86 LETTERS OF M:KEAN August 4, 1796, from Philadelphia, to ALEXANDER J. DALLAS The Publication of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th day of July 1776, as printed in the Journals of Congress, Vol. 2, most of the pa. 241 &c. and also in most of the Acts of public bodies since, so far as respects the names of the Delegates or Deputies who made that Declaration on that day in Congress, has [taught me to think less unfavorably of scepticism than formerly] . . . By the printed publications referred to, it would appear as if the fifty five Gentlemen, whose there printed as having signed it Signers names are signed thereto and none other, were on that day personally present in Congress and assenting to the Declaration; But the truth is present-ner Whereas otherwise. The following Gentlemen were not D Members of Congress on that on the 4th of July 1776, to wit, Matthew Thornton, Benjamin Rush, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor and George Ross; Esqs the five last named were not chosen Delegates until the 20th day of that Month, the first not until the 12th day of September following, nor did he take his seat in Congress until the 4th of November 1776 ... Altho' the six Gentlemen named had been active in the cause of very Λ warmly America, and some of them to my own knowledge in favor of its Inde pendence before the day on which it was declared, yet I know, that none of them were in Congress on that day. personally When I Modesty should not rob any man of his just honor, when by that honor his modesty cannot be offended. My name is not in the printed Journals of Congress as a party to the Declaration of Independence, and this, like an error in the first concoction, has pervaded most the fact is that then vitiated Λ of the subsequent publications; and yet I was a Member of Congress for the State of Delaware, was personally present in Congress, voted in favor of Indepence on the 4th of July 1776, and afterwards signed the declaration, after it was engrossed on parchment; where my name in my own hand-writing still appears... [Henry Wisner, of the state of NewYork, was also in Congress, and voted for Independence.] On the 5th of July 1776 I was chosen Chairman at a conference . . . And in a few days afterwards I marched with the 4th Battalion of the Philadelphia Militia, being the Colonel, to Amboy in New-Jersey, and remained in the Army till the flying camp of ten thousand men was formed. In 1781 I published the Vol. of the State Laws of Pennsylvania, and had my to the Declaration of Independence. name placed Associators From these circumstances it must be pretty evident, that I was present in Congress on the 4th July 1776 and joined in the vote for had been in favor of Independence and did not neglect eh an[?] opportunity of declaring it in form. Independence John Morton, I well remember, that on Monday the 1st July the Congress, in a Committee of the whole, voted in favor of Independence, all the States concurring except Pennsylvania, which voted in the negative, and Delaware, which was divided. Those Delegates for Pennsylvania, who voted in the negative, were John Dickinson, Robert Morris, Thomas Willing and Charles Humphries Esquires, those in the affirmative were Benjamin Franklin and James Wilson Esquires. For Delaware, my vote was for Independence, my Colleague George Read Esquire voted against it. On the 4th July (which was a rainy day) Mess's Dickinson & Morris did not attend and in consequence the Vote of Pennsylvania was in favor of the measure and Cæsar Rodney the other Delegate for Delaware having for the purpose by me by Express, Esquire Λ were absent been sent for by Express, attended and voted likewise in the affirmative, A Colonies so that on that day there was an unanimous vote of the thirteen States for Independence. I had not heard that the declarat Instrument had been engrossed on parchment and signed, by the members, until some weeks after I returned from Camp, and (I believe) until I returned from New been castle, where I had employed some weeks, as a member of the Convention chosen to form their a new Government for that State; but I subscribed my name to it in the presence of the Congress sometime in the year 1776. mistatement How the errors in the printed Journal has happened I know not; the it [The manuscript public Journal has no names annexed to the declaration of independence, nor has the secret Journal; but it appears by the latter, that on the 19th day of July, 1776, the Congress directed that it should be engrossed on parchment, and signed by every member, and that it was so produced on the 2d August, and signed. This is interlined in the secret Journal, in the hand-writing of Charles Thompson, Esquire, the Secretary. The present Secretary of State of the United States and myself have lately inspected the Journals, and seen this. The Journal] was printed first in 1778 by M; John Dunlap.38 [and probably copies, with the names then signed to it, were printed in August, 1776, and that Mr. Dunlap printed the names from one of them.] However I have now given you a true, tho' brief history of the Affair, not being willing to enlarge upon it and flatter myself some steps will be taken to correct the error Ham S which have been suffered too long to exist.* published ... * As you are engaged to publish a new edition of the Laws of Pennsylvania I thought this a proper opportunity to convey to you this information. it August 22, 1813, from Philadelphia, to CESAR AUGUSTUS RODNEY 89 Your favor of the 22 last month . . . came safe to hand Where I recollect what passed in Congress in the beginning of July 1776 respecting Independence; it was not as you have conceived, On Monday the 1st of July the question was taken in the committee of the whole, when the State of Pennsylvania (represented by seven Gentlemen then present) voted ag. it: Delaware, (having then only two Representatives present) was divided; all the other States voted in favor of it. upon, without delay I sent an Express (at my private expence) for your honored Uncle Cæsar Rodney Esquire, the remaining member for Delaware, whom I met at the State-house door in his boots & spurs, as the members were assembling; after a friendly salutation (without a word on the business) we went into the Hall of Congress together, and found we were among the latest: proceedings immediately commenced, and after a few minutes the great question; when the vote for Delaware was called, your uncle arose and said; As I believe the voice of my constituents and that of all sensible & honest men is in favor of Independence my own judgment concurs with them, I vote for Independence, or in words to the same effect. The State of Pennsylvania on the 4th of July & e was put (There being only five members present, Messrs Dickinson & Morris, voted who had in the committee of the whole against Independence were absent) voted for it; three to two, Mess's Willing & Humphries in the negative. Unanimity in the thirteen States, an all important point on so great an occasion, was thus obtained; the dissension of a single State might have produced very dangerous consequences. Now, that I am on this subject, I will tell you some truths, not generally known. In the printed public journal of Congress for 1776, vol. 2. it would appear that the declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th July by the members, whose names are there inserted, but the fact is not so, for no person signed it on that day nor for many days after and among the names subscribed, one was agt it, Mr Read, and seven were not in Congress on that day, namely, Mess's Morris, Rush, Clymer, Smith, Taylor & Ross of Pensylvania, and Mr Thornton of NewHampshire, nor were the six Gentlemen last named at that time members; the five for P. were appointed Delegates by the Convention of that State on the 20th July, and M; Thornton entered Congress for the first time on the 4th of Novem! following: when the names of Henry Wisner of New-York & Thomas MiKean of Delaware are not printed as subscribers, tho' both were present & voted for Independence. Here false colours are certainly hung out; there is culpability somewhere. What I can offer as an apology or explanation is; that on the 4th of July 1776 the declaration of Independence was ordered to be ingrossed on parchment & then to be signed, and I have been told, that a resolve had passed a few days after and was entered on the secret journal, that no person should have a seat in congress, during that year, until he should have signed the declaration, in order (as I have been given to understand) to prevent traitors or spies from worming themselves amongst us. I was not in Congress after the 4th for some months having marched with my regiment of associators of this city as Colonel, to support General Washington until a flying camp of ten thousand men was completed. When the associators were discharged I returned to Philadelphia, took my seat in congress & then signed the declaration on parchment. Two days after I went to Newcastle, joined the Convention for forming a constitution for the future government of the State of Delaware (having been elected a member for Newcastle county) which I wrote in a tavern, without a book or any assistance. You may rely on the accuracy of the foregoing relation. June 16, 1817, from Philadelphia, to MESSRS. WM. M'CORKLE & SON 40 Several applications having been recently made to me, to state the errors which I had observed, and often mentioned, in the publications of the names of the members of the Continental Congress, who declared in favor of the Independence of the United States, on the 4th day of July, 1776—I have not, at present, sufficient health and leisure to reply severally to each application. There can be but one correct statement of facts one public statement, therefore, through the press, will serve the purpose of the gentlemen who have made the request, and may also give satisfaction to the minds of others, who have turned their thoughts upon the subject. If I am correct in my statement, it may be of use to future historians; if not, my errors can be readily corrected. I wish, therefore, by means of your paper, to make the following statement of the facts within my knowledge, relative to the subject of enquiry. On Monday, the 1st day of July, 1776, the arguments in Congress for and against the Declaration of Independence, having been exhausted, and the measures fully considered, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole; the question was put by the chairman, and all the States voted in the affirmative, except Pennsylvania, which was in the negative, and Delaware, which was equally divided. Pennsylvania, at that time, had seven members, viz. John Morton, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, John Dickinson, Robert Morris, Thomas Willing, and Charles Humphreys. All were present on the first of July, and the three first named voted for the Declaration of Independence, the remaining four against it. The State of Delaware had three members, Cæsar Rodney, George Read, and myself. George Read and I were present. I voted for it, Geo. Read against it. When the president resumed the chair, the chairman of the committee of the whole made his report, which was not acted upon until Thursday, the 4th of July. In the meantime, I had written to press the attendance of Cæsar Rodney, the 3d delegate from Delaware, who appeared early on that day at the state house, in his place. When the Congress assembled, the question was put on the report of the committee of the whole, and approved by every State. Of the members from Pennsylvania, the three first, as before, voted in the |