El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-01

means the fact. The document was
adopted. in the form in which we know
it, on the fourth day of July, but it
was signed then only by the president
of the congress, John Hancock. Not
until August 2, nearly month later, did
It receive the other signatures; and, as
Will presently be explained, some OF
these were not appended for quite a
while afteFward.
What happened was this: On the
evening of July 4, 1776, the secretary
of the congress furnished a copy OF
the Declaration to the printer. 1t was
set up as a 'fbroadside"|. e., on one
side ola single big shetland IN this
shape, with Hancock's signature alone
attached, was sent out all over the coun-
try. being circulated as widely as pos
sille. Everywhere it was received with
utmost enthusiasm. and it was read
from pulpits throughout the length and
breadth OF the colonies.
The New Document.
It VS. necessary, however, that the
document should be preserved in a more
dignified form; and, accordingly, the
congress ordered it to be formally en-
crossed. and on the second day of Au-
gust it received the signatures of so
members Richard Henry Lee, Elbridge
Gerry and Oliver Wolcott signed in
September. Thornton in November, and
Col. Mexican not until 1871, according
TO his own written statement. Seven
members, for one reason or another,
never did sign.
Tt is commonly supposed that the text
of the Declaration was written by
Thomas Jefferson So, indeed, it was,
in a sense But the document, as final
" adopted, was very different from
Jeffersons original draft. Both Ben
iamin Franklin and John Adams had a
finger in the pie. as evidenced by nu-
merous corrections and interlineations
which they made. Just what these cor
rections and interlineations were may
be seen by examination of the original
draft aforementioned, which is now on
exhibition at the department of state
in Washington.
Jefferson the Writer.
This original draft was written by
jefferson in the house of Mr.. Gratz,
on the southwest corner of Seventh and
Markets streets, in Philadelphia. While
member of the congress he boarded
there-the three story brick dwelling
being then on the very outskirts OF the
Quaker City-and his domestic quarters
comprised a parlor apd bedroom on the
second floor.
John Adams, always addicted to
sneering, and who was more OF less con-
temptuous of Franklin, did not hesitate
to say that the Declaration as framed
by Jefferson lacked originality of
thought, and that every idea in it was
shaclneyed" Nevertheless, after it had
been submitted to his critical correc-
tions. he fought vigorously for its adop-
tion, and was of the opinion that the
parts stricken out by the congress were
among the best items in it.
As for Jefferson Though he did not
raise his voice in the discussion). ne is
said to have 'swrithed in agony as he
saw some of his most cherished SEN
fences and paragraphs eliminated from
the document prepared by him with
such painstaking and patriotic care.
There was, for instance, a paragraph
charging the kinp with melting @trea-
sonable instructions among our fellow
citizens" by promising to bestow upon
them such property as might be con-
fiscated This was struck out. There