Arkansas intelligencer., 1844-10-26

nature Demortuis nal nisi bonum, isa maxi m which
finds a cordial response in every manly and patri-
otic bosom.
The charges made against the memory of Col
Ezekiel Polk for acts on his part falsely al
ledged to have occurred twenty years before James
entered the stormy of political life. They re-
made. too. twenty years after the death of Ezekiel
Polk, and must therefore, evenif true when levelIed
at the fame of his grandson, fall harmless at his
feet. But they are not true; and Justice to the
memory of the patriotic dead-the whg soldier
OF the Revolution, and the outraged feelings of a
very numerous and respectable family of the direct
and collateral lines-embracing in it man men,
bers Of both the present political parties, of res
pectabe and unblemished cha aracter--as well as
the sacred demands of truth, require that the repu
tation of the slandered dead should be vindicated
The charge, when first made, was that Samuel
Polk tbs father of James X. Polk, was tory in
the Revolution. 1t was soon however ascertained
that Samuel Polk was not born until the year
,7I2, and was not three years old when the war
OF the Revolution broke out. That was abandon
ed, and then the charge was made, that Ezekiel
Polk, the grand farther, and not the father, was
tory. The charge against the one was as false as
against the other. The numerous pos,erity and
collateral relations Of tho late Col. Ezekiel Polk,
may, we'll be proud of his history and especially
VI hiS po'iioliC CoHuuCt III Inc war OI the ReyOlu
ton. They not only may not ooject, but now,
that the charge is made, the v, NAV confidently
and proudly demand that The fullest possible exam
NATION shall be fairly and impartialy had
In the revolutionary history of the Caronians,
the name of Polk has always been intimately as.
soclated with patr iotlsm, valour public sprit-a
firm and and unyielding attachment to tile cause
OF the Colonies, struggling 10 break the bonds of
British opPresson; and to establish free Govern.
ment In a volume published by the Governor
of North Carolina, and by the direction of the
Genera! Assembly of that State,'' it is fully es.
tabished that Deca ration of Independence and
resolutions, were passed by the citizens of Neck.
lenburg county, North Carolina, (the residence Of
the Polk family,) on the 10Th of May, l775,-by
which they absolved themselves from all alleg-
ance to the British Crown, and declared them.
selves free, sovereign and self governing associa-
tlon. These bold and patriotic proceeding were
sustained and carried through by the leading and
most influential men CT that country, and amongst
others by the two borthers, Thomas and Ezekiel
Polk. The proof of this is most inconl rovertible
Besides the Declaration itself, and the testimony
of many living witnesses, it is to be found in the
following certificate Of Capt. James Jack, given
on the 7th December, 1919, when the Stale of
North Carolina was collecting the pIoofs to es,ab.
ish the fact of the Declaration Of lndependence
by the citizens Of Mecklenburg, 1915. Captain
Jacks certificate will be found appended to the
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. in the
public archIHes at page, S5S, vol. 2 and it is in
tho words following, to wit:
"CAPTAIN JAOn's CERTIFICATE.
Having seen IN the newspapers some pieces
respecting the DecuratIo on Of Independence of the
people OF Meckenburg county, in the State OF
North Carolina, in May, l775, and being solicited
to state what | know of that transaction, | would
hat fprS
the time these resolutions were agreed upon, | re-.
sided in the town of Cha roite. McckIenbure coun.
~ ; was Prlvy 10 a number of meetings of some
OF the most Influential and leading cha racters off
that county on the subject, before the final adop-
ton of the resolutions, and at the time thew were
adopted. Among those who appeared to take the
lead, may be mentioned Hezekiah Aexa nder who
generally acted as chairman. John Mcknight
Alexander, as Secrt tary, Abraham Alexander,
Adam Alexander, Major John Davidson, Major
afterwards General) William Davidson, Colonel
Thomas Polk, Ezekiel Polk, Doctor Ephraim Bre-
verd, Samuel Martin, Duncan Ochetree, Wm
Wilson, Rob. Irwin.
"When the resolutions were finally agreed on,
they were publicly proclaimed from the court
house door, in the town of Charlotte, and received
with every demonstration of JOY by The inhabi-
tants. - ~
"l was then solicited TO be the bearer of the
proceedings to Congress. | set out tho following
month, (say June,) and in passing through Sails
bury the general court was setting; the request
Of the court handed a copy of the resolutions to
Colonel kennon, an attorney, and they were read
aloud in open court. Major William Davidson
and Mr.. Avery, an attorney, called on me at my
lodgings the evening after, and observed. they had
heard of but one person, "a Mr.. Beard,) but APP
proved of them. -. ~
81 then proceeded on to Philadelphia, and de.
IiyereG the Mccklenburg declaration of lndepen-
snce, of May, l775, to Richard Caswel and Will
liam Hooper, the delegates to Congress from the
State of North Carolina.
2 81 am now in the eighty. eight year of my age,
residing in the county of Ebert, in the State of
Georgia. was in the revolutionary war, from
The commencement to the close.
81 would further observe. that the Rev. Francis
Cummins, a Presbyterian clergyman, Of Greene
county in this State, was student in the town Of
Charlotte at the time of the adoption of the reso-
!utions, and is well, perhaps better, acquant
ed with the proceedings at that time than any man
now living.
''Colonel William Polk, of Raleigh, North Caro-
lima, was living with his father, Thomas, in Char
lctte, at the time have been speaking of, and al
though then too young 10 be forward in the busi-
ness, yet the leading circumstances have related
cannot have escaped his recollection