UBLIC understanding of political theory of Declaration of Independence is made up of all that has been said about it in past-a patchwork of Jefferson, Lincoln, and host of others, living and dead, who have expounded meaning of self-evident truths. Usually explanation has been evoked by some current political or social question, with result that Declaration has had a different message at different times for different persons. But for past century most Americans, although they sometimes have disagreed about meaning, have joined in viewing Declaration, in D. W. Brogan's phrase, as the most sacred of all American political scriptures. In its earliest years, however, Declaration was not honored as political scripture. In I780's, for example, Jefferson's language in preamble was not remarked for its peculiar grace or distinction, and few Americans seemed aware that Declaration would come to be the charter of American democracy. In I790's, when its reputation was taking shape, politics made it impossible for men of opposing political views to share same opinion of Declaration. The changing reputation of Declaration in early years of American republic is of more than antiquarian interest. It is--or should be-of continuing interest to numerous historians and politicians who confidently paraphrase or interpret preamble. Customarily we are told what Founding Fathers meant by a particular phrase.' But Fathers, although they did not ignore phrases of preamble, viewed