Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-04-01
MECKLENBURG DECLARATION.
Steps Taken Toward Celebra.
ting Its One Hundredth
Anniversary. A q
Preamble and Resolutions Re-
lative to This Great Historical
Event.

laClVe TO ThlS Great historical
Event.
The initatory step towards celebrating
the one hundredt, anniversary of the
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
was taken in the State of Tennessee, by
introduction OF a resolution before the
State Historical Society on the I'd March
inst, under which resolution the follow
ing persons were appointed to taken such
steps as they might think necessary,
to celebrate the event, viz. Ex>Governs
j. G Brown, j. George Harris, John NJ.
Bass, j. B. Killebrcw.
A few days subsequent to this meeting,
Colonel ii. NJ. Polk introduced a series
Of resolutions IN the General Assembly,
asking that committees be appointed by
each house to cooperate with the HistOri-
cal Society. These PROSECUTIONS were
unanimously adopted, and the following
committees appointed
On the part of the Senate-H. NJ. Polk,
W. A. Quarles, A. Blizzard, Gen Wilson,
j. G. hodge,,
On part of the House-A. A. Taylor,
WIN. Fowler, j. Il. Neal, Lee Head, Ben,
ton Mcmillan, DR.. Harwell, Holmes Cum
Minis, j. NJ. Galloway. D. W. Herring
and Speaker Lewis Bond.
These several comm ttees met at the
Maxwell House on the even of the 10th,
and the following preamble and resolu>
tians were unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, The State of Nortl, Caro-.
lima, of which Tennessee is the od.pring,
was the first to make armed resistance to
British tyranny anterior to the American
Revolution, denying the right of the
British Ministry to quarter troops in
America at the exp nse Of the Colonies,
and then, in 1861 forbidding and pre-,
venting the landing of British stamps
from the ship which brought them across
the ocean and, ..... ..
WHEREAS, From two to three thou,
sand patriotic North Carolinans met the
British forces at the battle Of the Ala
nance, on the 10th of May, III, and
shed their blood in defence of American
liberty-which event formed a connect
ing link between their resistance to the
stamp act and the subsequence movement
of 1775-and though defeated, still, '1ike
the mammoth, they shook the bolt from
their brow and aroused the mountains y
and,
WHEREAS, In their westward way
they settled on the Watauga, where now
is the eastern bor6er of Tennessee, and
there, in l772, formed, as is believed,
the first written compact of civil govern
ment west of the Alleghanies, with John
Sewer, James Robertson, and other dis.
tinguished pioneers, as their Govern,
mental Commissioners and,
WHEREAS, Mecklenburg had become
such "hornet's nest' and " hot-bed of
rebellion" (as the British said) that, on
the Sth of April, 177j, the Provincial
Assembly was dissolved by proclamation,
thus ending forever all legislative action
in the Province of North Ualolina, under
the royal Government; and,
WHEREAS, The good people of the
county OF Mecklenburg assembled in or
, der at the courthouse in Charlotte, on
the goth of May, 1775, and there delib-
eratey passed series of resolutions.
absolving themselves from all allegiance
to the British Crown, aud declaring
themselves free and independent peo-
pie and, .. a.',
WHEREAS, This is believed to be the
first step deliberately taken towards lay
ing the foundation Of our National inde.
pendence- FIRST taken in the direc.
tion of free and republican government
on this continent; therefore, ..r.
Resolocd, BY the joint committee { Of
the General Assembly of Tennessee, act.
ing in conjunction with the Committee of
the Tennessee Historical Society.
that it Is eminently proper for Ten.
nesseans and North Carolinians to have a
centennial commemoration of the events
referred to.
ReSolced, That we earnestly recon-
mend that the Governors of the States of
North Carolina and Tennessee to declare
by proclamation that the goth of Nav,
1875, shall be of a centennial holiday.
and that the people of the several cities
and counties in these States be invited
to assemble on that day wherever it may
be most convenient for them to do so, TO
celebrate in an appropriate manner the
one hundredth anniversary of the Dec
laration of Independence by the patriotic
citizens of Mecklenburg.
Resolced, That the committees of the
General Assembly and Of the Tennessee
Historical Society will attend the Cen
tenuial celebration at Charlotte, ia Neck
lenburg County, North Carolina, on the
ooh of May next.
Rcaoired, That a copy of these reso-