Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-02-10
THE MEcKLEsuna DECLARATION.

| HE ENEChBEbO rDn(A1An tVNs
| Recently the old controversy about the
! Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
has been revived in this county. Letters
have been written, newspaper articles have
dilated on the subject and we must confess
that the topic is TO US far more interesting
than the dry details of politics or statistics
which are usually furnished to the readers Of
the daily press. 1t is well occasionally to
revive the public interest in the period oftri-
al preceding the Revolution, which gave US
our independence and as this Mecklenburg
Declaration is one of the most important docu-
ments in existence in reference to those
times, there is no danger of too much being
said about it,
The Resolutions styled "The Mecklenburg
Declaration Of Independence" were said to
have been adopted by the citizens of Meek
lenburg, North Carolina, at a public meeting
held at Charlottetown, in that county, on the
2oh of May, in the year l775. Their exis-
tence was not generally known until 1919,
when they appeared in the Raleigh Register;
and this long period Of suspension led to the
belief that they were an invention. The re-
solutions are not long, and as they are not
well known to the public, we copy them.
The Mecklcnburg Declaration of Independence.
(2olh of May, 1775)
sThat whatsoever directly or indirectly a
bets in any way, from, or manner, counten-
ances the unchartered and dangerous invasion
of our rights as claimed by Great Britain, is
an enemy 10 this country, TO America, and 10
the inherent and undeniable rights of man.
/ '.That we. the citizens of Mecklenburg
county, do hereby dissolve the political bonds
which have connected US with the mother
country, and hereby absolve ourselves from
all allegiance toihe British crown, and abjure
all political connection, contract, or assoca-
tion with that nation, who have wantonly
tramped on our rights and Liberties, and in
humanity shed the blood of American patriots
at Lexington. ~
s'That we do hereby declare ourselves a
free and independent people, are and of right
ought TO be, sovereign and self-governing
association, under the control OF no power,
lUiucl tlldil tlldt vi bOt, dUu TIC SCuCidl ~
vernment of Congress TO the maintenance
Of which independence, we solemnly pledge
to each other, our mutual corporation, our
lives, our fortunes and our most sacred
honor. 9l Httt .If. HF
THAT as we acknowledge the existenc and
control of no law nor legal officer, civil or mi
itary, within this country We do hereby or
dan and adopt, as a rule of life, all, each,
and every of our former laws, wherein, never
theless, the crown of Great Britain never can
be considered as holding rights, privileges,
immunities, or authority therein.
"That it is further decreed, that all, each,
and every military officer in this county, is
hereby reinslated in his former command
authority, he acting conformably to the regu-
lations And that every member present Of
this delegation shall henceforth be civil
officer, viz: a Justice of the peace, in the
character of committee man, to issue pro-
cess, hear and determine all matters of con.
troversy, according to said adopted laws; and
to preserve peace, union and harmony in said
county, and to use every exertion to spread
the love of country and fire of freedom
throughout America, until more general
and organized government be established in
this province. ''' '
" ABRAHAM ALEXANDER, Chairman.
John McKnitt Alexander, Sec'y. 81
The reader will observe the similarity OF
several of the expressions contained in this,
TO those of the Declaration of Congress "a
dopted more than q year later. This very
similarity led TO suspicious that it was hoa J
although there are others who suppose thai
Mr.. jefferson had these in his memory when
, he penned the famous document with which
his name is identified. John Adams doubted
, its authenticity, and MIR. Jefferson himself
, ridiculed it as "very unjusitiabe quiz
, Pamphlets, books and reviews appeared, fol
and against The genuineness of the document
but no satisfactory conclusion was arrived at
/, thus the controversy, for time, died out
. having completely exhausted the material,
/, which gave it existence. o G o.
, + The opponents of the Mecklenbnrg Decla
ration must now, however, give up their posi-
d tion. The strongest proof and that not from
! traditionis now furnished; and that not from
tradition or from documentary evidence il
. this country but from the archives of the
l British Government, which was furnished
with copy of them by Sir James Wright
then Governor of Georgia Sir James lettel
! on the subject, has been copiedlby MIR. Ban
0 croft, our Minister to England, and sent ove
> to the Hon. David L, Swain of Chapel Hill
North Carolina. ale says, in reference to thu
8 resolves of the Alecklsnbure meetiag,ewhch
, he enclosedto his goverpmenS Hby thei ep
8 closed paper your Lotdship witl,seeotbe ex
> ,raordinary Resolves Of The peopleef Charlotte
|; Town, lin tMeekleubprg county, andii shoplt
q not be surprised II she same Should be done
r every where elses'l Sir James was right il
. his representations, Ghs spark Of reyolu
8 ton was kmdled in Mecklenbprg county,
ri - a