of Independence now IN
tbe Ifbrarv OF the state department,
Washington
~ HE Continental congress was
very busy in the spring OF
1776. It's daily sessions were
n taken I'D with tho reading OF
letters from the generals OF It's army
accepting now companies Of militia
directing battalions ard gunpoWoer
toward this or that province. disarm-
ing people who persisted in refusing
10 fight Great Britain. ordering cannon
cast. buying saltpeter, imprisoning the
suspected. voting money for Tations
and forage. establishing hospitals, 1oT-
bidding trade with England-in snort
with the carrying on Of vigorous war
against a country to which It sul
officially acknowledged allegiance
This condition Of affairs had existed
for more than a year Occasionally. IL
IS true. congress had suspended hos
tflities long enough 10 protest that the
colonists were not rebels, only "peu-
toners in arms" bent Oh setting right
their wrongs. but the futility o. Its
petitions and prayers had gradually
worn out the patience and hope or
even the most loyal OF the members
When congress came together In the
spring Of I776 II was pretty certain
that nobody would advocate another
petition 1t was more likely that entire
separation from the mother country
was imminent If there were many
who dreaded such a step. there were
others who were doing their utmost to
hasten it. SO strong were these latter
that in May they even forced through
congress a resolution calling upon the
colonies TO form independent govern
ments. The temper which had carried
this revolutionary measure had not
subsided when the news reached Phil
adelphia that the colonial legislature
Of Virginia had instructed its delegates
to congress TO bring in a resolution
declaring the united colonies free and
independent
II was on June Z that Richard Henry
Lee, the spokesman OF the Virginia
delegation. arose in congress. He had
been ordered, he said. by the una2i-
nous vote OF the members Of the coun-
ell OF Virginia to present the follow
ing resolution:
That these united colonies are and
Of right ought to be free and inde-
pendent states; that they are absolved
from all allegiance TO the British
crown; that all political connection
between them and Great Britain Is
and ought TO be totally dissolved"
Two other resolutions followed, con-
tingent upon the first, but Il is not
necessary to consider them here
Lee had not taken his seat before
there was a second" to his motion.
1t came from John Adams Of Massa-
chusetts- A more welcome task could
not have fallen to a man than this 10
John Adams A patriot by choice
from the day in 1861 when he first
heard James Otis famous speech
against the writs Of assistance. he had
for years sacrificed business, family.
health, peace Of mind, to the American
cause. He was one Of the few who
from the first believed that separation
was the only outcome OF the conten-
ton with Great Britain. From the
time he entered the First congress OF
the colonies. in 1774. he had boldly and
incessantly advocated independence.
To see that congress felt it was
playing with fire in considering MI.
Lees resolution one has only 10 ex-
anime the journal OF its proceedings
for June z, 1875. So hazardous was
the matter regarded for those taking
the initiative that in recording the
resolutions neither their substance
nor Mr.. Lees and Mr.. Adams names
are mentioned. Certain resolutions q"
says the journal, being moved and
seconded, resolved that the considera-
ton Of them be deferred until tomor-
row morning and that the members
be enjoined to attend promptly al 10
O'Clock in order to take the same into
consideration They debated all the
next day, Saturday. and again all dav
Monday on the question Who spoke
and what was said are not certainly
known. as the journal has no record
John Adams and his cousin Sam.
Roger Sherman. Oliver WoIcott. r. 81
Lee. George Wythe-these were un-
dOubtedly the great speakers for sepa-
ration
The chief opponent. Mr. Adams
leading antagonist. was John DiclIin-
son Of Pennsylvania Dickinson 4
this time was 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 a term IN the
Temple. LcndOn.
From the beginning Of the trouble
with England he had opposed her OF
the ground that her acts were con
trary to English law.
It was Dickinson. then. who. wheu
the debate began on Lees motion. was
first on his feet His most practica
arguments were that such a declara-
ton was premature. that the colonies
should wait at least until they had
perfected their military arrangements
and secured II possible the aid Ot
France. with which country they were
then negotiating. The names Of al
who followed Dickinson we do not
know. but among them were able and
loyal men-John jay. James Wilson
James Duane. Robert r Livingstone
Edward Rutledge-but il was evident
from the beginning Of the debate that
they were in the minority. The dele
gates Of seven cOlOnies-four in New
England. three in the south-werC
either instructed to vote for inde-
pendence or leaned toward II Those
or six colonies-New York. New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania. Maryland. Delaware
and South Carolina-were opposed tC