Wilmington journal., 1873-07-18

The dispatch of Martin was more than
two months (frOm Both June to 10th
September) in reaching its destination.
! The news of the battle of Lexington
was a month reaching Charlotte from
Boston. It is clear, then, that the
proceedings of the Goth is referred to,
and not those of the 31st.
This is no new question. When I
was about going to England Q863)
Governor Swain drew my attention to
this matter, and urged the Importance
of these dispatches, especially that of
Governor Martin and it's Enclosures.
! By the kindness of the Master of the
Rolls (Sir John Romily) examined
every document in these offices relative
| to North Carolina, from 1884 (date of
the Patent from Elizabeth, to Sir
Walter Raleigh) to 1850, the date of
the last dispatch of Governor Martin.
have authentic copies in my pos
session of many of them, which I
prize very highly. The dispatch of
Governor Martin, of Both June, 1775,
is very long, and gives a complete
photograph of the times and character
of leading persons and events. On it
was endorsed,
ENCLOSURES.
"1st. Minutes of Council"
''2nd. Resolues Of q Committee of
IWecklenbury."
3rd. Printed proclamation.
The minutes of the Council and the
proclamation were found and enclosed
in the despatch, but the paper, as to
Mecklenburg, was not there, but in
place thereof, was the following mem
orandum:
"a printed paper taken out by Mr..
Turner, for Mr.. Stevenson, 18th
august, 1887"
Hon. Andrew Stevenson was the
Minister of the United States, at
London. This is the last that is
known of this paper. No other ex-
planation is afforded as to the where
though applied by letter to the Mas
ter of the Rolls: to investigate the mat
ter Certain it is, it is not there. But
hopes are entertained that it will be
recovered. Mr.. Stevenson is dead,
but his son, Hon. John w. Stevenson,
now Senator in Congress from Ken
lucky, has in his possession his fathers
papers, many procured in London, and
has promised me, to make a search
among his fathers papers for this
printed paper, and if found, will send
it to me. This, whenever recovered,
will settle the OF inion of some "doubt-
ing" Daniel, but it cannot make the
truth more clear, than it now exists,
that, at Charlotte, in Mecklenburg
county, North Carolina, at meeting
of delegates of the people of said
county. on the Goth of May, 1775, all
allegiance to the Grown of England
was dissolved, and the independece Of
the State declared, subject to the con-
troll of no power other than that of
God, and the general government of
Congress; to the maintenance,,of which
independence they solemnly pledged,
to each other, their lives, their for
tunes and their most sacred honor.
Who would deprive the State OF
North Carolina of so proud niche in
the temple of History?
One fact must be clear to all: That
no one could have a motive to palm off
SO gross a fraud on the country. The
declaration exists. If it did not orig
mate where it is alleged. where did
it come from? Any one, (NIr. Jeffer-
son or Mr.. Goodloe) who maintains
a negative cannot escape this position,
but must show its origin.
The fact that this meeting did occur
at Charlotte, on the Goth of May, l775,
is verified by men of unsullied charac-
ter, and of clear mind and memory.
Governor MOntford Stokes, an hOnored
son of North Carolina. Senator in Con-
gress and Governor of the State, HIM
self soldier and sufferer in the Revo-
luton, AYERS that he saw this paper in
1898, in the hands of Dr. Hugh vii
hanson, who was a signer of the Con
stitution of the United States, and
then writing the history of the State.
No one then doubted its authenticity.
No less than fifteen survivors of this
memorable scene at Charlotte on the
Goth of May, 1775, have averred that
they acre present.. and then and there
heard this paper read and promul-
gated.
But separate and apart from ''this
cloud of witnesses" [ have seen on the
files of the Pension Office here, the
aGidarH of General Joseph Graham.
made in open Court in Lincoln county,
North Carolina, to obtain the benefit
of the act of the 9TH Of June, 1882;
from which I extract the following:
''The deponent states he has a record
of his age. He was born in Chester
county, Pennsylvania, on the 18th OF
October, 1859; that he removed to
Mecklenburg county, North Carolina,
when ten years of age; that he ac0S
present at Charlotte on the goth Ot
Nay, 1775, achen the county of Neck
lenburg made their celebrated Decldra-
ton Of I,dependence of the British
Grown, upwards of year Abefore the
Congress of the United States did at
Philadelphia
Here is clear, positive statement,
on oath, of time, place and fact, by q
witness of undoubted intelligence and
vcracity; himself not an obscure actor
in the trying conflicts of the Revolu-
ton. His descendants still live among
us, honored, respected and confded in
by all. His sscOl7a testimony cannot
be contradicted or acfutc0.
Would not any jury, with such tes-
timony, decide the fact as p1'Ored,
rather than believe, for a moment,
statements however specious or in
genioTs?
The wonderful unaninlity of the tes-
timony of all the witnesses as to the
time and place, (for some of them re-
sided in Georgia, some in Tennessee,
and others in distant parts of North
Carolina,) proves that if any imposi-
ton or fraud was intended, that it was
admirably arranged ana most success
fully consummated. But they had no
motive to deceive and no object to at
tain but that of truth. They must be
believed, and the opponents to their
testimony are forced to the position
that either these men a0ere guilty OF
borefaccd fraud, and conanlitted per
jury of the darkest character; or that
the Declaration Of Independence at
Charlotte acas made on the Goth OF
May, 1775.
It was my very good fortune to re-
side many of the best years of my life
in Charlotte and its vicinity. L knew
personally many of those who stated
that they were present at Charlotte on
that memorable occasion. The deep
feeling that these venerable men
evinced when recurring to this event,
| ralatinr the Stirrincr ScanaS That FOL.