Evening star., 1934-01-21
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
Setting history straight and giving
the youth of the land many interesting
facts, now little known, regarding the
history Of the Declaration Of Independ-
ence and the Constitution Of the United
States, George H. Carter, the public
printer. has Just published for the Joint
Committee on Printing Of Congress
compact booklet, valued to all schools.
He has also set up in the Government
Printing Office an exhibit typographi-
cally as well as historically interesting
to which the public Is invited.
One OF the most important facts es-
tablished by this new Government pub
lication and exhibit is that the "origi-
nal" copy of the Declaration enshrined
in the Library of Congress and viewed
annually by hundreds Of thousands of
tourists Is not the real original, but the
engrossed copy which bears the authen-
tic signatures. The real official original
copy was printed instead of hand writ
members of the continental Congress
by John Dunlap a Philadelphia crafts
man. was pasted into the handy written
manuscript journals Of the Congress as
part of the ofncial record of the pro-
ceedtngs of July 4, 1776, and bears only
the signatures Of John Hancock, presi-
dent OF the Congress and attest" by
Charles Thompson, secretary. It was a
printed copy OF this same type-setting
that was sent to Gen. Warrington and
read by him to his troops. This same
type was used in the first public publ
cation Of the Declaration In the Penn
sylvania Evening Post Of Philadelphia,
July s, 1776, bearing only the signatures
Of Hancock and Thompson. Copies
were also sent to the State Assemblies.
This real original pasted into the Jour-
mails Of Congress and the copy which
Washington read to his armies are pre-
served in the manuscript division Of the
Library Of Congress.
1t was not until July 10, 1776, that
Congress adopted a resolution direct
ing that an engrose copy of this
original Declaration pe made and
signed by every member of Congress
And the Journal on August 2 records
that engrossed copy was signed by
the members.
The history printed by the Public
Printer and his exhibit show, that as
matter Of fact, q number Of the
members Of Congress who later signed
the Declaration were not present in
Congress when 1t was adopted on July
or when 1t was engroSsed on August
2. Several who were members on
July 2 did not sign the engrossed
Declaration. Michael in his STORY of
the Declaration Of Independence" pub
lished by the State Department states
1T is quite certain that George Wythe
signed about August 27; Richard Henry
Lee, Elbridge Gerry and Oliver Wolcott
and Col. Mexican says he did not sign
until 1871" Thomas Mexican of Della
ware voted for the resolution Of inde-
pendence, but was with Washington's s
army when the Declaration was en-
crossed and was not a member Of Con-
gress from December. ITS, to jan
uary 80, 1778
Thornton was not appointed by New
Hampshire until September IL, 1776,
and first attended Congress on Novem-
Der 4. 1776 Five other signers Of the
engrossed eclaration-Benjamin Rush,
George Clymer, James Smith, George
Taylor and George Ross of Pennsyl-
vania-were not appointed to Congress
until July 20, 1776. when they sue
ceeded three Pennsylvania members
who were In Congress on July 4, but
did not support the Declaration.
Robert Morris Of Pennsylvania, Will
liam Williams Of Connecticut and
sent on July 4. but signed the en-
crossed Declaration on August 2 OIL
yer Wolcott of Connecticut and George
Wythe and Richard Henry Lee Of Vir-
ginia were absent on July and on
August 2. Elbridge Gerry of Massa-
chusetts was also absent on August 2,
and likewise signed on his return to
Congress. Charles Carroll Of Carrolton
was appointed Delegate by Maryland
on July 4. 1776. presented his creden-
tials on July 18 and signed the en-
crossed copy of the Declaration on
August 2 Three Maryland members
who were appointed on July 4 did not
sign. The New York State convention
did not authorize its delegates to ap-
prove the Declaration until July 8, and
Congress was so notified on July IS.
Four of the New York members. who
refrained from voting for lack Of
authority on July 4, signed the en-
crossed Declaration on August 2.
BY direction of an order Of Congress
recorded in the Journals for January
10, 1777, authenticated copies of the
scribing members and the order Of Con-
gress signed by John Hancock as Presi-
dent and attested by Charles Thomp-
son as secretary were printed In broad
side form-by woman-Mary Kath-
arine Goddard, in Baltimore, where
Congress was then in session. A copy
of this Goddard broadside, authenticat-
ed in writing by Hancock with an attest
by Thompson as a true copy" in the
Library of Congress with a letter writ
ten and signed by Hancock on January
81, 1777 transmitting the broadside
copies to the States, that 1t may hence
forth form part of the archives OF
YOUR State and Union, lasting testi-
mony Of your appreciation of that neces-
sary and important measure"
The print of the Declaration in jan
uary, l777, contains the first list of the
signers to be published by order OF Con-
eress. This list does not include the
name of Thomas Mexican. as evidently
he had not then signed the engrosseo
COPY. The printed list OF signers varies
from the engrossed copy by placing the
name of Matthew Thornton with those
of the other New Hampshire signers.:
Thornton's signature on the engrosseo
copv follows the Connecticut members.
The signature on the original en-
crossed copy were written in six col
ilnns without State designations but IN
geographical order from North to South,
beginning with the right column. The
Goddard broadside group the names
of the signers in four columns, braced
with their respective States, reading
from right to left. John Hancock's
name is printed in large letters above
the center.