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Opinion
Jun. 29, 2008
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THOMAS MITCHELL: The Declaration of Independence

THOMAS MITCHELL
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This Friday we celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with fireworks and picnics.

But there is another day worthy of a passing mention. That is July 6, the day the declaration was first reprinted on the front page of The Pennsylvania Evening Post. In the following weeks, by order of Congress, at least 30 newspapers reprinted the Declaration of Independence, spreading its simple words and its audacious act of treason against the crown. It was a document for the people, carried to the people by the press.

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    • At the time, the colonies were under virtual blockade and the American Army was vastly outnumbered and often in retreat.

    Librarian Robin Shields recounts that when the Boston Gazette published the declaration it carried next to it an advertisement: "Cash given for clean Cotton and Linen RAGS, at the Printing-Office in Watertown." Most paper was imported from England, and the printer was seeking rags with which to make paper.

    In a letter to Congress on July 9, Gen. George Washington reported how his troops were to mark the news of the Declaration of Independence: "The several brigades are to be drawn up this evening on their respective Parades, at Six OClock, when the declaration of Congress, shewing the grounds and reasons of this measure, is to be read with an audible voice."

    In a letter the next day he reported that British deserters were telling him a fleet with massive reinforcements was expected to arrive in New York any day. The situation was dire.

    It was in this setting of uncertainty and imminent danger that our founding document was penned. How it fell to 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson to pen the first draft is a matter of some dispute, but I prefer the recollection of chief independence protagonist John Adams.

    Years later, Adams recalled that he insisted Jefferson should write it, and Jefferson replied, "Why?"

    "Reasons enough," answered Adams.

    "What can be your reasons?"

    So Adams bluntly stated, "Reason first: you are a Virginian and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second: I am obnoxious, suspected and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third: You can write ten times better than I can."

    Most of which, of course, was nonsense.

    Jefferson borrowed liberally from the great minds of the day, unabashedly paraphrasing George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights: "That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety."

    Jefferson edited it to the more succinct "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

    In 1825, in a letter to fellow Virginian Henry Lee, Jefferson looked back on those days and his role in writing the founding document. He recalled his motivation and purpose:

    "When forced, therefore, to resort to arms for redress, an appeal to the tribunal of the world was deemed proper for our justification. This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of ... (but) to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind ..."

    Today Americans whine about FEMA not coming quickly enough to the rescue, demand bailouts for those who took out home loans they could not afford, complain about Congress and the president letting gasoline prices soar, cheer a candidate who talks about the nation in collectivist terms, and are ready to raise taxes on everyone else.

    At the time of the Revolution, it is estimated the typical tax burden -- with or without representation -- was 20 cents per capita per year at a time when annual earnings were somewhere between $60 and $100. Today the total tax burden is upward of 40 percent.

    We plan to reprint the Declaration of Independence Friday on the editorial page. But I must wonder if we have lost that American mind-set that Jefferson cherished. How many of us are still willing for the sake of true liberty to pledge "our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor"?

    Thomas Mitchell is editor of the Review-Journal and writes about the role of the press and access to public information. He may be contacted at 383-0261 or via e-mail at tmitchell@reviewjournal.com.



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    timinator wrote on June 29, 2008 07:32 PM: Like I said in response to Vin's column, let's celebrate Independence Day by reading the Declaration with friends and family, after all, the fireworks are in the document.

    I'll be spending the day with one of the presidential candidates, the one that's not a fascist republicrat, nor a pseudo-libertarian.

    His name is Chuck Baldwin, and he's the nominee of the Constitution Party. He most closely follows the Constitution of any candidate I've supported this side of Ron Paul.

    Is Baldwin unelectable? Only for those who believe so.


    politik wrote on June 29, 2008 01:20 PM: The Declaration of Independence was the result of revolution by the people against corruption and oppression.

    hmmmmm!


    Mike Ault wrote on June 29, 2008 12:02 PM: Great column, Tom.

    It brings to mind the cost associated with freedom. The signers of the Declaration of Independence paid a dear cost. While word counts will not allow a full printing of a piece on the cost these patriots paid, here is a link to a reprint of the piece and an investigation of its veracity by Snopes.com.

    http://www.snopes.com/history/american/pricepaid.asp

    While Snopes finds most of this piece to be true, and some to be misleading, here is how Snopes ends their investigation of the price the signers paid. I think (and I believe Tom will agree) it is appropriate to our times:

    "What should we take from all of this? The signers of the Declaration of Independence did take a huge risk in daring to put their names on a document that repudiated their government, and they had every reason to believe at the time that they might well be hanged for having done so. That was a courageous act we should indeed remember and honor on the Fourth of July amidst our 'beer, picnics, and baseball games.' But we should also not lose sight of the fact that many men (and women) other than the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence — some famous and most not — risked and sacrificed much (including their lives) to support the revolutionary cause. The hardships and losses endured by many Americans during the struggle for independence were not visited upon the signers alone, nor were they any less ruinous for having befallen people whose names are not immortalized on a piece of parchment."

    Happy Independence Day everyone.


    HELENWEILS wrote on June 29, 2008 10:49 AM: It is sad to see how far we have fallen from OUR roots. We have a Marxist candidate who wants to turn our country back over to the principles we fought to free ourselves from. God Bless America,
    That's God BLESS America to Obama and his friends in Hesbola and his recently renounced church.


    tim wrote on June 29, 2008 09:11 AM: jc,that day might well be coming.only time will tell and it won't be just thomas.the way our country is headed,americans will have no choice,which side would you pick?


    Brian wrote on June 29, 2008 06:12 AM: The US was so inspired at one point. I hope we can reach that place again, though I fear it's a far ways off.


    jc wrote on June 29, 2008 05:21 AM: I have an Idea Tom. Why don't you pick up a rifle and charge the White House, screaming for them to give you back all of the money they have confiscated over the years. You know you want to. Better to go out in a blaze of glory than to slowly starve to death because the government is taking all of your precious money. The rest of us have got your back. Go for it!