2121. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, Signers of.—
Governor McKean,
in his letter to McCorkle of July 16th,
1817, has thrown some lights on the transactions
of that day; but, trusting to his memory
chiefly, at an age when our memories are not
to be trusted, he has confounded two questions,
and ascribed proceedings to one which
belonged to the other. These two questions
were, 1st, the Virginia motion of June the
7th, to declare Independence; and 2d, the actual
Declaration, its matter and form. Thus
he states the question on the Declaration itself
as decided on the 1st of July; but it was
the Virginia motion which was voted on
that day in Committee of the Whole; South
Carolina, as well as Pennsylvania, then voting
against it. But the ultimate decision
in the House, on the report of the Committee,
being, by request, postponed to the next morning;
all the States voted for it except New
York, whose vote was delayed for the reason
before stated. It was not till the 2d of
July, that the Declaration itself was taken
up; nor till the 4th, that it was decided, and
it was signed by every member present, except
Mr. Dickinson.—
To Samuel A. Wells. Washington ed. i, 120.
Ford ed., x, 130.
(M.
1819)
