Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-02-16
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
North Carolina, versus Old Virginia.
Ats LtttIOT q NC -'eW 1VFN A1s3U Utu
HOUSE OF RaPREsEHTATIvEs,l
January 60, 1858,

January go. 1853.
have read in the Herald of the 18th
ult., an address delivered by the Rev.
DR.. Hawkes. before the New York His
torical Society, on the " History of North
Carolina" in which he claims for the
people of the county of Mecklenburg, of
that State-the FIRST movement towards n
declaration of American Independence.
With no attempt or wish to detract
from the merit of the movement made by
the patriotic people of that portion of the
country, yet it is due to political justice
and the truth of history to say that evil
dence exists, of the most unmistakable
character, which shows that the first
known step taken in the open assertion of
American rights and independence oc-
CURED among the people inhabiting the
then county Of Dunmore, SO named after
Lord Dunmore, now called Shenandoah,
in the Valley of Virginia.
The opinion has long prevailed. with
the casual reader and incorrect historian,
that the patriots of Mecklenburg, North
Carolina, "opened the ball of the revolu-
tion." That learned divine has assumed
this current belief to be a fact, and thus
committed historical blunder. But TO
the records of the facts
The Rev. Peter Muhlenburg, Lu-
therean clergyman, from Trappe, Penn
sylvania, removed in 1879, to Woodstock,
Dunmore county, Virginia, and became
pastor of the church in that village
He was descended from German paren-
tage, and, although born in Pennsylvania,
was educated at Halle in Germany. He
l H. af l,ao nd
the affection Of the whole Germanic ia
mily which had settled between the Blue
Ridge and the Allegheny; in the now
counties of Page, Shenandoah and
Rockingham. e0t HsE
In the early part of the year 1874. the
colonists began to murmur at British en-.
croachments upon colonial rights, and
discomfort reached its acme when the
news of the passage of the Boston Port
bill was conveyed throughout the land
While there may have been a concerted
movement of resistance throughout the
State, Dunmore county was the first to
step forward and boldly proclaim its
opinion in reference to the great questions
then agitating the country. This county
gave itself a distinct organization, as
contradistinguished from it's colonial and
invested power in Committee of Safety,
the prerogatiyes of which were to erect
opposition to the royal power in case oi
necessity.
The meeting which took these initiato-
ry revolutionary steps, was held at Wood
stock, on the 10th of June. l774, one
year before the celebrated Mecklenbure
meeting, which occurred in June, 1775
The Rev. Peter Muhlenburg was chosen
the Moderator of the meeting, and after
wards as Chairman of the Committee on
Resolutions, reported number Of spirit
ed and appropriate resolutions. the tone
of which was bolder than public opinion
was then prepared to sanction. The fol
lowing are part OF the noble sentiments
then put forth by those patriotic lovers ol
liberty
/ THAT we will pay due submission tC
such acts of government as his Majesty
has a right by Law to exercise over hii
subjects, and to such only.
'sThat It is the inherent right of Bri'
tish subjects TO be governed and taxed By
, representatiyes chosen by themselves on
ily; and that every act of the British Par
. lament respecting the internal policy o
America, is dangerous and uncOnstitu.
, tional invasion OF our rights and priyile
ges.
. "That the enforcing the execution o
the said Act of Parliament by = militar!
power, viii have a necessary tendency q
cause civil war, thereby dissolving tha
union which has so long and happily sub
, sisted between the mother country ant
: her colonies; and that we VIII most hear
l tily and unanimously concur with ou
I suffering brethren in Boston, and ever
1 part of North America, who are the I'M
mediate victims Of tyranny, IN promo
) | ting all proper measures % avert suci
dreadful caIamIties, to procure a redress
\ of our grievances, and to secure our com
: mon liberties
i The other resolutions were common Z