The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-05-26


made it not to have been fools, a question
presented itself which it was difficult salts
factorliy to answer on the part of those who
affirmed the document of the 30th to have
been the only one made i'll Mecklenburg,
IN May, lI|5. That question was this
how could men, not fools, suppose it was of
the slightest moment to the continental
congress of all the colonies in America to
know how Mecklenburg county, in North
Carolina, appointed her constables and JUS
tees of the peace, the extent of Jurisdiction
given to the latter, the mode of dealing with
petty rogues and runaway debtors, with
similar matters! What did the continen-
tai congress care for al these things!
1t is indeed quite possible that the mes
senger may have had a copy of this paper
of the Both, though there was no need of
it, for before twenty days it was in print i'm
WHINING ton and in S. Carolina, and on the
goth of June we know that Gov. Wright of
Georgia sent newspaper containing it to
the British government. But it is remark
! able that there is no resolve among those of
| the Both ordering that paper to be sent to
Congress, while in Brevard's first draucht
there is resolution to send that paper; and
there was sense and reason in sending that.
for it was to be founded an application
by our delegates TO the general Congress
to do for all the colonies what Mecklcnburg
! had done for herself, viz: DECLARE INDIE
PENDENCEl
We'll, the answer came back that it was
deemed premature? What the Contiaen-
tai Congress informing Mecklenburg coun-
ty that it was premature to make ConSta-
bles and Justices of the peace, and to
catch thieves and runaway rogues away
| far off in Il settlement in the wild woods.
I scattered around It's furnishing capitol of
twenty log houses! Why, what did the
Continental Congress know or care about
the temporary local arrangements on sub
jccts of this kind There were a hundred
places in the country where that business
was going on. Not colony existed from
South to North, where the people were not,
in the beginning, obliged to take the bust
ness of government into their own hands,
and cxtemporize some system of law.
Wings were to be protected and tories
watched and made pnwcrle<S for harm
every where. The general Congress left
all this to local authority. They never
said that work of his kind was premature.
But if this document of he Both shove d
such action i'll Mecklcnburg as was deemed
by the Continental Congress to be prcma-
turc, DIR. III. next asked, in ,cllat was il
premature! 1t must have been i'm one of
of such sentiments as it contained, or, in
the public oppression of them. Now we
are told that the leading sentiment express
scd i'll the document was Il willingness, on
Il certain contingency, to return again UNI
der the dominion of England. How could
this be deemed premature by the CONT
mental Congress, when she had previously
in her respectful remOnStrances expressed
the same thing! She had said to England.
cease To tyranniZe and we will be loval
subjects. Well was tprrmature to embndy
IN wriiiHg the sentiments of the Mrcklen-
burg men as to the best mode of improving
Il temporary government Why every
colony had done, or was doing the same
thing; ard the Continental Congress not only
approved of it, but actually. within a few
days after the paper reached them. advised
the colonies TO arm, and recommended to
those parts of the country where the militia
had already been organized by local au-
fhority (Mccklenburg of course was in
cludcd) 10 exercise their dis erection either
i'll adopting tho Continental plan suggested,
"r by adhering to their own, according to
circumstances.
There was nothing premature therefore
in c4testaimiJtg the sentiments of which the
document of the 3Oth was the exponent.
Well then as to the other branch of the
alternative, we ask, did they suppose it
premature to publish it@ How could this
be when the Continental Congress knew
full well that it had been already printed
in Wilmington and Charleston before they
ever saw it; that a printed copy of it was
sent to the British government by Gov.
Wright of Georgia, just 30 days after the
document was made, and that it was re-
printed in New York from the southern
papers, at the very time the messenger from
Mecklcnburg was i'll Philadelphia! But
now just suppose the unprinted declaration
Of the goth, which ren0unced allegiance and
proclaimed Independence, was in their
hands, and we may soon see from their
own language achat it was they deemed
premature. On the 9Th ofJuly, l775, the
Continental Congress set forth a document
which, from the date, must have been in
preparation at or about the very time the
messenger from MeckIenburg reached Phil
adelphia, for it is in proof that his county
men met him there in the latter part of
June. This documen! was entitled, The
twelve united Colonies, by their Delegates
in Congress, to the inhabitants of Great
Britain" whom it addresses as friends,
countrymen and brethren" In this instru-
ment they declare their hearty desire for
reconciliation on equitable and honorable
terms. and thus speak: 'Our enemies charge
lis with sedition: in what does it consist
In our refusal to submit to unwarrantabIe
acts Of injustice and cruelty? If so, show
us period in your history in which you
have not been equally seditious. We are
accused of aiming at independence: but
how is this accusation supported? By the
allegation of your ministers-not by our
actions Abused, insulted and condemned,
what steps have we pursued to obtain re-
dress We have carried our dutiful petit
tons to the throne; we have applied to your
justice for relief; we have retrenched our
luxury, and withheld our trade. The ad-
vantages of our commerce were designed
as compensation for your protection
When you ceased to protect, for what
were We to compensate What has been
Al. &c i IL