autobiography-第3部分

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Because；　said　I；　I　have　been　informed　that　you　drew　the　Address　to　the　people　of　Gr。　Britain；　a　production　certainly　of　the　finest　pen　in　America。〃　〃On　that；　says　he；　perhaps　sir　you　may　not　have　been　correctly　informed。〃　I　had　received　the　information　in　Virginia　from　Colo　Harrison　on　his　return　from　that　Congress。　　Lee；　Livingston　&　Jay　had　been　the　commee　for　that　draught。　　The　first；　prepared　by　Lee；　had　been　disapproved　&　recommitted。　　The　second　was　drawn　by　Jay；　but　being　presented　by　Govr　Livingston；　had　led　Colo　Harrison　into　the　error。　　The　next　morning；　walking　in　the　hall　of　Congress；　many　members　being　assembled　but　the　house　not　yet　formed；　I　observed　Mr。　Jay；　speaking　to　R。　H。　Lee；　and　leading　him　by　the　button　of　his　coat；　to　me。　　〃I　understand；　sir；　said　he　to　me；　that　this　gentleman　informed　you　that　Govr　Livingston　drew　the　Address　to　the　people　of　Gr　Britain。〃　I　assured　him　at　once　that　I　had　not　received　that　information　from　Mr。　Lee　&　that　not　a　word　had　ever　passed　on　the　subject　between　Mr。　Lee　&　myself；　and　after　some　explanations　the　subject　was　dropt。　　These　gentlemen　had　had　some　sparrings　in　debate　before；　and　continued　ever　very　hostile　to　each　other。

　　　　　　　　I　prepared　a　draught　of　the　Declaration　committed　to　us。　　It　was　too　strong　for　Mr。　Dickinson。　　He　still　retained　the　hope　of　reconciliation　with　the　mother　country；　and　was　unwilling　it　should　be　lessened　by　offensive　statements。　　He　was　so　honest　a　man；　&　so　able　a　one　that　he　was　greatly　indulged　even　by　those　who　could　not　feel　his　scruples。　　We　therefore　requested　him　to　take　the　paper；　and　put　it　into　a　form　he　could　approve。　　He　did　so；　preparing　an　entire　new　statement；　and　preserving　of　the　former　only　the　last　4。　paragraphs　&　half　of　the　preceding　one。　　We　approved　&　reported　it　to　Congress；　who　accepted　it。　　Congress　gave　a　signal　proof　of　their　indulgence　to　Mr。　Dickinson；　and　of　their　great　desire　not　to　go　too　fast　for　any　respectable　part　of　our　body；　in　permitting　him　to　draw　their　second　petition　to　the　King　according　to　his　own　ideas；　and　passing　it　with　scarcely　any　amendment。　　The　disgust　against　this　humility　was　general；　and　Mr。　Dickinson's　delight　at　its　passage　was　the　only　circumstance　which　reconciled　them　to　it。　　The　vote　being　passed；　altho'　further　observn　on　it　was　out　of　order；　he　could　not　refrain　from　rising　and　expressing　his　satisfaction　and　concluded　by　saying　〃there　is　but　one　word；　Mr。　President；　in　the　paper　which　I　disapprove；　&　that　is　the　word　_Congress_；〃　on　which　Ben　Harrison　rose　and　said　〃there　is　but　on　word　in　the　paper；　Mr。　President；　of　which　I　approve；　and　that　is　the　word　_Congress。_〃

　　　　　　　　On　the　22d　of　July　Dr。　Franklin；　Mr。　Adams；　R。　H。　Lee；　&　myself；　were　appointed　a　commee　to　consider　and　report　on　Ld。　North's　conciliatory　resolution。　　The　answer　of　the　Virginia　assembly　on　that　subject　having　been　approved　I　was　requested　by　the　commee　to　prepare　this　report；　which　will　account　for　the　similarity　of　feature　in　the　two　instruments。

　　　　　　　　　　On　the　15th　of　May；　1776；　the　convention　of　Virginia　instructed　their　delegates　in　Congress　to　propose　to　that　body　to　declare　the　colonies　independent　of　G。　Britain；　and　appointed　a　commee　to　prepare　a　declaration　of　rights　and　plan　of　government。

　　　　　　　　In　Congress；　Friday　June　7。　1776。　　The　delegates　from　Virginia　moved　in　obedience　to　instructions　from　their　constituents　that　the　Congress　should　declare　that　these　United　colonies　are　&　of　right　ought　to　be　free　&　independent　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；　that　measures　should　be　immediately　taken　for　procuring　the　assistance　of　foreign　powers；　and　a　Confederation　be　formed　to　bind　the　colonies　more　closely　together。

　　　　　　　　The　house　being　obliged　to　attend　at　that　time　to　some　other　business；　the　proposition　was　referred　to　the　next　day；　when　the　members　were　ordered　to　attend　punctually　at　ten　o'clock。

　　　　　　　　Saturday　June　8。　　They　proceeded　to　take　it　into　consideration　and　referred　it　to　a　committee　of　the　whole；　into　which　they　immediately　resolved　themselves；　and　passed　that　day　&　Monday　the　10th　in　debating　on　the　subject。

　　　　　　　　It　was　argued　by　Wilson；　Robert　R。　Livingston；　E。　Rutledge；　Dickinson　and　others

　　　　　　　　That　tho'　they　were　friends　to　the　measures　themselves；　and　saw　the　impossibility　that　we　should　ever　again　be　united　with　Gr。　Britain；　yet　they　were　against　adopting　them　at　this　time：

　　　　　　　　That　the　conduct　we　had　formerly　observed　was　wise　&　proper　now；　of　deferring　to　take　any　capital　step　till　the　voice　of　the　people　drove　us　into　it：

　　　　　　　　That　they　were　our　power；　&　without　them　our　declarations　could　not　be　carried　into　effect；

　　　　　　　　That　the　people　of　the　middle　colonies　（Maryland；　Delaware；　Pennsylva；　the　Jerseys　&　N。　York）　were　not　yet　ripe　for　bidding　adieu　to　British　connection；　but　that　they　were　fast　ripening　&　in　a　short　time　would　join　in　the　general　voice　of　America：

　　　　　　　　That　the　resolution　entered　into　by　this　house　on　the　15th　of　May　for　suppressing　the　exercise　of　all　powers　derived　from　the　crown；　had　shown；　by　the　ferment　into　which　it　had　thrown　these　middle　colonies；　that　they　had　not　yet　accommodated　their　minds　to　a　separation　from　the　mother　country：

　　　　　　　　That　some　of　them　had　expressly　forbidden　their　delegates　to　consent　to　such　a　declaration；　and　others　had　given　no　instructions；　&　consequently　no　powers　to　give　such　consent：

　　　　　　　　That　if　the　delegates　of　any　particular　colony　had　no　power　to　declare　such　colony　independant；　certain　they　were　the　others　could　not　declare　it　for　them；　the　colonies　being　as　yet　perfectly　independant　of　each　other：

　　　　　　　　That　the　assembly　of　Pennsylvania　was　now　sitting　above　stairs；　their　convention　would　sit　within　a　few　days；　the　convention　of　New　York　was　now　sitting；　&　those　of　the　Jerseys　&　Delaware　counties　would　meet　on　the　Monday　following；　&　it　was　probable　these　bodies　would　take　up　the　question　of　Independance　&　would　declare　to　their　delegates　the　voice　of　their　state：

　　　　　　　　That　if　such　a　declaration　should　now　be　agreed　to；　these　delegates　must　retire　&　possibly　their　colonies　might　secede　from　the　Union：

　　　　　　　　That　such　a　secession　would　weaken　us　more　than　could　be　compensated　by　any　foreign　alliance：

　　　　　　　　That　in　the　event　of　such　a　division；　foreign　powers　would　either　refuse　to　join　themselves　to　our　fortunes；　or；　having　us　so　much　in　their　power　as　that　desperate　declaration　would　place　us；　they　would　insist　on　terms　proportionably　more　hard　and　prejudicial：

　　　　　　　　That　we　had　little　reason　to　expect　an　alliance　with　those　to　whom　alone　as　yet　we　had　cast　our　eyes：

　　　　　　　　That　France　&　Spain　had　reason　to　be　jealous　of　that　rising　power　which　would　one　day　certainly　strip　them　of　all　their　American　possessions：

　　　　　　　　That　it　was　more　likely　they　should　form　a　connection　with　the　British　court；　who；　if　they　should　find　themselves　unable　otherwise　to　extricate　themselves　from　their　difficulties；　would　agree　to　a　partition　of　our　territories；　restoring　Canada　to　France；　&　the　Floridas　to　Spain；　to　accomplish　for　themselves　a　recovery　of　these　colonies：

　　　　　　　　That　it　would　not　be　long　before　we　should　receive　certain　information　of　the　disposition　of　the　French　court；　from　the　agent　whom　we　had　sent　to　Paris　for　that　purpose：

　　　　　　　　That　if　this　disposition　should　be　favorable；　by　waiting　the　event　of　the　present　campaign；　which　we　all　hoped　would　be　successful；　we　should　have　reason　to　expect　an　alliance　on　better　terms：

　　　　　　　　That　this　would　in　fact　work　no　delay　of　any　effectual　aid　from　such　ally；　as；　from　the　advance　of　the　season　&　distance　of　our　situation；　it　was　impossible　we　could　receive　any　assistance　during　this　campaign：

　　　　　　　　That　it　was　prudent　to　fix　among　ourselves　the　terms　on　which　we　should　form　alliance；　before　we　declared　we　would　form　one　at　all　events：

　　　　　　　　And　that　if　these　were　agreed　on；　&　our　Declaration　of　Independance　ready　by　the　time　our　Ambassador　should　be　prepared　to　sail；　it　would　be　as　well　as　to　go　into　that　Declaration　at　this　day。

　　　　　　　　On　the　other　side　it　was　urged　by　J。　Adams；　Lee；　Wythe；　and　others

　　　　　　　　That　no　gentleman　had　argued　against　the　policy　or　the　right　of　separation　from　Britain；　nor　had　supposed　it　possible　we　should　ever　renew　our　connection；　that　they　had　only　opposed　its　being　now　declared：

　　　　　　　　That　the　question　was　not　whether；　by　a　declaration　of　independance；　we　should　make　ourselves　what　we　are　not；　but　whether　we　should　declare　a　fact　which　already　exists：

　　　　　　　　That　as　to　the　people　or　parliament　of　England；　we　had　alwais　been　independent　of　them；　their　restraints　on　our　trade　deriving　efficacy　from　our　acquiescence　only；　&　not　from　any　rights　they　possessed　of　imposing　them；　&　that　so　far　our　connection　had　been　federal　only　&　was　now　dissolved　by　the　commencement　of　hostilities：

　　　　　　　　That　as　to　the　King；　we　had　been　bound　to　him　by　allegiance；　but　that　this　bond　was　now　dissolved　by　his　assent　to　the　late　act　of　parliament；　by　which　he　declares　us　out　of　his　protection；　and　by　his　levying　war　on　us；　a　fact　which　had　long　ago　proved　us　out　of　his　protection；　it　being　a　certain　position　in　law　that　allegiance　&　protection　are　reciprocal；　the　one　ceasing　when　the　other　is　withdrawn：

　　　　　　　　That　James　the　IId。　never　declared　the　people　of　England　out　of　his　protection　yet　his　actions　proved　it　&　the　parliament　declared　it：

　　　　　　　　No　delegates　then　can　be　denied；　or　ever　want；　a　power　of　declaring　an　existing　truth：

　　　　　　　　That　the　delegates　from　the　Delaware　counties　having　declared　their　constituents　ready　to　join；　there　are　only　two　colonies　Pennsylvania　&　Maryland　whose　delegates　are　absolutely　tied　up；　and　that　these　had　by　their　instructions　only　reserved　a　right　of　confirming　or　rejecting　the　measure：

　　　　　　　　That　the　instructions　from　Pennsylvania　might　be　accounted　for　from　the　times　in　which　they　were　drawn；　near　a　twelvemonth　ago；　since　which　the　face　of　affairs　has　totally　changed：

　　　　　　　　That　within　that　time　it　had　beco