Evening star., 1935-08-02
The Declaration Debunked
Most Famous Paper in U. S. History
Signed August 2-Not July 4.
BY DON BLOCH.

BY DON BLOCH.
| ~ NE HUNDRED and fifty-nine
years ago this day, August 2.
1776, there was signed in
~ Philadelphia State House the
most sacred of our historical docu-
ments, the Declaration of Independ-
ence
But that paper. itself, enshrined
forever in the Library of Congress. is
headed distinctly, In Congress, July
4. 1776. "
! You have also seen, in countless
books OF history, that Thomas JET
ferson was its author. That. too, is
| incorrect.
The facts, briefly. concerning the
signing of that document and the
celebration following. the Ring,
grandpa, ring!" incident in connec-
ton with the Liberty Bell. are these:
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, au-
thored and introduced the resolution
now known as the Declaration of In
dependence, on July /, l776. 1t was
adopted the next day, and debated
through July 3 and T. Thomas JEFF
| ferson penned only the preamble,
adopted July 4, in Congress.
Actually Signed August 2.
| Signing actually took place on Au-
gust 2, when so members attached
their names. Wythe signed about Au-
gust 27; Lee. Gerry and Wolcott, IN
September. and Thomas Mexican OF
Pennsylvania actually did not sign it
as it now stands until some time in
1871. On January l8, l777, Congress
ordered that an authenticated copy OF
| the Declaration be sent round to all
| the States; that is, the copy which
settled the date of subsequent celebra-
tions everywhere as of July 4, the date
generally believed when the signing
took place.
The legend Of the Liberty Bell, with
its blond headed. blue-eyed boy noti-
fying the white-haired old man in the
steeple when to ring out the glad It'd
| ings, is entirely the fiction of one
George Lippard, a long forgotten,
voluminous teller Of tales Of Philadel-
phia, who wasn't born until 1922, al
most half a century after the Decla-
ration itself was first proclaimed.
Long afterward, when age had
blurred their memories, Adams,
Franklin and Jefferson all told anx-
| ious antiquarians that July was the
true date of signing. Lippard's fam
cied account of the ringing of the
Liberty Bell persists like the legend
of Washingtons little hatchet-a
moral tale, as we now know, created
in the mind of Georges biographer.
Parson Weems. The facts above. how
ever, come from the records Of the
Continental Congress, and are fully
substantiated by letters and diaries of
the time.
| Sessions Held in Private.
The ordinary legislative procedure
was followed in adopting the Declara-
ton. No more then than it does now
did the ringing of bells or the collec-
tion of signatures follow the taking
of an important vote. A resolution,
which declared "that these Colonies
are, and of right ought to be, free and
independent States" was offered by
Lee on June z, 1776, and adopted July
2. This was the Declaration of indie
pendence. 1t was so entered in the
journal of Congress as passed.
According to custom, all sessions OF
the Continental Congress were held in
private. Word, of course, always got
out concerning any important meas
ure. Thus, in the Pennsylvania
Evening Post of July 2. fianked by
advertisements for runaway slaves
and Jamaica spirits for sale, there
was briefly noted that This day the
Continental Congress declared the
United Colonies Free and Independent
States" On the following day the
Gazette carried similar item along
side an advertisement offering for
indenture a Dutch servant girl,
healthy, strong. and good-uatured."
The news spread slowly. appearing
in New York on July 8, in Boston
three days later. The date of July 2
was everywhere given, however, and
the people assumed that would always
be the date Of celebrations. John
Adams wrote his wife on July 8, say
ing, "The Second Day of August, 1776,
will be the most memorable Epoch in
the History of America. It
ought to be solemnized with Pomp and
Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports,
Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illumina-
tions from one end of this Continent
to the other from this Time forward
forever more
Congress Shifted Date.
But Congress shifted the date to
July by proceedings which certainly
did not contemplate that result.
Congress customarily dealt with the
bare proposition before it in order to
limit the range Of controversy. Next
in order was the preamble or reasons
| for such action. A committee had
been selected to draft a preamble in
anticipation of the Lee resolution. It
drew up such statement, and it was
on the table when Lee introduced his
declaration. For two days 1t was con-
sidered, revised. and trimmed. Then
the preamble as written by jefferson
was adopted July 4. The vote was