The Raymer enterprise., 1916-06-29


ture there Is the scene Of the snnll
boy dartIng from the door MS the last signer sets
his autograph to the precious parchment and dnsh.
Ing down the street cllling 10 his grandfather TO
ring! Oh ring for iibrrty!"
Our ideai proclamation Of the charter OF Amer
lean frcetinn must he shattered In the cuuse Of
truth. The Declaration Of Independence was
signed behind locked doors. and general
W signed upon the Fourth Of July ut ull. The city
was moi brrathlcssly awaiting the event outside
nor did the Liberty bell peal forth on ttit duy
the triumphnl note of freedom
The accredited historian Of the United Stntes
department Of state Is GuIllHrd Hunt Lit D. liz
ID. now chief of the division Of manuscripts In the
Library Of Congress.
There IL really no reason for our celebrating
the Fourth OF July more linn July . or August q"
sah Doctor Hunt recently to nn inquirer. I'll WIS
not until The latter date that the document was
generally signed
THE Virginia bill of rights Of which George
Aason was also the author. was drawn up ind
adopted In the last colonial assembly In Virginia
prior TO the Revolution. The bill of rights IL In
effect rnrt Of every constitution III The land to-
day II is beyond doubt that this fnninns docn
,nent of which his elderly friend was author was
largely drawn upon by Thomas jefferson when he
wrote the declaration of Independence.
"rhe fundamental principles Of government set
forth in Masnn's bill Of rights were the same as
those In the English petitions Ia the king The ucts
of the long parliament and magna chartu
You know. perhaps TINT II another vtr.
ginlan. iiitharh Henry Lee. who presented to con
gress on June T. lTIG n set nf resolutions contain.
ine the words That these united colonies nrc and
~ right ought to he free and independent stntes
and that all political connection between them
and the stae Of Grent Britain H. und ought 10 be
totally dissolved
III was ny II result Of the favorable voting upon
Lees resolutions that the welI-knnwn COMMITTEES.
composed uf Thnmus Jefferson. John Adams Ben.
jamln FrHnSlin. Roger Sherman aud Robert r. Lty.
ingsIdn. wns mined 10 draft the tioctllnent The
committee assigned the tnsl of preparing the in.
>iruneni to the Vlrrinian. Jeffersons WIS the
MASTER political mind and Il WIS Ly no mere
chance TINT he WIS Chilled upon To write the docu.
ment whirh has been termed the best known M.
per thnt has ever come from the pen of un ndl.
yduai'
Drafting Of the Declaration
'Thomus jefferson WAS the perSunIfcation NJ
method" rernnrkcd Doctor Hunt, ''und immediate.
ly upon receiving his commission IN write Tho
declaration he retired to the two rooms he rented
rs u working place nt Seventh and Market plnce
fhllnhelnhla. aud prepared to give his country
on" nf the greHtest monuments Of human freedom
The department nf stntr owns the FIRST draft of
the Declaration which jefferson presented 10 tbe
committee for It's approval His cnnfrrrps ,nudp
q few alterations which urp Clearly shrwn In the
text and jefferson hns written beside each c1nnrc
the nnme of It's author. making the document OF
lnestimnhe value
The fair copy which he mn,e for presentation
90 congress. and which hrnrS the congressional
amendments and alterations. Is lost
THE inter Is the formal Declaration of Inda.
resdrncc hllh before congress On June 2S l77G
II was then read and ordered To lie on the tuhIe
until July l. On July > resolution WAS pissed
decnring The Independence of the United States
although the cxrct form Of fhe proclamation Ms
prepared by Jefferson was debated upon until July
4. when. with some alterations uni amendments II
wns signed by John Hancock president of the
congress. nnd the signature att,~ted hy Charles
ThomSnn. secretary of congress
"Juis nctuny The date nf separation Of
the colonies frum the mother country In July
we find John Adams, whom jefferson called the
colossus Of the colonies. writing to his wife Abb
gall. In thu following words:
"A esterdus the greatest question which was
ever debated in America was decided. md great
er perhaps never WINS will he decided among
men,
Great Day Was July 2.
"In second letter written the SHINE day. he
snd: But the duy is mst July = will be the
most memorable epoch in the history Of Atnprira
| am nrt to believe that it will he eerI,rItpd by
succeeding generations ms the anniversary festival.
II ought to he eomtnetnoraed It's the day nf leliv-
erance by solemn acts Of devotion to tod Al.
mighty
"1here Is little doubt hui thnt the participants
In the event considered July MS the rue date Of
Independence for the colonies. but popular fnncy
seized upon the ith the htr nf acceptance Of lief.
ferron's formal and detailed seftlng-forth ns the
proper tinle of celebration.
.J0Iin Trnmhulls lamols painting a. the scene
hanging In the roundn Of the capitol Is poetlcal
niece of work eHd gives many Of the portraits Of
tin, signerx wifi, faithunrss hut II Is somewhat
f.uciful. M si.ken hnngings hrnped ihe windows
n TINT sitting room July l. l7I6. and the benu.
tyfuI order IN which the men nre ranged up for
sIer,,ng the lsnmorta document Is also dctionnl.