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

3Oth of May, IT'S, by virtue of their ap-
pointment at the meeting of the goth; that
their meeting was founded on the previous
action of that day 1.-THE 20th,) and that its
end and object was to improvise Temporal
ry system of government for Mecklenburg,
inasmuch as it had been declared in rebel
lion and out of the protection of the laws
Of the British crown.
PRESUMPTIVE PROOF.
DIR. FL. stated that there were certain facts
connected with the paper made in Mecklen-
burg, whether on the Goth or 3oth, and
irrespective of its contents, which were es-
tablished beyond dispute, and had not been
eontroverted. These were the following:
l. Whatever paper was prepared was
made when the news had just been received
in Charlotte of the battle of Lexington; and
the people assembled in the town were
greatly excited by the Intelligence.
2. Whatever paper was made was pre-
pared upon a call of the people here assem-
bled, crying out, 'let us be independent"
3. The document was made when there
was an assemblage at Charlotte of the lar
ger part of the residents of the county; that
assembIage lasted part of two days, and
some of the work was done in the interven-
ing night.
4. The document, after having been pre-
pared, was read from the steps of the Court
House by Col. Thomas Polk.
5. The contents of the paper were pre-
served at The time, both in memory and by
means of writing, on the part of some OF
those then present.
6. The document has been repeatedly
declared by several of those who heard it
read to have renowned allegiance, declared
independence, and affirmed the right of
selfgovernment.
These were facts connected with the max
ing of the paper, no matter whether pre-
pared on the goth or 3Oth.
From these facts DIR. FL. proceeded to
show that the paper of the 3Oth could not
have been the only document prepared in
Mecklenburg in May, 1915, for that in
many particulars, that document was utter
ly ireconcilable with the foregoing facts.
l. News was received of the battle of
Lexington the day the paper was made
DIR. Ii. then proceeded to show from
Drayton's memoirs of South Carolina, and
from Gibbs Revolutionary documents of
the same State, the printed copy from the
letter of intelligence of the battle of Lex
ington that was sent South, showing the
day and the hour endorsed on it, as it pass
ed through the hands of every Vigilance
Committee from Connecticut to Charleston:
and corciusively established the fact that
the news of the battle of Lexington reached
Charlotte on the night of the 9th of May,
or rather early in the morning of the 10th
of that month, in 1875. This fact, there
fore did not harmonic with the claim made
for the document of the 3Oth.
2. The paper was made in response to
the peoples call, "let as be indcpendent." .
DR.. H. argued on the improbabiity that
in answer to such call made by an excited
multitude, a paper would be prepared which
should contain nothing about independence,
and yet that the people should be satisfied
with it as Declaration of Independence.
This fact, therefore, did not seem to agree
with the claim made for the document of
the 3Oth, which was just such as is above
described.
3. There was a large assembly of the
people of the county i'll Charlotte when the.
paper was prepared, and this assemblage.
continued for part of taUo days, some of the
work having been done in the interveififg
night.
DR.. III. then asked what there was in the
document of the 3Oth, or what evidence had
ever been produced from any source to
show that the meeting of the 3Oth sat also
on either the goth or 3lst of May? What
proof that any work was done at night g
What proof that there was any asser, blage
of the people of the county at all on or about
the 3Oth? What evidence from the docu-
ment ITSELF or from any other source, that
any gentlemen of the county met in Char
lotte on that day, except the gentlemen of
the Committee The answer was, that on
all those points not particle of testimony
had ever been produced to sustain them
This fact, therefore, seemed inconsistent with
the claim made for the document of the
3Oth.
4. 5. The next known facts were, the doc
ument prepared was publicly read by Col.
Thomas Polk, and that its contents were
preserved at the time, both in writing and
in memory by some of those present who
heard it. Now, Gen. Graham, Rev. II.
Hunter and Col. William Polk, of Raleigh,
three more respectable and credible wit
nesses never lived any where,) were all
present, all heard the paper read, all remem-
bered its substance, and one reduced to
writing the date as the goth, and copied the
paper read at the time; and what they re-
membered and what they copied, did not
contain one particle of the document of the
3Oth; but totally different paper Nor,
of all those present who heard the paper
read, was there ever found one who retain
ed in memory as what he then heard, the
paper OF the 3Oth; while great many did
remember totally different document as
what they then heard. This fact, therefore,
does not agree with the claim set up for
the paper of the 30th.
6. The last fact alluded to was that the
document read, according to the testimony
of some twenty witnesses, did contain three
most important particulars, expressly and
unequivocally announced; these were, lst,
remuneration Of allegiance; I'd, declaration
of independence and Sd the riDht of Saif