The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-06-24


separately"
When the committee came to decide
who was to write the Declaration. 1t
was finally agreed that Jefferson
should do it. 1t Is said that Jefferson
explained to Franklin the reason
why he, as their senior, was not asked
to write it was that 1t was feared he
could not resist the temptation to put
a joke into it, and the Declaration was
serious business! Although stories diff
fer on the manner Of selecting the
writer, the fact remains that Jefferson
did write the first draft and the desk
upon which he wrote 1t (shOwn above)
Is still preserved. 1t Is interesting to
note that this desk was for long
time in the possession of man
named Coolidge. John Coolidge of
Boston, and at his death by his will
1t passed into the custody of congress.
This first draft of the Declaration,
which is often reproduced shows also
the handwriting of Franklin and
Adams who made a few minor cOrrec-
lions in 1t. Jefferson later gave it to
Richard Henry Lee and in 1925 his
grandson presented it to the American
Philosophical Society of Philadelphia,
which later entrusted it to the custody
OF, the patent office in Washington.
After Franklin and Adams had made
their changes on the first draft, Jeffer-
son wrote second copy, incorporat-
ing their amendments, and presented
it to the committee which reported it
unchanged to congress.
On July 1. the date set by congress
for considering a declaration Of in
dependence, the original resolutions
offered by Richard Henry Lee first
came up for consideration before con-
gress acting as committee of the
whole. The formal vote was taken the
next day, July 2, and the resolutions
were approved by two-thirds vote.
Delegates from Delaware, Pennsyl-
vania and South Carolina voted in the
negative and those from New York,
having no instructions from their col
onies, did not vote. So under one in
depreciation, July 2 should be indie
pendence day, for it was on that date
that the colonies declared their indie
pendence and the declaration of indie
pendence which they adopted through
their representatives was that written
by Richard Henry Lee instead of
Thomas Jefferson and was not the
document so revered by Americans at
all!
In fact, If the suggestion of John
Adams had been followed, we would
now be celebrating on July 2 instead
of July 4. In commenting upon the
momentous act Of adopting Lees in
dependence resolution, Adams said,
1.-THE second day of July, 1776, will
be the most memorable epocha in the
history of America. 1t ought
to be concentrated, as a day of de-
liverance, by solemn acts of devotion
to God Almighty. 1t ought to be
solemnized with pomp and parade,
with shows, games sports, guns, bells,
bonfires and Examinations, from one
end of this continent to the other.
from this time forward, forevermore."
July 8 and were spent by congress
in discussing the draft of the declara-
ton of independence presented by JEFF
ferson, acting for the committee.
There was a lively debate which end
ed In the striking out Of the paragraph
accusing King George of "piratical
warfare" and few other compare
lively unimportant lines. Then on July
4 the delegates from ~ colonies who
had been authorized to vote for indie
pendence agreed upon the final draft,
after the amendment had been incor-
porated, which was to be printed that
night in the form of poster by John
Dunlap. printer, for public distribu-
ton. The significant feature of this
poster. according to one historian, lies