The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-18
THE HISTORIANS ON MEcKLEEBURa.
wAsHISdros. May is. 1875.

wAsHINaroE. May is, 1875.
To TBK EDITon or THE HERALD
Permit me brief space 10 correct errors into
which you have inadvertently fallen In comment
ing upon my letter on the historical evidence sup
porting the Mecklenourg Declaration OF lndepen-
dcncc OF May 20, ITS. | refer 20 yonr remarks
upon the position taken on this controversy BY
Two historical writer's, George Bancron and
Benson j. Losing.
You say that Mr. Bancroft "cAnnot fairly be
counted with the side which denies that there wAa
q meeting and Declaration at Charlotte on MAY
30" Now, have nowhere denied that there may
have been Q meeting on May 70, or, In
fact, many meetings. eliminating la me
resolves which nobody disputes OF May 81.
Simply there Is no evidence which can DO
called historical thar the alleged Declaration OF
May 20 was ever adopted. That Mr.. Bancroft
holds this view Ia apparent, First, from the fact
that his history makes no aliuson TO q meeting az
May 20, nor to the resolves OF May 20, while ex-
phclty quoting the language, IN part. or the
genuine resolves OF May 81. Second, Mr.. Bancrofs
wrote 10 Governor Swain. OF Ncrth Carolina, July
4, 1s4s, announcing his discovery or the genuine
Meckenburg resolves or May 81. 1775, In the South
Carolina Gazette aud tells him that they are iden-
tical with the paper which he Governor Swainy
had enclosed him. IL may be added that Cover
nor d. L. Swain, afIerward Presidents OF the
University and Historical Agent OF the State
OF North Carolina, was u pronounced unDeliever
In the authenticity OF the resolves OF May 20.
Third, MIR. Bancroft wrote to Peter Force, in
March, 1912, ''The documents prove TO my.mnd
conciusiyely thattne people OF MecKlenburg passed
spirited resolutions, and that the set published by
the Legislature were not the real ones.n Now
the set published by the Legislature were the
solves OF May 20, with their pretsrnaiural ana
startlingly suspicious likeness to the language Of
the Declaration or Independence.
You cite Mr.. Losing rs leaning TO the genuine
ness OF the Meckenburg Declaration OF May 20.
but you quote no language from his book declaring
his own belief but only his record OF Governor
Graham's belief In their commences. Permit me
80 cite Mr.. Lossings last word en- this su0ecS, as
published by him IN the AmevScdn Historical
Record for May. 1874 vol. 8, page 203:--
That the resolutions purporting TO have been
adopted on the 20In OF May, and containing ex-
presslons and sentiments similar TO those used by
Jenerson In tie National Declaration OF Indepen-
dence, which that statesman believed to be gpuri-
Gus, were really so cannot be reasonably doubted.
Brevard the alleged author, had been,
dead since late in the Revolution, and Alexander.
the Secretary OF the convention, VINO, tt Ia
alleged, had furnished copies OF them 10 Wnltam-..
son and Others, had been dead almost two years.
been from memory, IN extreme old age, Tor he
died In the summer OF 1917, at the age OF eighty
TOUR years. He had then, doubtless, dim men,
cries or the Convention and IT'S resolutions OF the
3Ist OF May floating In his mind, and from them
the resolutions were framed By an amanuensis.
so much for Mr.. Bancroftis and Mr.. Lossing's
opinions in view OF which think you viii 90 me
the justice TO admit tnat have neither read these
authors through . bias nor erred IN CHASING them
with the unbeievers In the authenticity Of the
Mecklenburg Declaration OF May 20, ITS. very
respectfully A. r. SPOFF0RD.