Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-12
NEW DECLARATION
|. Of INDEPENDENCE
DRAFT" REPORTED
Authorities on Historical
Manuscripts Doubt "0rig-
inaI" Is Found.
DOCUMENT MIGHT BE
BINNS' PRINTED COPY
Antique Dealer in Toronto Is Cred
tied in Dispatch With Having
Priceless Paper.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The fate of the draft of the Declara-
ton of independence, which was ap-
proved by the Continental Congress on
July 4, 1776, and which would be one
of the most valuable historical manu-
scripts in the world, is unknown.
This was revealed by authorities on
historical manuscripts at the Library of
Congress yesterday, following a news
paper dispatch from Toronto to the
effect that the original draft of the
Declaration of independence" had
turned up in the hands of an antique
dealer in the Canadian city.
The manuscript as described, however,
could not be the priceless paper which
would be worth many times its weight
in gold to any one fortunate enough to
discover it. The probability is that the
Philadelphia printer to whom it was
sent on the night of July 4 or morning
of July simply tore it up after setting
the type.
What is considered as almost certainly
the original draft, in the handwriting
of Thomas Jefferson but with changes
in the hand of Benjamin Franklin and
others, was found among Jefferson'S
papers after his death and is among
the most cherished possessions of the
national Library.
Not the Copy Congress Adopted.
But, according to DR.. John A. Fitz-
patrick editor of Washington's diaries
and authority on the affairs of the Con-
tinental Congress, this is almost GER
tainly not the copy which was sub
mitted to the Congress, adopted and
ordered set up. The manuscript in
JefferSon's handwriting contains no
signatures. The sheets which came
from the printer bear the signatures of
TonRnPl
tinental Congress, and Charles Thorn
son, clerk.
None of the members OF the Contins
entail Congress signed at this time.
The parchment copy of the Declara-
ton, which was signed by all the mem
bers of the Continental Congress, was
made month afterward by a special
resolution of the body. 1t was the first
to contain any signatures, other than
those of Hancock and Thomson, and
generally is regarded as the original
Declaration.
Sheet May Have Been Signed.
There is, however, a bare possibility
that one of the printed sheets issued on
July was signed by the members-but,
says DR. Fitzpatrick, the only support
for this is the word of Thomas Jetfer-
son almost so years later. Jefferson, he
says, got into an argument in which he
asserted that the signatures had been
affixed on July T.. He was shown the
actual records of the Continental Con-
gress, showing that the resolution to
sign it was not adopted until some
weeks later.
jefferson then, 1t is asserted, said that
he was not referring to the parchment
copy, but to a paper copy which was
signed. The circumstances OF the con-
versation. says DR.. Fitzpatrick, indicate
either that Jefferson'S memory was
faulty or that he misstated deliberately
to back up his own argument.
If he was telling the truth, however,
the paper may still exist somewhere and
would be priceless, since a single sigma
ture of some of the SignerS now COM
nrandS fabulous prices. 1t would be even
more valuable than the draft which the
printer is supposed to have torn up.
"OriginaP Is Found Often.
Every now and then. says Mr.. Fitz-
patrick, the Library receives word that
the original Declaration of Independ-
ence" has been found somewhere. This
is due to the fact that an enterpriSing
and patriotic printer, John BinnS OF
Philadelphia, a few months after the
official signing of the parchment copy
made an exact facsimile of 1t, had it
decorated deliberately by John Singleton
Copley, the celebrated colonial painter,
and engraved on it the signatures OF
John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson and
George Washington. Washington was
not Signer Of the parchment Declara-
ton.
Binns, an enterprising business man,
then had a handsome steel engraving
made of his copy and sold many repro
auctions. Some of these still are in ex-
istence The work was so well done
that whenever one appears the finder,
ignorant of the real history of the Dec
laration, thinks the original manuscript
has come into his hands.
Some years ago the Library of Con-
gresS carried on correspondence with
an English lady, who claimed that the
original manuscript was in her pos
| session, inherited from one of her
ancestors, an officer on the British
ship Shannon, which captured the
American frigate Chesapeake, COM
manded by the celebrated Capt. James
Lawrence, in Boston Harbor, in 1918.
The manuscript was found she said, in
Lawrences cabin after the heroic cap
| tain'S death.
The actual original draft, Dr. Fitz-
patrick says, probably never passed Gus
of JefferSons possession and a clean
copy was made for submission to the
Continental Congress. Years later the
Sage of Monticello recognized the his
toric value of the paper in his desk
and noted in the margin, in whose
| handwriting were the various changes.
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