ant State. The sensible part of the House opposed the Motion they had no objection to forming a Scheme of a Treaty which they would send to France by proper Persons & uniting this Continent by a Confederacy; they saw no Wisdom in a Declaration of Independence, nor any other Purpose to be enforced by it, but placing ourselves in the Power of those with whom we mean to treat, giving our Enemy Notice of our Intentions before we had taken any steps to execute them . . . The event, however, was that the Question was postponed; it is to be renewed on Monday when I mean to move that it should be postponed for 3 Weeks or Months. In the mean Time the plan of Confederation & the Scheme of Treaty may go on. I don't know whether I shall succeed in this Motion; I think not, it is at least Doubtful. However I must do what is right in my own Eyes, & Consequences must take Care of themselves. I wish you had been here the whole Argument was sustained on one side by R. Livingston, Wilson, Dickenson, & myself, & by the Power of all N. England, Virginia & Georgia at the other."

On Monday, June 10th 36, the Journal tells us,

37

Agreeable to Order the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole to take into their farther considerathe resolutions to them referred and after some time spent thereon the president resumed the chair and Mr Harrison reported that the Come have taken into consideration the matter to them referred and M' Harrison reported that the committee have had under consideration the resolutions to them referred and have come to a resolution 38, which he he read

The Congress took into consideration the report from the committee of the whole whereupon

consideration of the

Resolved That the first resolution be postponed to this day

while that no

three weeks, and that, in the mean time least any time should

agree thereto

Λ

Λ

that

be lost in case the Congress to this resolution, a committee be appointed to prepare a declaration to the effect of the said first resolution, which is in these words

"That these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independant states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown and that all political connection between them & the state of great Britain is & ought to be totally dissolved"

Resolved That the come be discharged.

The several matters to this day referred being postponed Adjourned to 9 o clock to morrow.

"The question for postponing the declaration was carried by seven Colonies against five :[.]" 39 Jefferson's notes say:

It appearing in the course of these debates that the colonies of

& South Carolina 40

N. York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware & Maryland had not yet advanced to were not yet matured for falling off from the parent stem, but that they were fast advancing to that state, it was thought most prudent to wait a while for them, and to postpone the final decision to July 1.

43

42

It seems highly probable "1 though the language is not very definite-that the change of Hewes 2 spoken of by John Adams in a letter 3 to William Plumer, dated Quincy, March 28, 1813, took place, in the committee of the whole, upon this day (or upon the 8th?). Adams says: "[J] You inquire, in your kind letter of the 19th,

whether 'every member of Congress did, on the 4th of July, 1776, in fact, cordially approve of the declaration of independence.' They who were then members, all signed it, and, as I could not see their hearts, it would

be hard for me to say they did not approve it; but, as far as I could penetrate the intricate, internal foldings of their souls, I then believed, and have not since altered my opinion, that there were several who signed with regret, and several others, with many doubts and much lukewarmness. The measure had been upon the market for months, and obstinately opposed from day to day. Majorities were constantly against it. For many days the majority depended on Mr. Hewes, of North Carolina. While a member", one day, was speaking, and reading documents from all the colonies, to prove that the public opinion, the general sense of all, was in favor of the measure, when he came to North Carolina, and produced letters and public proceedings which demonstrated that the majority of that colony were in favor of it, Mr. Hewes, who had hitherto constantly voted against it, started suddenly upright, and lifting up both his hands to Heaven, as if he had been in a trance, cried out, 'It is done! and I will abide by it.' I would give more for a perfect painting of the terror and horror upon the faces of the old majority, at that critical moment, than for the best piece of Raphael. The question, however, was eluded by an immediate motion for adjournment. The struggle in Congress was long known abroad. Some members, who foresaw that the point would be carried, left the house and went home, to avoid voting in the affirmative or negative. Pennsylvania and New

E