The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-04-30
The HeckIenburg Centennial
Celebration If the Declaration Of In
dependence, Nay 20th 1875.

and Herald, from uuLe"hOlO Si'i
(probably from not having the facts iu!'y
before IT'D doubts the proPrlety OF the
of5clal action taken to participate in
conmemorating that grand event. The
editor ne believe to be good man, and
true We cannot think that he would
knowingly detraet from the claims of the
patriotic dead of the "Old North State,
and we regret he looks Epon it as an unset
lied fact, rs he speaks of it ''as at best
disputed point" Under this impression,
will be allow as to lay before his readers
some reasons showing she incOnclusive-
ness, of the arguments of the CINCINNATI
Commercial on the matter. The editor
will we trust allow US, further, in all
kindness to point out the erroneous con-
clusions into which he has fallen in,
following the Commercial In its conciu>
sions. We see where a large part of
the difficulty occurs; it is from the ar
gument made that if the Aecklenburg
Declaration is fact, then Mr.. effersOn
must have been plagiarist from that
document, when he penned the Deciar,
alton of Independence, of July 4th l776.
We will not believe that the Cincinnati
Commercial belongs to that class Of
northern newspapers "whO do not be.
heve" that any good can come QUO of
Nazareth, or that any claim could be
true if advocated by a bastard civiliza.
ton with which the South has been
charged as its highest attainment.
The Press and Herald follows the
Cincinnati Commercial in the idea of
plagiarism. Let US say to him that he
has no higher appreciation of the pc
litical craftsmanship of Mr.. Jefferson
than we do, and not so high of his men
tai resources, and literary attainments,
or he would rot make that great man
liable to the charge ofplagiarism, because
foreooth, he uses in the draft of the Ma
. -tionaI DoclarsSion of Independence, lRn~
rr-ge identical almost with that of the
prior declaration of Mecklenburg, and
Shat too, IN Urt one sentence. If there
Is an identity of language, the signers
of the 5Iecklenburg Declaration could
not hello ibis coincidence and surely
It is 10 -roCf that Sho Mecklenburg De-
oIaraticl q spurious. Nor do the be-
lievors in .he MeckIenburg paper bring
this charge, it is brought by those who
are seeking to repudiate this Declare
ton,
Our estimation of MI Jeferson's lit
era-7, - 3sjl rs mental attainments
fo-c:3s s:aE We should entertain the
idea - prnllhiei ..aiist the Press ana
Herald takes the broad ground that h'
certainly must have done so if the Neck
lenpu.g Declaration was written as il
cone 2, \ to US. Does not the Pres
qad raid know that on mono nrOul
occasions and vital issues, men not only
think, ut frequently express their ideas
in came lasg1sge. Some express
sic-s almost become EsereOtyPed
The peculiar fitness Of each expression
properly 2S,rO.ing certain idea, makes
the lea public property, Cf We may q
te- u id yshen il has once been so prom
inantIy used as 70 get into the public
mind But the Commercial thinks, (anC
you adopt the idea) "Ehat there is to,
close a paraphrase of the Mecklenburl
Declaration Of May goth I775, in to,
National Declaration to admit of an
other conclusion, than tina one of then
h. -
what e condition you place MIR. Jefferson
by tbs cdCption Of this admission ant
you add 10 a cziEcher, (which was the
borro-,-- and which the borrowed j
the question to be settled as if tn
whole controversy in regard to tn
Mecklenburg Declaration hinged RICH
here.
, Let us apply this "too close a para
phrase" argument made against til
Declaration sf May Goth IT'S and see
your own reasoning does not establish
it beyond doubt. Upon the decision o
your aost,slats, the last writer must Dor
rc q from tho first To this we demur
Reaiers Of American history all knO'
that the distinguished Virginian, Rich
ard Henry Lee, introduced his bold res
OlutiOns on the 7th of June I775, (almos
a month before Mr. Jefferson wrote th
Beclaration,) and that they were penne,
in the following words. That thes
United colonies are and # right oush
10 be free Gad independent States rha
they are absolvcd from all allegiance Z
the British crown and that all pulitica
connection between them and the Stat
Of Great Britain is, and OF right ougb
to be dissolved
C"DTAes his language with that of III
DeolaraUen sFitsen one month after anC
thsA 10y yO2r irrefsaG.be rule; 'whicl
is Ar SorTOooE and ahich the borEO " p,
i Aba QSsss.oa e De settled, and yo
Uiu 5re2 - ob,Sstio-s you bring agains
the Heck'snSsTS Declaration CT May 20
ITS. Ts $hiak ,Aat # .sir. Je Ter,og
had lived, I'D ths7s ca be no doub
abs1t uF. Ga who Ct .7sl believed
!