Evening journal., 1916-02-10
M'KEAN letters
THROW LIGHT ON
RIDE OF RODNEY
Continued from First Page.

ed BY seven Gentlemen then present
voted against it: Delaware. having
then only two Representatives pres
ent was divided; all the other states
voted in favor of it. WhereupOn, with
out delay / sent an Express at my
private expense for your honored
Caesar Rodney Esquire. the remain
ing member Cor Delaware, whom |
met at the State-house door. in his
boots & spurrs, as the members were
assembling; after a friendly saluta-
ton without a word on the business
we went into the Hall of Congress to-
gether and found we were among the
latest: proceedings Immediately COM
menced and after few minutes, the
great question was put; when the
vote for Delaware was called your
uncle arose and said, AS ! believe the
choice of my Constituents and OF all
sensible G. honest men is in favor OF
independence & my own judgement
concurs with them vote for lnde-
pendence or in words TO the same
effect The State Of Pennsylvania on
the 4th of July there being only five
members present. Messrs. Dickinson
a. Morris. who had in the committee
of the whole voted against Inde-
pendence were absent voted for il;
three to two Messrs. Willing & Hum
phries in the negative. Unanimity
in the thirteen States. an all .m-
portant point on so great an occasion,
was thus obtained; the dissension Of
a single State might have produced
very dangerous consequences.
"NOw, that ! am Oh the subject, J
will tell YOU some truths, not generally
known In the printed public journal
of Congress for l776. vol ,, it would APP
pear that the declaration of lndepend-
encc was signed on the 4th July by the
members, whose names are there in-
serted; but the fact is not so, for no per-
son signed it on that day nor for many
days after. and among the names sub
scribcd, one was against it, Mr. Read
and seven were not in Congress ON that
dav namely Messrs. Morris. Rush, Cy
mer, Smith. Taylor & Ross, of Penn
syvania, and Mr.. Thornton of New
Hampshire; nor were the six GentlcmcI
last named at that time members; Tho
five for Pennsylvania were appointed
Delegates by the Convention of tha
State on the Goth July, and Mr.. Thorn
ton entered Congress for the first tim'
on the 4th of November following: whel
the names of Henry Wisner of New Norl
& Thomas Mexican of Delaware arc no
printed as subscribers. tho both wer
present and voted for Independence"
Mexican in a letter TO John Adams
former President ON January p, 1914
wrote;
"In your favor of the 26th Novem'
ber last you say that you venturec
to say, that about a third of the peo-
pie of the Colonies were against the
Revolution Il required much retiec
ton before | could fix my opinion Of
this subject. but on mature deliber
alton | concluded you are right. ant
that more than a third Of Influential
characters we're against 1t. The op
position consisted chiefly OF tn
Friends or Quakers, the Menonlsis
the Protestant Episcopalians. who's
clergy received salaries from the SO
ciety for propogating the gospel Il
foreign parts; and from the ofhcer
of the Grown & Proprietors @
provinces, with their connexions
adding the timid and those who be
Ieved. the colonies would be con
mered, and that of course they woul
be safe in their persons & propert
from such conduct and also have
probability of obtaining Office dis
tinction, and also the discontented
capricious Of all grades.
During my protracted life
neither have had leisure or inclinatio
to write a history. and at my preseI
age it is out Of the question. II
true. have been often spoken to an
even solicited by a great many
my learned acquaintance to undertal
that of the American Revolution, b.
ginning at the year 1850 or befor
among them. Doctor Rush. your 70
mer correspondent, was not the lea
anxious.
Tho I shall never write a histoi
! will give you an historical fact
specting the declaration of lndepe
dence. which may amuse, if not 81
prize.
"On the 1st July 1875 the questi
was taken in the committee of t
whole of Congress. when Penns
vania represented by seven membe
then. present voted against it; 4 to
among the majority were Robert Nj
ris G. John Dickinson, Delaware hi
ing only two present namely mys
& Mr.. Read was divided: all
other States voted in favor of it, T
report was delayed until the 4th &
the mean time | sent an express
Caesar Rodney to Dover in the cour
Of Kent in Delaware, at my prNi
expense. whom I met at the sta
house door on the 4th Of July in
boots; he resided eighty miles tr
the city. and just arrived as conqr'
met. The question was taken, dc
ware voted in favor of Independent
Pennsylvania there being only I
members present, Messrs. Dickn'
& Morris absent voted also for
Messrs. Willing & HUMPHREYS W
against it, Thus the thirteen sta
we're unanimous in favor of lndep
dence. Notwithstanding this. in
printed public journal of Congress
l776. vol. it appears, that the dec
alton of independence was decla
on the 4th of July 1875, by the Gen
men whose names are there ms
ed whereas no person signd II
that day. & among the names there
serted. one Gentleman, namely Geo
Read Esquire. was not i'm favor OF
and seven were not in Congress