The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1916-06-29

L
July d. 17I6, In large, handsomely
furnished chamber In Independence
hall. Philadelphia. To give the nee
eSsary touch of vivacity to the pic
ture there is the scene of the small
boy darting from the door the last signcr sets
ms autograph to the precious parchment and dash.
Ing down the street calling to his grandfather to
King! oh. ring for liberty"
CUR Ideal proclamation of the charter of Amer
lcan freedom must be shattered in the cause OF
ruin. Ihe Declaration of Independence was
signed behind locked doors, and was not general
~ signed upon the Fourth of July at ALL The city
was not breathlessly awaiting the event outside
nor did the Liberty bell peal forth on that day
tho trumphal note of freedom
The accredited historian Of the United States
department or state Is Gaiard Hunt, Lift. d., ILL.,
ID. now chief of the division of manuscripts I'm the
Library of Congress
'Ihere Is really no reason for our celebrating
the Fourth of July MOTE than July . or August Q"
said Doctor Hunt recently to an inquirer 1T was
h"t until the latter date that the document was
generally signed.
"rhe Virginia bill of rights of which George
Mason was also the author, was drawn up and
adopted In the last colonial assembly I'm Virginia
prior to the Revolution The bill of rights Is I'm
effect part of every constitution in the land to-
day. II is beyond doubt that this famous docu.
ment, Of which his elderly friend was author was
largely drawn upon by Thomas jefferson when he
wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Ihe fundamental principles OF government set
1orth IN MasohS bill of rights were the same as
chose in the English petitions to the king the acts
OF the long parliament and magma charta.
you know, perhaps, that II was another Vjr-
gininn Richard Henry Lee, who presented to con-
greSs, on June T. 1IIG set of resolutions contain.
tng the words THAT these united colonies are and
or right ought to he, free and Independent states
and that all political connection between them
and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be-
totally dissolved
1T was MS a result Of the favorable voting upon
Lees resolutions that the well-known committee
composed of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Ben
Jamin Franklin Roger Sherman and Robert r. Ijy.
fngston. was named to draft the document The
committee assigned the task of prepnrinp the in.
strument to the Virglnan. Jeffers0n's was the
master political mind and II by no mere
chance that he was called upon to write the docu-
ment which has been termed the best known M.
per that has ever come from the pen of an indl.
vidual.'
Drafting Of the Declaration.
"Thomas Jefferson was the decentralization NJ
method remarked Doctor Hunt, "and Immediate
ly upon receiving his commission to write the
declaration he retired to the two rooms he rented
as working place at Seventh and Market place.
philadelphia, and prepared to give his country
one of the greatest monuments of human freedom.
''rhe department of state owns the first draft OF
the Declaration which Jefferson presented to the
committee for Its approval. Nis cOnfreres made
few alterations. which are clearly shown In the
text and Jefferson has written beside each change
the name Of its author making the document OF
inestimable value
''The fair copy which he made for presentation
to congress. and which bears the congressional
amendments and alterations, Is lost
'"The latter Is the formal Declaration of indie
pendence laid before congress on June 90 ITO
II was then read and ordered to lie on the table
until July !. On July resolution was passed
declaring the Independence of the United States
although the exact form of the proclamation as
prepared by Jefferson was debated upon until july
4. when, with some alterations and amendments, II
was signed by John Hancock president of the
congress, and the signature attcsted by Charles
thomson, secretary OF congress.
"July was actually the date of separation of
the colonies from the mother country. On July
we find John Adams, whom Jefferson called the
colossus OF the colonies, writing to his wife, Abb
gall, in the following words:
10y esterdhy the greatest question which was
ever debated In America was decided and great
er perhaps never was nor will be decided among
men,
Great Day Was July 2.
IN a second letter. written the same day he
said: But the day Is past. July 2 will be the
most memorable epoch In the history of America
I am apt to believe that 1t will be celebrated nv
succeeding generations as the anniversary festival
1t ought to be cOmmemorated as the day of dey-
erance by solemn acts of devotion to God Al
mighty
"There is little doubt but that the participants
in the event considered July as the true date of
independence for the colonies, but popular fancy
seized upon the 4th the date of acceptance of JEFF
fersons formal and detailed setting forth as the
prOper date of celebration.
"John Ttumbull's famous painting of the scene
hanging In the rotunda Of the capitol Is a poetcal
Niece of work and gives many Of the portraits OF
the s,gners with falthfulness, but 1t Is somewhat
fonciful. No sken hangings draped the windows
of that sitting room on July 4, ITO and the beau
tlful order In which the men are ranged up for
ugnng the immortal document Is also fctional