The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-06-29
VARIOUS MATTERso
Thomas Jefferson and the Mechlenburg
Declaration.


Declaration.
We find the suboined notice in the New
York Wing, of recent discovery in rela-
tousso the Mechlenburg Declaration of In
dependence, which fully exhonerates Mr..
Jefferson from the charge so frequently of
late years brought against him, of having
plagiarised from that instrument. Several
striking condolences of thought and phrase
being pointed out IN his immortal paper,
and in that which preceded it from the pat
riots of the town above mentioned. The
accusation was so plausible that Mr.. Jefier-
sons friends were also somewhat staggered
by it; but from the discovery of Mr.. Force,
it seems that ingenious roguery interpolated
the passages in question for the purpose of
injuring the fair fame of the Sage of Mon
ticello, who had never seen or heard Of the
MechlenburgDeclaration at the time of that
on the part Of the United States was writ
ten and adopted:
Mr.. Jefferson Vindicated.-For several
years past, the fame of Thomas Jefferson
has been assaied with charge of plagar-
ism in the draft of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence. The accusation is in substance
that he copied from the Mechlenburg Dec
laration-issued in Mecklenburgh, N. G.,
on the Goth of April, l774, (more than
year before the Declaration by Congress, y
several striking passages and sentiments,
and especially the concluding pledge of
sour lives, our fortunes, and our sacred
honor" Mr.. Jefferson, in repeling this
charge denied that any such Declaration as
that of Mecklenburg was ever issued at all.
In this he was mistaken. The Mecklenburg
Declaration was actually framed and issued
on the 20th of April, l774-more than a
year before the Declaration of Congress
but Mr. ]. had probably never seen or heard
of it when he drafted to the world this re-
nouned document. Peter Force Esq, Of
Washington, in pursuing his antiquarian re-
searches, has discovered North Carolina
paper printed six weeks after the Mecklen-
burg Declaration, and containing that disre
puted document-bu not the passages
aohich Mr.. jefferson IS accused Of copying
from 1t. These must therefore have been
stolen from the National Declaration at
some subsequent period by some busy-body
aud engrafted upon its Mecklenburg name
sake. The evidence was conclusive both
tthat there was a primary declaration at
Mecklenburg, and that Mr.. Jefferson bor-
rowed nothing from it. AS the accusation
against him was a serious one and has been
so thoroughly refuted we trust those who
have aided to give it currency will be equal
'ly ready to spread the refutation.
Az9zazz.zszEz
The Lyncher Linched-T Bridgeton
New Jersey Chronicle of last Saturday,
relates the following individual Of that towr
by the name of Richard Hand, who, ir
company with couple Of chosen friends
on the Saturday evening previous, proceeded
to the house of Mr.. James Brown, carrying
in one hand keg of tar, and in the other
pillow Of feathers, for the purpose Of ap
plying them to Mr.. Brown; but he Brown
being aware of the intended visit, had By
him couple Of friends, who put to high
the body guard of Hand, and took hin
with his tar and feathers prisoner. He wa
then divested Of his wearing apparel ant
tied hand and foot, and had put upon hin
the same tar and feathers which he too
along with him, retained until sunrise o
Sunday morning, and then turned loose,
curious looking thing indeed, for the wOrl
to gaze upon.-Saturday Chronicle.
9s4zzzzlzeEzna
Horrible .A6air.-An aged lady, res
ding in Christie street New York, wa
found in bed on Tuesday morning, wit
her head dreadfully beaten, the bed clOthe
saturated with blood, and an iron bar, wit
which the blows had probably been inAc
ed, lying beside her. The wounds she ha
received made her recovery doubtful. /
an adjoining room one of the old lady
trunks, where she kept her valuables, wa
found 10 be oyerhauled and rummaged
What makes this transaction more appa
ling, is the fact that her own son
strongly suspected of inHicting the blow
with the intention of obtaining certai
property that had been withheld from hiI
afthe request of his father, who is now al
c. L.