Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-04

swarmed thick and fierce. alighting On
hard through their silk stockings.
Treason was preferable to discom-
fort"
Dr. Hunt laughed John Trumbulrs
famous painting of the scene. hanging
in the rotunda OF the Capitol. 10
poetical piece of work, and gives many
of the portraits OF the signers with
faithfulness. but it is somewhat fanct-
full. No silken hangings draped the
windows of that stifiins room on July
4. 1716, and the beautiful order in
which the men are ranged up for sign
ing the immortal document is also
fctitional.
THE president OF the Congress. John
Hancock, with the secretary. Charles
Thomson, alone signed the autograph
Jefferson document on that date. I'm
mediately afterward II was hurried to
the official printer for Congress. John
Dunlap, to put in type, and several COP
les were made. BY next morning the
printed copies of Jefferson's Declara-
tion of independence were in Han
cocks hands. When he came to write
the proceedings for the Fourth OF July.
1875. into the Journal or Congress.
Charles Thomson. secretary OF tne
Congress, left a blank space TOT tne
Declaration, and 1t is this proaos,ue
which now appears wafered INTO tne
space left for Ii in the Journal Jenef-
sons penned copy of the Deciarat,Sn
was doubtless sent as copy 70 tne
printer. and it is probable that II Va
not returned with the printed oup.
Gates, as there is no record OF ies e'e
having been seen gain a.,
This broadside was sent out 10 tne
governors of the states, TO inc cons
mental army, and it is the paper trom
which the Declaration of Independents
was read to the people July s. when the
Liberty bell was rung ana the nrst puo
lie celebration was made IN nohor Oh
the event"
Ju,v 70 Congress. ordered that the
declaration passed the Fourth be fair
,v enpros.ed. 1t was very beautifully
done on parchment This is the docu-
ment which received the signatures OF
all the members of the Continental
Congress present in Independence Hall
August 2, 1875 By this time. however.
the membership had changed slightly.
so that the "signers" were not identi-
cal with the body of delegates who had
declared for independence month be-
fore. Presumably it was at this time
that Hancock. making his great ia
miliar signature. jestingly remarked
that John Bull could see it without his
spectacles. One or two OF the sigma
lures were not actually amxed until ..
later date than August 2
'This is the treasured Declaration OF
Jndependence now in possession of the
Department of State" said DR.. Hunt.
aft ia kept in a Theoretically sealed
case. which is opened only by special
order for very especial reasons. 1t 10
faded, and it would have been better IL
this engrossed copy had been MADE on
paper rather than parchment. 1t Is SO
faded that few of the signatures are
recognizable. Nothing can now De
done which will permanently beneht IT.
II could be temporarily restored by the
use of acids but these are temporary
aids. and when consulted in regard to
it 7 advised leaving 1t as 1t is. 1t VIII
last longer SO.
IT believe the main cause of the fad
ing was the impression taken in 1923,
nv order of President Monroe. Two
hundred facsimilies were then made TO
give a copy to each of the then living
signers and others. Taking the I'M
preston removed the ink. One of these
facsimilies is framed and hangs In the
library of the State Department. d.
rectly above a portion of Jeferson's
first penned draft submitted to the
committee and containing their auto
graph changes.
These two documents show the pub
lie with sufficient accuracy the actual
processes of the instrument which was
the verbal declaration of a group or
early American contemporaries. whom
Gladstone declared were unequaled in
the history of the world. However we
view ii, it furnished the most dramatic
incident in American history"