The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-13
Authorities Discuss the Declarations
Of May go and 81,
Ex-Governor z. B. Vance Be
lieVes in the First Date.
Daniel r. Goodloe Accepts the
Resolves Of the 3lst.
LETTER OF DANIEL r. GooDLoE.


"MecklenburQ Declaration OF independence" was
never published prior 10 April 3o 1919, though
plausible will not stand the test OF examination.
fhe same suggestion was made by Dr. Francis L.
hawks in a lecture before the New York Historical
Society in December. 1852; but in Offering IL he
took issue with all his friends, who stouty main
tam il was printed in the Cape Fear Mercury, and
that IL was sent In that form by the royal Gov
erner, Josiah Martin, 10 Earl Dartmouth, the
British Secretary OF State. II Is stated that this
paper was entrusted in ss7 1888, to tile care or
the late Andrew stevenson. OF Virginia, then the
American Minister Plenipote ntiarY at the Court
Of St. James, aud that that gentleman failed
10 return it to the keeper OF the colonial records
IL stil hoped by the friends ~ the Declaration
tnaL II NAV be found among the effects OF Mr..
Stevenson, which are said TO be in the possession
OF his son, the present Senator from Kentucky,
and they expect 1t 10 furnish demonstration OF the
genuineness OF the goth OF May proceedings. But,
on tue contrary, II tue Mercury should be FOUND
to contain the resolves OF May 81 your nypothe.
Ils and that OF Dr. Hawks would be 10 the
,nampicns or the 'Declarationn Ike plank
thrown TO drowning men.
Still IL would not save them. The heory OF the
suppression or the Declaration because or lts
rashness, by me cooler heads tnat met IN council
on the Slst OF May IA lncongruous with all the
contemporAneous aud Wen Known facts. IL pre-
Bupposes, n the rst place, taat the Official report
OF the proceedings May 10 and 20,
which bears date Nav %, and IS signed
by John McKnitt Alexander, az Secretary, Is
utterly untrustwortny; or that report declares
that the "Declaratlon" was sent b. q special
messenger 10 the Representatives in Congress at
Philadelphia; that IL was universally received by
the people ana, in TACT. that IL the work or
the identical County committee OF safety, which
we know did Dut forth the resolves OF May 81.
There is abundant evidence OF the spuriousness OF
the pretended report; it shows on It's face thar II
was written long after the event, because u refers
10 subsequent events, and, indeed, we have the
certificate, lonr suppressed, Of joan McKnnt
Alexander that ne wrote II, from ms best recol.
lection and belief" in September. 1900, the original
papers, as he says having oeen DESTROYED with his
house by IRE In the preceding April. All tnis Is
true, but 1t cannot be altered or admitted BY the
advocates OF me 10th OF May Declaration without
surrendertng their cause.
The as umed theory OF the suppression OF the
.Declarationr is inconsistent vita the positive
averments OF the report and or the witnesses that
c was proc aimed at he Colrs House amid
me plaudts o. the people, and that many
copies were taken s. that the people knew II By
ieart. Can IL be believed that nobody In MecG-
lenburg would be lmpruieat enough 70 pno isn
the proceedings Or a large public meeting because
few wiseacres shook their neadsY Is II AZ all
possible mat no tory would get hold 81 It and
hurry with il 70 the nearest British commander
And would whigs and tories coasplre to keen the
secrets Each and oil Of these utterly improbable
IupposItions must be taken FOR true II We admit
Ihe theory OF suppression 70 De true.
In addition 70 these considerations there IS the
statement OF Captain James Jack, the messen ger
WHO bore the DECLARATION" Or proceedings q the
meeting, Whatever they were, to Philadelphia,
tnat his way. at salisbury, which was in the
adjoining county, forty miles distant, they we're
read before "tha Court Committee OF Safety
and highly approved. This statement, which is
doubtless true = utterly inconsistent with the
supposinon tnat ne bore the Declaration OF In
dependence while Il migat well be II we suppose
nm 10 nave been the bearer or the resolves Of
May 81. For II appears from me records 81 the
Rowan county committee, 70 BE found In Wheeer's
history mat on June !. I775. that body sent an
earnest letter 81 sympathy ana q exhortaton
10 pa'ro,ic eG0rt 10 the sister committee or
MecSlenburg, In which. nevertheless, It de
cared IL allegiance "to the present House
OF Hanover can il be believed that this tame
letter would have been SENT to Charlotte twelve
days after MecKlenburg county had declared ire
vocaole indepenuences The thing Is incredible.
But supposIng that Captain Jack bore the resolves
OF May 81 and that be left Charlotte cary IN June,
ne and the report concur In stating. the din
Guilty al once vanlshes For, IA the 1rst place,
the Rowan committee couli not know June /, In
that day OF rough roads what the Mecklenourg
committee resolved 10 the afternoon OF the pre-
ceding DAY; and We may wen suppose tnat the
more elevated and determined spirit o. the re-
solves AZ Charlotte on tie asst day or May would
awaken sympathy and INSPIRE a spirit Of patriotic
emulation 10 Salisbury, when they reached there,
"early IN June.n
might, II | mad time, notice some arguments
presented BY your correspondent from this place,
but believe :hat most Of them were anticipated
and answered 10 the LONGER article Of mine VIII en-
u in your hands. VIII, however, notice what IS
said about the spirit or inc Regulators who had
scrupes, alter their recent oaths " allegiance,
taken as tile price or amnesty and pardon. about
again emoarking in rebellion. Il has been well
nald OF Dr. Charles Phillips that the existence or
this eenng among tue Regulators made u neces-
sary to respect their scrupes ~ keeping open the
aoor OF reconciliation with the mother country.
Hence while the patriots or MecEenourg did SET
up q government on tne 3ist OF May entirely IN
dependent OK Great Britain, tney deemed Il wise
10 say that they might return 20 allegiance
the British government would recede
Rom It's ar itrary policy toward America.
elns desire 70 conculate the Regulators
sas manifested In the Provincial Congress, whlcn
.ent men OF character aud influence among them
win assurances or protection. The trouole with
fne Regulators was that their rebellion In I'LL
against the detestable csrDei-bag tyranny i'm
posed Dy the Crown was suppressed Dy the very
men who. 10 1875, became the leaders Of the wings.
Tryon, the Governor with his accomplished wife
and wife's sister, had fascinated the gentry Of the
loW country with his courty style OF living AZ New
bern. aud made them bis instruments IN impos-
ing a calling tyranny upon tile plain people wAo
inhabited the hlll regions. Martin, wiser and
Detter man, succeeded Tryon, and seized the op-
portunity Of conciliating tue Regulators BY kind
ness, and a. toe same stimulated their well.
grounded preIudices against the gen ~. am,
very respectfully, DANIEL r. GoODLoE.
EX-GOVERNOR vANcE's LETTER.
CHARLOTTE y. G., April 90 1875.
70 THR EDITOR or THE HERALD
Your letter u recent date mas reached me.