The Washington herald., 1919-07-04

nent are entirely leEibieL The stronE.
unwavering hand Of John Hancock.
which n directly In the middle OF the
document immediately under the text
stood the test Of copying better than-
most OF the other sienstures- The,
taptismai "John" n nearly ~ clear
az wien FIRST written. In the extreme
left column there are but three nance.
Button. GI1nett. Lyman Hall and :
George Walton. the Georgia delexn~
tion In the Continental Congress. and
each Of these names n discernibie.
All Of the names also In the column
on the extreme right OF the parchment
are NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Bartlett
William whipple. ssm1 Adams. 1ohn- )
Acams. Robert Treat Paine. Elbr1dee-
Gerry. Stephen Hopkins. William Ei-
lery. Roger Sherman. Samuel Hunt-.'
colt. and Matthew Thornton Almost
all Of the signatures TO the parchment
were attached August 2 17t. tha=z
records Of the Continental Congress Of
that Date stating: The Declaration
being engrossed and compared at the
table was signed by the nembers-
Formally Given Custsey. :.
Under the Act OF Congress Of july .
q, 17ss. which authorizes the Score.
tary for the Department of Foreign
Affairs to take charge Of all req
orde. books and papers in the once
OF Secretary for the Department OF
Foreign Affair."" the Declaration Of
Independence was deposited in that
Department: and under the Act Of
Sept Is I7e, which changed tbs
title Of the department % Departments
Of State. and the secretary thereof
TO Secretary Of State. that once wasi
authorized to have the custody and
charge Of all books. records and pa
pers remaining in the once OF the
Secretary Of the United States IN
Congress assembled, etc" -.
The Declaration Of Independence
with other records was deposited in
the Department OF State and has TO
all intents and purposes remained IN
the custody Of the Depsrt since
The document was in the Patent Of
fee from $50 TO 1877. II came into the =
custody OF that ONCE because for
many years II was part Of the De-
partment Of State; and was allowed
TO remain there after that period be-
cause the building occupied by the
Department OF State. until removed.
TO its present quarters. was not fire.
proof and IL was believed the Patent
once was.
Kept I'm steel Cabinet.
In lss4 the DecIaratio was hernlets-
cally sealed in a frame and placed -
in steel cabinet with the original
signed copy of the Constitution The
steel cabinet In which the parch--
ment copies OF the Declaration ana
Constitution are kept stands inmedi-
ately to the right as one enters the
north door of the Library Of the
Depsrtmen of State, IN the massive
granite State. War and Navy bund-
Ing on Pennsylvania avenue. next to
the White House The Declaration
occupies the upper drawer in the cabi-
net. the Constitution being in the
drawers below. On the left OF the
entrance. in another cabinet. may be
seen two pages OF the original draft
OF the Declaration in Jenerxon's
handwriting. with a few interiines-
tons by Franklin and John Adams.
The Jefferson original Is in a perfect
state OF preservation.
The first facsimile Of the Declar,-
ton was made in 1873 when John
Quincy Adams was Secretary Of
State. The Secretary sent a facsimile
to Jefferson in 1874 In compliance with
the resolution OF Congress authorizing
the distribution OF 300 copies 10 sim
ers and their heirs and Others. IN. .
Declaration has been photographed
probably L. times
tCoPsnsht. 1873 by John Gro~-. w.-binr>,n
ID. O. An nghts r-sr-ed)