The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1839-12-05
MECKLENBURG

GAhitiIuAiE hCNiaioltOb VI AllAA I-tiLNHNN1
the direct object Of which is to deny the au
thenticiiy Of that instrument as published,
and, in its tendency is lnsidiously calcula.
ted to impeach the motives and inJure The
character Of those venerable patriots who
have given their solemn testimony in lis ia.
yor. The writer wishes the public TO know
that these Meckeuburg resolves OF May
goth, l77J, are spurious--a base impost.
ton practised upon the community, and
should no longer receive that share Of aten.
lion they have hitherto commanded. This,
we believe, is the obvious meaning of his
article. And upon what does this grave
denial, this reckless disregard of wellau.
Intoxicated facts depend Upon an old
newspaper, discovered by Peter Force, Esq,
Of Washington City, containing certain pat.
rio;ic resolutions passed BY committee in
Charlotte, May 3lst, 1915. These reso.
lulions are seized upon, by Investigator,
with unusual ayidity, and without paying a
decent regard to the pious exhortatIon,
Stop, poor sinner, stop and think, so i'm.
portant IL worldly matters as well as IN
ethics, are proclaimed 10 the world as the
original Mecklenburg Declaration Of indie.
pendence Alas to what extremities pre-.
judices will carry mankind ! Enough, II
was thought, had appeared 10 the pages Of
the Messenger, editorial and communicated,
10 satisfy every impartial inquirer on this
subject. In the few remarks we now 10.
tend to make, we disciaim controversy
bat shall proceed TO examine briefly IN what
manner this subject has been investigated
in the article above alluded to, and inquire
/ If that knowledge of facts, value Of testlmo
nv, or honesty Of deduction has been eYlnc.
ed in It's productoa, rs might have charac
lerised its author. We think ii may be
made apparent, if Investigator had ever read
the Mecklenburg resolves, and accompany.
iug proceedings, with any other motive in
view than to cavl, he might have found
therein satisfactory solution for any nys.
terry, to which the resolutions of May the
Slst might have given rise, and then origin
consistently accounted for. In the account
Of the Mecklenburo Convention, we are in.
formed Of the appointment of " standing
committee Of public safety" whose duty it
was to meet al stated periods and transact
such business as the exigency of the day
demanded Before this committee, cloth.
ed with civil and military power" were ar
raigned all tories, and persons suspected of
being iulmical tc the American cause.
II exercised uiuca wholesome aud efficient
authority, and recommended various mea
sures Of prompt and decisive nature, which
"had a general influence on the people of
the county to unite them in the cause Of
liberty and the country" Now, we ask
an impartial community, may not these res.
olutions OF May 3lss have emanated from
this " committee OF public safety" and does
it not comport more with fair and honest
inference, 10 conclude that such was the
case, than TO adopt the dIsingenuous artlfce
of pronouncIng them Identical with the
Mecklenburg Declaration passed eleven
days before, Gin presence of large, re.
spectacle, and approving assemblage of cit.
izens I" A few of this "large assemblage,"
are still alive TO testify to the proceedings
of the Goth Of May, and delight to uarrate
this "deed of noble daring" with all the
patriotic ardor SO common 10 the veteran
soldier; thus verifying the glowing senti.
acut of Miss Leslie;
"Thc warriors soul lights up and shines
When memory fans the fire,
And gallant deeds Of former times
The martial tale inspire"
An impartial public will not, without due
investigation, thus basely repudlale the
high and uuimpeachable testimony Of no.
BILE phaanx of revolutionary worthless. The
Mecklenburg Declaration OF May goth, and
the resolutions of May 3lst, which Iuvestl
gator herads to the world, will be found,
"upon comparison" to be entirely different
the one emanating from an unusually large
" convention of delegates and people of
the county unanimously adopting Indepen. .
dent measures the other, only such patro. /
tic proceedings of a legislative character,
as occurred frequently at that excited peri. ,
Oh, without any thing attending their pub,
LEGATION 10 make an ndell5e impression on
the memory, and, in reality, never existing,
vi lCBuIutiuH kbV IoiiltHuulAS DO htSlSP
recommended. In the exasperated state OF
the public mind that then existed, It is not
surprising that " committees met frequent.
ly, and that their proceedings should be
marked with a spirit Of resistance. With
these facts before US, in offering a rational
explanation of these resolutions of late dis.
covery, is there any propriety or necessity
of adopting the forced and Liberal construc.
ton which " Investigator is pleased to
advance! /
Were this the only consistent view that
could be taken of thus matter, the commu !
nifty might rest satisfied. But there is !
another mode Of accounting for them, drawn
from the history of the state, touching tins
eventtu period, which we will briefly no,
tice, and leave for others 10 determine. 1t
will be recolIected that on the oath of April,
l775, neatly one month previous to the
adoption of the Mecklenburg Declaration,
the royal governor of North Carolina was
compelled, in consequence Of the fearful ar.
raw of poDular movements in view of the