June, the Declaration of Independence was reported to the
House, and was laid on the table."--Works, vol. ix, pp. 310, 311.

There is no acknowledgment that he was the author of it yet. This
is August, 1787. Mr. Paine is in Paris, just on the eve of
starting for London. Jefferson is forty-four years old.

3. In September, 1809, in answer to a proposition to publish his
writings, after mentioning many of them, he says: "I say nothing
of numerous drafts of reports, resolutions, declarations, etc.,
drawn as a member of Congress, or of the legislature of Virginia,
such as the Declaration of Independence, Report on the Money Mint
of the United States, the Act of Religious Freedom, etc., etc.
These having become the acts of public bodies, there can be no
personal claim to them." This is nearly three months after the
death of Mr. Paine.--Works, vol. v, p. 466. And here he says he
makes no personal claim to it. He is now sixty-six years old.

4. In May, 1819, he gives the same account as first above given.
Mr. Paine has been dead about ten years. He makes no
acknowledgment yet that he was the author of it, but in the same
account pledges himself to Heaven and earth for the truth of the
statement.--Works, vol. vii, page 123. He is now seventy-six years
old.

5. In January, 1821, he indirectly acknowledges himself to be the
author, but with a great deal of ambiguity. He takes the same
account as given first and third above, but interpolates into it a
clause, which I have placed in brackets in the passage which I
give, as follows: "It appearing, in the course of these debates,
that the colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, and South Carolina were not yet matured for falling into
the parent stem, but that they were fast advancing to that state,
it was thought most prudent to wait awhile for them, and to
postpone the final decision to July 1st; but, that this might
occasion as little delay as possible, a committee was appointed to
prepare a Declaration of Independence. The committee were John
Adams, Dr. Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and
myself. [Committees were also appointed at the same time to
prepare a plan of confederation for the colonies, and to state the
terms proper to be proposed for foreign alliance. The committee
for drawing the Declaration of Independence desired me to do it.
It was accordingly