Jefferson evidently was not pleased at these amendments 49; for he writes, to R. H. Lee, July 8th: 50 For news I refer you to your brother [Francis Lightfoot Lee] who writes on that head. I inclose you a copy of the Declaration of Independance as agreed to by the house, & also as originally framed. you will judge whether it is the better or worse for the critics. I shall return to Virginia after the 11th of Aug. I wish my succefsor may be certain to come before that time. in that case I shall hope to see you & mr Wythe1 in Convention, that the bufiness of government which is of everlasting concern may receive your aid.”

Nor, if he himself can be believed, did he accept them with the stoicism of a born-politician; for, in a letter 52 to Robert Walsh, written at Monticello, December 4, 1818, he says: "[P] I state a few anecdotes of D Franklin, within my own knolege," among which is the following: "[P] When the Declaration of Independance was under the consideration of Congress, there were two or three unlucky expressions in it which gave offence to some members. The words "Scotch and other foreign auxiliaries excited the ire of a gentleman or two of that country. severe strictures on the conduct of the British king, in negativing our repeated repeals of the law which permitted the importation of slaves, were disapproved by some Southern gentlemen, whose reflections were not yet matured to the full abhorrence of that traffic. altho' the offensive expressions were immediately yielded, these gentlemen continued their depredations on other parts of the instrument. I was sitting by D! Franklin, who perceived that I was not insensible to these mutilations. "I have made it a rule, said he, whenever in my power,

53

to avoid becoming the draughtsman of papers to be reviewed by a public body. I took my lesson from an incident which I will relate to you. when I was a journeyman printer, one of my companions, an apprentice Hatter, having served out his time, was about to open shop for himself. his first concern was to have a handsome signboard, with a proper inscription. he composed it in these words "John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money," with a figure of a hat subjoined. but he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments. the first he shewed it to thought the word

Hatter," tautologous, because followed by the words "makes hats" which shew he was a Hatter. it was struck out. the next observed that the word "makes" might as well be omitted, because his customers would not care who made the hats. if good & to their mind, they would buy, by whomsoever made. he struck it out. a third said he thought the words "for ready money," were useless as it was not the custom of the place to sell on credit. every one who purchased expected to pay. they were parted with, and the inscription now stood "John Thomson sells hats." "sells hats" says his next friend? why nobody will expect you to give them away. what then is the use of that word? it was stricken out, and "hats" followed it, the rather, as there was one painted on the board. so his inscription was reduced ultimately to "John Thomson" with the figure of a hat subjoined.”

We have the opinions of a few others also of the amendments. Bartlett writes, July 1st: "The Declaration before Congress is, I think, a pretty good one. I hope it will not be spoiled by canvassing in Congress.”

57

55

Mrs. Abigail Adams', R. H. Lee's and Pendleton's letters of July 14th, July 21st and August 10th, respectively, are given elsewhere. John Adams, in his letter of 1822 to Pickering, says: "[Ms] Congress cut off about a quarter part of it, as I expected they would, but they obliterated some of the best of it and left all that was exceptionable, if anything in it was. I have long wondered that the original draft has not been published. I suppose the reason is the vehement Phillipic against Negro Slavery." "[H] It was two o'clock 56 in the afternoon", says Lossing (though upon what authority he does not state, and, we think, with little, if any, warrant), "when the final decision 58 was announced by Secretary Thomson when the secretary sat down, a deep silence pervaded that august assembly. Thousands of anxious citizens had gathered in the streets 59 . . From the hour when Congress convened in the morning, the old bellman had been in the steeple. He placed a boy at the door below, to give him notice when the announcement should be made. As hour succeeded hour, the gray-beard shook his head, and said, 'They will never do it! they will never do it!' Suddenly a loud shout came up from below, and there stood the blue-eyed boy, clapping his hands and shouting, 'Ring! ring!' Grasping the iron tongue of the old bell 60 . backward and forward he hurled it a hundred times, its loud voice proclaiming Liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof.' The excited multitude in the streets responded with loud acclamations, and with cannon-peals, bonfires, and illuminations, the patriots held glorious carnival that night in the quiet city of Penn."

L

VIII

NEW YORK AND PENNSYLVANIA

ET us take a brief glance at the situation in New
York and in Pennsylvania.

The Provincial Congress of New York convened in the Assembly Chamber of the City Hall in New York City on May 14th. On the 15th, Alsop was present; and, five days later, Francis Lewis appeared.

Jay also had been elected to this Congress and had left1 Philadelphia; and Duane2, who had remained there, sent him a copy of the resolution of Congress of May 15th on the day after its publication, and R. R. Livingston (also at Philadelphia) wrote him concerning it on the next day.

3

6

On the 18th, Duane again wrote him, saying: "[Z] I wrote you, my dear Sir, a hasty scrawl by the post on a most important subject. You know the Maryland Instructions 5 and those of Pensylvania. I am greatly in doubt whether either of their Assemblies or Conventions will listen to a recommendation the preamble of which so openly avows independence & separation. The lower Counties [Delaware] will probably adhere to Pensylvania. New Jersey you can gain a good judgment of from the reception this important

8

Resolution has met with. The orators of Virginia with Col. Henry at their head are against a Change of Government; the body of the people, Col. Nelson, on whose authority you have this sent, thinks are for it . . . There seems therefore no reason that our Colony shou'd be too precipitate in changing the present mode of Government. I wou'd first be well assured of the opinion of the Inhabitants at large. Let them be rather followed than driven on an occasion of such moment. But, above all, let us see the conduct of the middle Colonies before we come to a decision: It cannot injure us to wait a few weeks: the advantage will be great for this trying question will clearly discover the true principles & the extent of the Union of the Colonies."

Following (doubtless) — May 24th9 May 24th- the receipt of this letter, Jay also attended upon the Provincial Congress; and, on the last day of the month, this body called upon the people to elect Deputies to a Convention (to meet, July 9th), authorized to act upon the question of the formation of a new government (for New York).

A letter dated New York City the same day (May 31st) says: "I do not learn that a word has been said in our Convention [Provincial Congress] upon the subject of a Declaration of Independence.

The "Committee of Mechanics in union", however, of which Lewis Thibou was chairman, sitting at Mechanic Hall in the same city, two days before (the 29th), "for ourselves and our constituents, hereby publicly declare [d] that, should you, gentlemen of our honourable Provincial Congress, think proper to instruct our most honourable Delegates in Continental Congress to use their utmost