St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-04-23

all hopes of this kind are doomed to disap-
pointment. The Declaration was transferred
to Philadelphia for the Centennial in 1876 but
never before nor since has 1t been out OF its
depository at the national capital and it is
pretty safe to predict that it will never in
future be disturbed
During the past decade there has been
redoubling of protective measures looking to
the safeguarding and preservation of the in
valuable document. Some years ago the secre-
tary of state issued an order that the Declara-
ton should be Theoretically sealed in light
tight fre-proof, burglar-proof safe, and that
this safe should not be opened except upon his
written order. How resoute is the determine
ton of the officials to keep the document in
that seclusion that Is believed to be essential
for it's preservation may be surmised from the
fact that never in the seven years since the
retirement order" was issued has any person
been able to induce the secretary of state to
issue the necessary order to obtain peep
at the important document.
The Declaration Of Independence has had
a most interesting history since 1t came into
existence on that memorable fourth Of July
in Philadelphia one and one-third centuries
ago. The penned document that now reposes
in the library of the state department at
Washington is the one and only official in
strument. So far as known, there was no
duplicate or extra copy of the declaration made
for printers copy" as would be done in
the case of any important document the con-
tents Of which were to be perpetuated. It Is
believed that the copy in the hands of Secre-
|tary Thomson at the close of the session
that first Independence day went to the official
printer John Dunlap and was used by him as
copy. The next day, in making up the journal
OF the continental congress, the secretary
wafered in blank space left for this purpose
a copy of the broadside print
Copies of the printed broadsde were also
sent out in compliance with the resolution Of
congress to assemblies conventions, coun-
ellis of safety" etc. Other editions differing
somewhat in style were printed by Dunlap to
meet the demand for the Declaration and few
copies were printed on vellum. Meanwhile
the original document was most carefully pre-
served Under an act of congress approved
July q, 1889, the Declaration was deposited in
what was then known the department of
foreign affairs. few months later the name
of this branch Of the government was changed
to department of state and the secretary of
state was declared to have charge and custody
of the Declaration.
The Declaration has virtually been in the
custody of the state department continuously
from that date to the present time. To be
sure it reposed in the patent office at Wash
ington from 1S41 to 1877, but the patent office,
1t may be recalled, was for many years a part
of the department of state and occupied what
was believed to be a freproof building,
whereas that which then housed the depart
iment of state was not regarded as ahordtng
any surety against damage by fire. After the
Centennial, however, the Declaration was trans
ferred to the state department proper, that
branch of the government having in the mean
time acquired an uptodate building. Here 1t