Declaration's author

Dear Editor:There is strong evidence (though not 100% conclusive) that the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Paine and not Thomas Jefferson. More than a few have compiled evidence pointing to Paine as the author. One of the best comes as a scholarly lecture: "The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine, and Your Freedom." Also, extensive and well-documented evidence can be found in a book by Joseph Lewis, "Thomas Paine, Author of the Declaration of Independence." In a book by John E. Remsburg, "Thomas Paine, The Apostle of Liberty", there is again abundant evidence that Paine wrote the Declaration. The reason Paine is hidden as its author is understandable, as Remsburg points out: "Had he written every word of it neither he [Paine] nor the Committee could with propriety have divulged its authorship. The authorship of state papers and other public documents is assumed by, and credited to, the officials issuing them and not to the person who may have been employed to draft them." Now, I challenge others to do the complete study I have done to check my opinion, that Paine is the Declaration's author. But regardless, even if you think different, Paine had the skill to write it, as witnessed by his authorship of "Common Sense," "Rights of Man," the "Crisis" papers and many others. In them, he showed his universal humanitarianism (as does the Declaration) that advanced freedom for the individual - unparalleled in all of history! Bernice Stumps Downey

********** Published: June 28, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 11