Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-29
serving /
"HOMAS JEFFERSON was the faith
of the Declaration of hide

T'HOMAS JEFFERSON was the faith
81 of the Declaration of hide
pendence.
John Hancock was the first man to
sign that document
Charles Thomson
Who was he you ask. WHY connec,
him with the Declaration?
Because
TO Thomson We owe the preservation
of all the records of the Continental
Congress. Not alone the journals. of
which there are seven. practically all in
his handwriting, but also the fragments
of that Congress. He saved the original
motions. committee reports and all the
other little odds and ends that today
form SO precious a part OF the records of
that great body. If it had not been for
Thomsons painstaking care a large part
of these might never have been pre-
served. and thus one of the most inter-
esting, as well as valuable. sources of in
formation regarding the proceedings of
the Congress would have been lost for
all time
The man who said that was Theodore
r. Dwight. Previous to removing the
records of the Continental Congress to
the Congressional Library where they
are now, they were kept in the library
or the State Department Mr. Dwight
was the chief of the bureau OF rolls and
library Of that department at that time,
ana his statement was based upon a full
knowledge of the completeness of those
records.
And then. too. the Declare ton Of indie
pendence of which usually think was
the engrossed copy signed by the mem
bers of the Continental Congress August
=. a rot al C;o
July 4. 1778. had but two names on it.
This is proven by an entry in Thomson's
Journal. Under date of July 4. 1916. he
wrote this after having recorded the
fact that the Declaration had been
adopted: Signed by order and i'm behalf
of Congress. JOHN HANCOCK. Presi-
dent. Attest: CHARLES THOMSON,
Secretary
SO Charles Thomson was the second to
sign the Declaration. He did not, how
ever. sign the engrossed COPY
Yet Charles Thomson, generally speak
ing, is practically unknown. To histor-
lans Thomson Is the secretary of the
Continental Congress, to be quoted when
necessary, to be spoken of when occa-
sion demands. But Charles Thomson.
one of the most interesting figures of his
time, a time, too. which produced some
of the greatest men this country has
ever had. has faded into a blur He has
suffered the fate of SO many men, that of
fading into the background of a brilliant
event In history.
Yet. even in addition to his achievement
as secretary of the Continental Congress,
thomson has a right to prominence
Starting life with unusual handicaps, he
fought his way to the top of the ladder.
battle of which any man might well
De proud. At the age of fourteen he
was an orphan in a strange country,
friendless and penniess. AS grown
man John Adams spoke of him as the
Sam Adams of Philadelphia. the life of
the cause of liberty and Able Robin.
Rochambeau's chaplain, said of him
He was the soul of that political body"
Thomsons life was full of just such
contrasts.
Born in Maghera. County Derry, Ire
land, November, 1924. his father, John
Thomson, was one Of the 10000 Prot
estants who, a few years later, left u
ster to seek religious freedom in Amer
lea. 1t was in 1879 that Thomson, a
widower, started for this country with
his six children. Charles being the fourth.
Philadelphia, the goal of so many of
those Ulster immigrants. was the desti-
nation of the Thomson family. Unfor-
tunately. however. when within sight of
land the father was taken violently i'll
and died almost Immediately. being buried
at sea. The children were thus thrown
upon the mercies of the captain of the
boat. who. IL history is correct. proved
little worthy of that trust. After en-
beZZling all the remaining money pos
sessed by the boys he landed them at
New Castle, Del, without friends or
funds.
Here the boys separated, to go their
own way and earn a livelihood as best
they might Charles remained at New
Castle, where he was taken into the