Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-29
Preserving Records Of the Signing
of the Declaration of independence

terest in preventing John Hughes. the
newly appointed stamp collector: from
entering upon his duties in Philadelphia
Hughes was waited upon by a commit
tee. of which Thomson was d member,
and asked to resign. Hughes then beng
i'll in bed. the committee retired to await
results Thomson. however. returned TO
see him the following day. and was
asked by Hughes if the committee was
serious in its demand. Thomson replied
that while h would prefer not to speak
Tor the committee - whole. he coufu
assure him that he. personally. was very
much in earnest The committee the
next day returned and Hughes rendered
il his resignation. although protesting
that il would be productive Of dire re-
suits.
on the Sd Of October. l1'4 Thomson
was elected d member Of the PennsNl-
vana assembly, and On the 1ta was
made secretary Of the FIRST Continental
Congress. This incident can best be
told in Thomson own words. az record
ed by William Allen
Il was married to my second wife
Hannah HarriSon-on Thursday; the
next Monday | came to town to pay my
respects to my WifeS aunt, and the TAM
lily: just as | alighted in Chestnut street
the doorkeeper Of Congress. then first
met. accosted me with message from
them. requesting my preSence-l follow
ed the messenger to the Carpenters
Hail. and entered Congress. | walked
up the aisle anu OppOSite ~
the President. | bowed. and told him 1
awaited his pleasure. He replied: Con-
gress desires the favor of you, sir, to
take their minutes l bowed in &C
quiescence. and took my seat at the desk.
After short time, Patrick Henry arose
to speak. He observed that our public
circumstances were like those of a man
in deep embarrassment and trouble. who
had called his friends together TO devise
what was best to be done for his relief
md
another different one, whilst perhaps
third would think of something better
suited to his unhappy circumstances,
which he would embrace, and think no
more of the rejected schemes. with
which he would have nothing to DO.
thought that this was very good instruc-
ton to, me- with respect to the taking
the minutes; what Congress adopted l
committed to writing: with what they re-
jected. / had nothing further to do and
even this method LED to some squabbles
with the members who were DESTROYS of
having their speeches and resolutions
however, put to rest by the majority,
still preserved upon the minutes.
This address of Patrick Henry's, taken
as a course of procedure for keeping the
minutes of the Congress, is responsible
for the complete records of the sessions
which are today kept in the COMPRESSION
al Library, and which have won for
Charles Thomson the name of being one
of the ablest secretaries to one of the
greatest bodies ever convened
Thomson served secretary to Con-
greSS throughout its existence, fifteen
years. At the end of that time he was
appointed by that body to notify George
Washington of his election to the presi-
dency of the United States. Thomson
went to Mount Vernon, where he was met
by Gen. Washington at the door, and,
after the most friendly of greetings,
Thomson delivered the message of Con-
gress and Washington replied. The two
| then went to New York together. from
which place Thomson notified Congress
that he had carried out his commission.
Thomson resigned as secretary of Con-
gress July %, 1885, and never again held
public office. He retired to his home,
Harriton, and took up the study of Greek
and Latin where he had been forced to
leave off by the call to Congress. He de-
voted his time to translation of the New
Testament from the Greek. and the Old
Testament from the Septuagent, which,
it is said, was the first English version
of the Septuagent that had been pub
lished.
Al the time of his resignation from Con-
gress. in 1855, Charles Thomson was sixty
years old. In 1916, at the age of eighty
seven, he was almost deaf One of sew
eral paralytic strokes he had about this
time left him practically helpless. An
other followed later. and, by some strange
chance, left him suddenly recovered, so
far SO. in fact, that he lived until August
16. 1924. when he died in Lower Merton,
Montgomery county, Pa at the age Of
ninety-five. Although not OUTLYING all
of the signers of the Declaration Thorn
son. nevertheless, lived to be as old as
any of them. Charles Carroll of Carroll
ton being the same age at his death.