The North-Carolina standard., 1847-10-13

Of May the 2lst, a7,h. aud June ehe iaad The
first Sc ~" eHas* *.s,'--+r"s.ii ~
But what has attracted my peculiar notice, is
the paper from Meckienbufg county, Of North
Carolina, published in the Essex Register, which
you were so kind as to enclose in your last, OF
June the 22d. And you seem to thiak it geRuine.
believe il spurious. 1 deem il to be very un-
justi6able quiz, like that Of the Volcano so minute
~ related to US as having broken out in North
Carolina, some half dozen years ago, in that part
Of the country, and perhaps in that very county
Iof Mecklenburg, for do not remember its pre-
else locality. If this paper be really taken from
the Raleigh Register, as quoted wonder it should
have escaped Richie, who culls whut is good from
every paper, as the bee from every flower and
the National Intelligencer too, which Is edited by
a North Caronian and that the fire should blaze
out all at once in Essex, thousand miles from
where the spark is said. 70 have fallen. But if
really taken from the Raleigh Register, who is
is it fictitious as the paper nself2 II appeals too,
to an original book, which is burnt. to Mr.. Alex
ander, who is dead, to joint letter from Caswell,
Hughes and Hooper, all dead, to a copy sent to
the dead Caswell aud another sent to Doctor Will
Hanson now probably dead, whose memory did
not recollect in the history he has written Of N.
Carolina, this gigantic step of its county of Neck
lenburg. Horny, too, is silent in his history of
Marion, whose scene of action was the country
bordering on Mecklenburg. Ramsay, Marshall,
Jones, GiraTdin, Writ historians of the adjacent
States, all silent. When Mr.. Henry's resolutions
far short Of independence, flew like lightning
through every paper. and kindled both sides of
the Atlantic, this flaming declaration of the
same date, of the independence of Mecklep-
burg county, of North Carolina, absolvng it
from British allegiance, and abjuring all pot
| ical connection with that nation, although sent
to Congress, too, is never heard Of 1t is not
known even twelVemonth after, when simi-
lar proposition is first made in that body.
Armed with this bold example, would you not
have addressed your timid brethren in peals Of
thunder on their tardy fears2 Would not every
advocate of independence have rung the glories Of
Mecklenburg county, in North Carolina, in the
ears Of the doubling Dickinson and others, who
hung so heavily on us2 Yet the example of in
dependent Mecklenburg county, in North Carroll
ma, was never once quoted. The paper speaks,
too, OF the continued exertions of their delega-
ton Caswell Hooper, Hughes, in the cause
of liberty of and independence. Now; you
remember as well as do, that we had not
a greater tory in Congress than Hooper; that
Hughes was very wavering, sometimes firm, some
times feeble according as the day was clear or
cloudy that Caswell, indeed, was good whig,
aud keptthese gentlemen TO the notch, while be
was present; but that he left soon and their
line Of conduct became then uncertain until Penn
came, who fixed Hughes and the vote Of the
State. / must mol be understood as suggesting
;any doublfulness in the State Of North Carolina.
No State was more fixed or forward, Nor do
affirm positively that this paper is fabrication;
because the proof of negative can only be pre-
sumptiVe. But shall presume it such until posi-
tive proof of its authenticity shall be produced.
And if the name Of McKniu be real, and not a
part of the fabrication, it needs vindication BY
the production Of such proof. For the present, !
must be an unbrIiever in the aPochryphal gospel"
81 set out within three or four days for my
other home, The distance of which. and its cross
munications. 1 shall remain there about two
months and there, hero. and every where, am,
and shall always be, a7tc,ionatcIy and respectfully
yours, TIL. JEFFERSON,
To the +" Declaration of Independence" as pub
Iished first in The Raleigh Register" of April
80, 1919, was attached the following certificate
or statement by Mr.. MKuiu, who furnished the
copy for the columns of that paper -
"[The foregoing is true copy Of the papers
on The above subject, left in my hunds by John
M'Knitt Alexander, deed. fud it mentioned on
file that the original book was burned, April, 1900
That a copy Of the proceedings was sent to Hugh
Williamson, in New York. then writing His
E tory Of North Carolina, and that copy was sent
: to Gen, w. R. Davie J., M'KNITTI'
Il In the Legislative Document Of 1881, a copy
of which | send you, and from which copy, is
the following from the pen of Governor Swain,
the compiler ~. .- 'n s.." ~ 90
THE striking similarity OF expression in The con.
f cludng sentences of the Mccklrnburg Declaration
and the Declaration by Congress the 4th Of July
r l776, has been repeatedly urged aud relied upon
+ as dsproving The authenticity of the former. Ii is
scarcely necessary reply TO this suggestion. 1t il
not very strange that men who think alike should
: speak alike upon the same subject. more especi
ally when high toned patriotic feeling seeks for ut
e ierance. This similarity of expression is not con
: fined, however, to these two papers. compari
son Of the foregoing resolution with the Declara
q tion as drawn by Mr.. Jefferson, will satisfy th'
5, most credulops on this subject. Who suspect:
l. Mr Jefferson of intentional plagiarism and yet hs
# might be charged with having appropriated tb'
language of the Provincial Legislature, with a
/, least as much propriety as MIR. Alexander with
is having forged the Meeklenburg Declaration
l. The sentiments embodied by MIR; Jefferson wer,
10 not peculiar TO himself, but adopted by him as ex
6. pressiye of the comnop feeling in the commoI
il language of that eventful period" ar..s -....
c. The RssolutiOgs were got up at shs frst gener
n ial meeting in Charlotte and were preliminary 4
j. more formal s2 2DettGrAtton Of Indspendsaes,
e, which :uFas drawn up by committee aPpclnted
% the time of the passage of these resolutions, an
y presented at q subsequent meeting and adopted
a That document. which may be called theif req
B. " DecLaration,"' was printed in l775, 10 SINAI
paper either in this State or South CaFolIRs. 40!
probably there is bui copy oi that paper N ex
j. istenee It is ia Charleston, and has been foun
J, and a copy of the - DEcLARATIeN" taken AM
furnfsi1ed to- Gov Swain lately, and will be gIvei