The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-03-02
From The Baltimore Patriot.
THE MECKLENBURG IN. c. DECLARE.
TON OF INDEPENDENCE.


the Raleigh Register, OF series Of reso.
lu,Ions, which were said to have been
adopted by meeting Of the citizens of
Meckeuburg, North Carolina, held in
Charloltetown. Of that county, on the Goth
Of May, 1915.
These proceedings were nothing more
nor less Than positive declaration OF the
independence ol that county, and an alb.
solving of the people thereof from all ale.
glance to The British crown.
As this declaration Of the Mecklenburg
meeting anticipated all the other dec!sra.
tons of independence of other meetings
in the various States. aud was beside made
more than year before the declaration
by The Philadelphia Congress, in l776, the
publication of i, IN 1919 excited much IN.
teresi. Articles were written 10 prove
that il was spurious, ard that no such pro.
ceedings had taken place, or were ever
heard Of. The question Of the auiheniici
~ of the document was iuEher interest.
ing, from the circumstance that several Of
the pesuliar expressions in il were also
found IN the great Declaration Of indie.
pendance, made by Congress. on the Alb
Of July, l716.
The Mcckenbnrg declaration frs, came
TO the attention of John Adams. BY being
rf.copied into the ESSEX Mass Register
of 1919, ard he Immediately enclosed The
paper TO Mr.. jefferson.
The declaration is moi long. and as i,
is, probably, familiar to few VI our read.
er., we copy !, entire.
Tie Mecki.ata,g Dec,aratioa Of Independence.
(20lh MAY, li75.l
That whosoever directly or indirectly abe.s,
or in any way. form, or manner, countenances
the unchartercd and dangerous invasion of our
rights as claimed by Great Britain. is an enemy
to this country. 10 America. and ~ the inherent
and uual'enable rights Of man.
That We, the citizens OF Necslcnburg coun.
~. do hereby dissolve the political bonds, which
have connected Bs with the mother country. and
hereby absoye ourselves from all allegiance to
the British crown, and atlure all political con.
ncction. contract. or association with that ma
ton. who have wan,only rimpled on our rights
and liberties. and inhumanly shed tho blood OF
America patriots Ut Lexington.
That We do hereby declare Ourselves a free
and independent people; are, and Of right ought
TO be, a sovereign aud self governing association.
under the control Of no power, other than that of
God, and tho general government Of Congress. TO
the maintenance of shich independence. We SOL
emnly pledge TO each other. our mutual co ors
ration. cur lives, our for,unes. and our most sa-
cred honor.
That as We acknowledge the existence and
control o. no law nor legal officer. civil OF mill
tary, within this county, We do hereby ordain
and adopt. as rule Of life. all, each. and every
Of our former laws; wherein, nevertheless, tho
crown of Great Britain never can 30 considered
as holding rights. privileges, immani,ies, or su-
thori,y therein.
THAT it is further decreed, thu, all. each, and
every military officer IN this county. 10 hereby
reinsiaied in his former and and authority,
he acting comfortably to these regulations. And
that sveFy member present Of this delegation
shall henceforth be evil officer. viz q justice
of the peace, in the character OF committee
man, to issIis process. hear and deisrn,ins all
matters of controversy, according TO said adop.
ted laws and 10 preserve peace. union and bar.
mony in said county. and TO use every e1ertion
to spread the love Of country and FIRE Of freedom
thropghou America, until a moro general and
organised government DO established in THIS pro.
vince.
ABRAHAM ALEXANDER, Grimm.
JcHS MchI Alexander. Seey.
The first impression, on the publication
Of this declaration in 1919, was that IL
was hoax. John Adams saw it first
in the Essex Register, as NC have stated
above, and Immediately wrote TO Mr.. JET.
ierson, enclosing hum a copy Of it. 10 his
letter, Mr.. Adams expressed his doubts OF
its henlicity, aud said.
" How is il possible lba, this paper should be
concealed from inc 10 this day Had it been
communicated, &c. &c, il would have been
printed IN every VIII. newspspr upon tho con.
tineni. would have made the Hall OF Congress
echo and re echo with il fifteen months before
your Declaration Of Independence"
IN the publication in the Raleigh Regis.
ter, il was stated that tho Meek enburg
declaration had been sent to the Congress
IN PhlladeIphIa, aud names were given and
a book referred to. as proof rot only Of its
authenticity, but Of It's having been sent TO
Congress
Mr.. Jefferson, in reply 10 the letter OF
Mr.. Adams, said he /" believed il .purt
GUS ChaFacNftLed II as "yc!y unlustt.
fable quiz, and IN rcmaiklng upon the
evidence which had been adduced in sup
poit of lis authenticity, expressed his
doubts whether i, had ever appeared in the
Raleigh Register, for he had never seen it
'he'c, nor had II been copied into any pa
per hist he had seen. Tie says:
" II tbs paper be really taken from tie RAJ
figh Register, as quoted. | wonder Il should have
escaped Richie, who cull- what is good from
every paper. h the bee from every flower and the
y alIonsi inie!ligonctr. too, which 10 edited BIZ
North Csrollnan aud that tho fro should blaze
out all at once IN Essex, one thousand miles from
where the spark is said 10 have fallen But If /
really taken from the Raleigh Register, who is T
the narrator, and IS the name subscfbed real. or
is II as fictitious as the paper it,elf7 II appeals.
100, TO an original book, which il burnt; 10 Mr.
Alexander who is dead to a joint letter from
Caswell. Hughes and Hooper. ali dead to copy
sent to DR.. Williamson, now prsbably dead.
whose memory did not rccoleci. in the history
he has written Of \: Carolina, this gigantic stem
Di It's county Of NeckIenburg Uoryv ton i.