Newark post., 1919-07-02
DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE NOT
SIGNED JULY q
Historical Evidence Seems to
Prove Names Affixed
Later

the adoption Of the Declaration of
Independence. This day, known
commonly as the Fourth Of July,
will be celebrated in Washington
with great pomp and splendor. In
other sections Of the country it will
be celebrated with varying degrees
of hilarity from the "safe and
sane" observances in well regulat
ed cities and towns to the noisy
orgies of those not so well reg
ulated.
Concerning the document whose
signing has caused this nation wide
Observance, comparatively little is
known. The original copy is writ
ten by hand on parchment and is
now very much worn and faded.
1t is kept in an alright and light
proof case in the library of the
Department of State. It is too
precious a document to be exposed
to the light and air, so that only
facsimiles are ever shown to the
public.
Such facsimile is on exhibition
in the division Of history at the
Nationl Museum where are also
preserved relics and mementos of
the Second Continental Congress
which signed the great document.
Contrary to popular belief evil
dence seems to prove that the
!. Declaration was not signed on the
Fourth Of July but in the period
between August 2, 1776 and Janu-
ary IS, 1777, after it had been en-
crossed and compared. At that
time only 55 signatures appeared,
that of Thomas Mexican having
been added later
The famous resolution which led
to its adoption was introduced on
June 7, 1776, by Richard Henry
Lee of Virginia before the Second
Continental Congress which was
then in session in Philapelphia.
Consideration Of this resolution
was postponed and on June IL,
Thomas Jecerson, John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sher-
man, and R. E. Livingston were
appointed committee to prepare
Declaration to serve as a pre-
amble to this resolution. This was
known as the jefferson committee.
They submitted draft of the
resolution on June %. This was
laid on the table for further con-
sideration. On July l the Con-
gress sitting as committee Of the
whole to consider the resolution
concerning independence, approx
ed and reported to Congress. On
July 2 the resolution itself was
adopted by Congress and the
Declaration was considered by the
committee of the whole and was
taken up the next day, July 3.
On July 4, the Declaration,
which included the first paragraph
of the resolution, was reported
by the committee Of the whole and
adopted. The independence of the
united colonies was thus declared
Then the Congress ordered the
Declaration to be authenticated
and printed under the supervision
Of the committee which prepared
it. Copies were ordered to be dis
tributed to the different state as
semblies and to the commanding
officers in the army.
Accordingly it was printed anc
issued on July 5 with the heading
In Congress, July 4, 1776. 4
Declaration by the Representa-
tives of the United States of Am
erica in General Congress AS
sembled. " It bore in print thu
name of John Hancock, preslden
of the Congress and was attestet
by Secretary Charles Thompson
but bore no other signatures.
On July 19 the following resolu
ton was passed, "That the De
claration passed on the fourth b.
engrossed on parchment with tn
title and stile of 'The Unanlmou
Declaration of the Thirteen State
of America'," and that the sam
when engrossed be signed by ever.
member of the Congress. - 1t coult
not have been worded "unanlm
Gus on July 4 for the New Yorl
delegates had not been authorized
to agree to it until July Is.
The work of engrossing wa
finished by August 2, 1776. Thos
who were present on that date al
fixed their signatures and thos
who were not signed before Janu
arv 1S 1777 with one exception.