The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-08-25
MEcKLENBuRe DEcI.ApAr1o,,

The National lntelligencer copies an ar
ticle published in this paper a few weeks
ago, signed by Joseph Wallis of Texas.
in regard to the authenticity of the Neck
lenburg Declaration of Independence of
Goth May. i775. The Intelligencer pre-
faces that article with the following re-
marks:
Several months ago we had occasion TO
allude IN our columns to the question which
has been raised with RESPECT to the gen
ulneness and authenticity of the paper
commonly known as the Mecklenburg
Declaration OF independence. Our readers
may possibly remember that, as the results
of our historical inquiries, we were led to
express the conviction that the case in
favor of the Resolves which purport to
have been passed by the inhabitants of
Mecklenburg county, at the town of Char
l"tte. on the 10Th aud Goth of May. in the
year l|75, would not seem. i'm view of all the
facts tn be conctuSicety made out, and. with
out undertaking to PREJUDICE the question ia
the absence of certain documents bearing
upon it. we ventured to add that the Re
solves" which are admitted bv all to have
been adopted at Charlotte on The hirtu-frStN
Of May in the same year were. in their tone
and sentiment. sufficiently strong to COM
pensate for the loss of any honor or pride
which ardent North Carolinians may have
heretofore founded upon the o-caIled DE
claration" of the Goth of May. We were
therefore disposed to question whether it
would be wiser for the sons of that gallant
RevolutionaryStatet to rest her claim to .rior-
ity in the matter of moving for declaration
of independence upon the undisputcd fact
that her Colonial Assembly was the first to
authorize her delegates in Congress to
entertain measures for total separation
between the American Colonies and the
Mother Country, which, together with the
cOrrObnrative fact that the MPcklenburg
resolutions passed on the 3l~t of May (and
whose genuineness are beyond question:
were in advance of any promulgated up to
that time, should be sufficient, we think, to
leave North Carolina in the sole possession
of Revolutionary glory which is ample
enough to satisfy the ambition of State
whose modeSty has always been equal to
her merit, and of which the latter is con
spicu"us enough without being based upon
a claim of questionable validity.
We have no design to re- open at present
the discussion of this much canvasscd sub
iect, in which we have no other interest
than that which attaches to the discovery
of historic truth, and allude to it again only
for the purpose of giving place to the sub
Joined letter from descendant of one
whose name and fame are in<eparably con-
nected with the reputed Declaration of the
Goth of May: though we may add that the
connexion is not such as to compel those
who question the authenticity of that docu-
ment to impugn any thing more than the
memory of the patriot who first brought it to
light
We are inclined to think that the editor
of the Intelligencer has not read the proof
adduced by DR.. Hawks at the celebration
in Charlotte on the goth May last, and pub
lished in the Democrat and other papers
Immediately thereafter. The Intelligencer
admits that the genuineness of the Re
solves" of the 3lst of May is beyond ques-
ton, but doubts those of the Goth, and
thinks that the memory of John McKnitt
Alexander is at fault. 1t seems to us that
in admitting the - Resolves " of the 81 st as
genuine, we are also obliged to acknowl-
edge the Declaration of the Goth as equally
genuine, for the tone of the former plainly
indicates that they were intended to sup
ply the place of something abolished or
repealed. Although they do not directly
refer to the proceedings of the Goth, yet
their language proves that the laws of
Great Britain had previously been declared
null and void. The proceedings of the
goth required those of the 3Ist.
Admitting that the memory of one man,
Alexander, might have been at fault. is it
likely that scores of others who were pres
ent on the Goth and heard the Declaration
read, noted down the day of the month,
and afterwards spoke of it in public and in
private, could be mistaken! Col. VIM.
Polk, Gen. Graham, and Rev. II. Hunter
were present in Charlotte on the goth of
May-one of them copied the paper read
by Col. Thos. Polk, and oil testify that
the people of Mecklenburg then assembled
declared themselves free and independent.
If the editor of the Intelligencer is open
to conviction and were to visit this county,
he could hear testimony enough from the
mouths of old, intelligent and highly re-
spectacle gentlemen to convince him that
there was a Declaration of independence
made at this place on the goth May, l775.
But few weeks ago a gentleman told us
that he heard his wife's father say that he
was present on the 2Oth and distinctly re-
membered that independence was declared
that he heard Col. Thos. Polk read the
document, and was not mistaken about its
substance.
As soon as we have room we intend to |
re-publish the testimony, at length, on this |
subject, and hope that the National Intel |
ligencer will copy it.
LOOKING AHEAD.-A correspondent asks