The Green Forest tribune., 1915-07-02

lasted over until the next, and so July , would have become the birthday instead of July A.
 Toward evening the discomfort of the as' sembly was -saacreased son account Of the sWarns of flies which came from nearby livery stable into the hall of legislature. These pests were so audacious in assaults upon the statesmen that Jefferson said their annoyance helped bring the matter to a conclusion and Harrison reporteu the declaration to congress as accepted, thousn in the minutes of that day the declaration was at first left out on account of the vengeance or Eng land.
 Today Independence hall in the old state house in Philadelphia remains about as 1t was on that July A. and so as far as the setting of the stage the drama is complete but the drama ltself IS left for us to supply.
 All that we have left of the record of that memorable day is the text of the Declaration of Independence, and that represents what all brave American colonists were ready to lay oo"h their lives for and what should be handed doWn to us and guarded courageously as II nad been won the Fourth of July has amply served it's purpose and deserved it's one monument "The Spirit of Liberty for All
 Whether or not the Declaration of lnde- pendence was signed on July 4, l71b, by any put Hancock as president of the Contlnental eoh- gress and Thompson, as secretary, IS matter of doubt for the journal entry records signed by order of and in behalf of congress-" Jenef- son himself made conflicting statements regard ing this question:
 Some contend that the delegates met informal ly on the morning of July and signed the docu' ment Whether not the signatures were ar fixed on July A. congress- act official on that day that Jeffersons Declaration of Independence was declared acceptable to every colony Ana SC it resolved that copies should be sent throughout the new-formed republic.
 The general assemblies conventions, councils, committees of safety and the commanding officers of the Continental army had to be informed or the independence of the United States. These copies were signed by Hancock and Thompson The Congressional Record of July 19 shows that a resolution was introduced in the national as sembly to the effect that the declaration should be engrossed on parchment and presented for the signature of every member on August 2.
 This fact therefore serves as authority that the parchment copy signed that day in August after it had been compared with the fair copy and the latter destroyed, is the copy or the Dec araton of Independence which was considered for so many years the original draft of the great bill of rights of the American people. It IS said that even this signing entered into with fear and trembling"
 Satisfied that the signed parchment a lasting evidence of the birth of the nation, congress took no further official action regarding the instruments itself until January, 1777.
 By that time the new republic began to feel it's strength and congress decided to promugate the names of the signers of the Declaration of h. dependence by ordering that printed copies of the document should be made with the names of the signers added.
 Mary Katharine Goddard, a woman who car ried on the printing business on Broadside Bal. timore. probably never heard of woman's rights. yet it so happened that it became her right to print these copies of the American bill of rights
 From these copies numerous others were soon made, until before long every home boasted at least copy of the original document which gave life to our republic