Liberty advocate., 1839-07-18
THE MECKLENBURG DECLARATION.


The anniversary Of this (supposed) even
was recently celebrated by that portion o.
North Carolina who persevere in the assertion
OF revolutionary honors, to which it now ap.
pears they have no tile. recent discovery
/ by Mr.. Force, of Washington, has thrown
much light on this extraordinary document.
which the elder Mr.. Adams, in 1919. pronoun-
ICED "one of the deepest mysteries and greatest
curlosties oihis time.n We refer TO It again
lor the double purpose of Calculating an impor.
tant historical event, and doing justice to the
memory of Mr.. Jefferson, who we are told nv
his bographer, has been 'accused of REGARDING
with malignant envy the North Carolina Dec
Iaratlon, because ii rivalIed the memorable NJ.
per drawn by himself, and of baseIy question.
ing lis authenticity to prevent the discovery orI
his own plagiarism" The accusation is foun-
dea on the identity of certain expressions said
10 DC IN both papers, originally in the Mecklen-
oufs Declaratlon. ltnow appears from the re-
searches oil 1Ir. Force, to whose antiquarian
are, (says the Southern Literary MessengenI
We are indebted for the discovery of a newspa,
Der printed in North Carolina in ITS. contain.
ng the resolutions. That paper was published
liter they had been passed, and do not contain
he phrases SAID to be common to both. The
esoolullons are spirited and patriotic, showing =
determination to resiot oppression. Thew 9
rocured for their authors the honor of beinc
denounced as traitors. But they were not sol
much in advance of similar proceedings in 9th.
r provinces as they were supposed to be. We
therefore, conclude with Professor Tucker. that
!he Introduction Of the expressions in the
lecklenburg Declaration published in the Es-
eX REGISTER OF 1919, was the result of a patri-
nc forgery, prompted and justified by the
anne motive which has occasioned MANY mons
rauds, and by way of removing all doubts that
ms strong act Of resistance, for such the reso-
atoms doubtless were, magnifed by needless
lsplay State pride, was not temporary
but meant to be (Which it evidently 7
not) an assertion of absolute Independence $
Mr' Jeiierson's memory has suffered by the
publication OF his writings in 1929 The edi.
or OF was gently rebuked by Professor Tucker
Tor his want of caution in making it," But r
We would not that any of the events Of tho
american Revolution should lose a particle of
heir interest from the doubts which modern
kePtlcs would cast over them. We cling to
ven what has been called the "Romance of ,
american history" term happily applied to
many oil Its realities In this spirit, and in this
ceiling, we earned with regret the attempt
1ade, after the lapse more than thirty wears
y distinguished member of Congress, him
eli an actor in the scene he describes, to de-
rive the captors of Andre of their honest and -
ell earned fame, on plausible, but clearly in
ltflcIent grounds--men whose worth and pa
'lotlsm are thus recorded by General Hamil-
m, at the time Aid-de-camp to the Comman- N
,r-in-chief. He SAID they ''rejec,od Andres M
iers with Indignation, and the gold which
'uld seduce man high in the confidence of his
'untry, who had the remembrance of past ex-
OTIS, the motives of present reputation and r.
'ure glory to press his integrity hard had no -
Iarm tor these simple peasants leaning only
their virtue and sense of duty.n While
mold is handed down with execration TO f1.
re times, poserity will repeat with reverence
names of Van Vert, Paudng and VIII. -,
ms. On the same ground that their memo, ~
IS should thus endure, do we hope, as truth
mands, that the narration Of the composition
adoption of the Declaration Of orIndependence.
1t is recorded in the Journals orthe Reyoln.
nary Congress, will pass down unaltered to Az
IN mn