The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-03
RESUME OF THE EVIDENCE.
Valuable Historical Data Destroyed by
Sherman's Bummers.
WRITTEN AND ORAL TESTIMONY.
What Constitutes Treason Among
the Tar Heels.
THE TRADITIONAL HORNETS NEST STIRRED.

There 10 decided difference OF opinion both
here and throughout the State In regard to the
paper purporting to be the Mecklenburg Declare
ton or Independence, and said 60 have been
adopted at Charlotte on the Goth OF May. 1775. No
one questions the authenticity OF the Mecklenburg
resolves OF the 31st OF May, IT'S. on the side OF
which there is the most overwhelming proof. The
people, however. by general consent, have adopted
the paper and date OF the goth the day on which
the people OF North Carolina declared their indie
pendence and threw or the British YOKE. The
Legislature engraited that document and date
on the statute books OF the State as the an
niversary OF the glorious event; aud again, as
II to severely and unquestionably signalize the
occasion, Ii was especially agreed, in 1861 that
North Carolina should, and she did, seceue from
the Union on the 2otn OF May. SO popular ana
time-honored has the goth become by usage, pub
,cation patriotic oratory and by even educational
au horIty, that 1t Ia now looked upon as a crime,
no less heInous than dIsloyslty, to cast DOUBT
the slightest reflection upon that supposed historic
day ana date. This feeling. l regret to say, Is
carried too far, and The intolerance OF opposite
opinions by the advocates OF the goth is TO say the
least OF It, an exhibition that is by no means
creditabe to themselves or their cause.
know to-day o large number or gentlemen
OF high character, great literary ability, and
the most unquestioned integrity IN the State
OF the facts that the 3lst and the goth oil May,
was the day upon which the Mecklenburg resolves
were passed, are nevertheless, because OF their
woful minority, forced by public sentiment to
suppress their opinions on the SUBJECT. One Of
these / met on the cars on my way here, and
upon asking him for an expression OF his Views
for publication in the HERALD. he SAID
s'Why, my dear sir. / dare not do It. am IN
business, and to say anything now against the
Goth OF May would ruin me. few persons in
1910 first took up the idea from ola John NICK NIT
Alexander who spoke from a memory weakened
and defective by old age, and the people gradually
fell into the error, then the Legislature, and now
tits
A POPULAR DELUsIoN
that nothing snort OF a revolution could wipe out
It is treason to say anything against the 10th. I
am glad, however," he aided, "that the NEW
YORK HERALD has taken the matter up, and II is
TO be hoped for the truth and vndcation OF his
tory, that great journal, with its characteristic
independence and impartiaity, Will solve the
problem aud establish the fact beyond question In
the future.n
This gentleman's Is not an Isolated case There
are numbers like him In North Carolina who GER
taiuly should be accorded full ana Tree express
sion or their opinions on subject now OF
such vital importance In the history ,of
the country. One OF the victims OF this In.
tolerance is DR.. Charles Philips whose Views,
courteousy given TO q HERALD correspondent By
letter several months since, were recently pub
Iisned exciting here storm OF indignation that,
from an outside standpoint, seems very foolish.
Dr. Philips, in hts letter, did nothing more than
TO state historical facts. with sucn information as
he pos sessed himself that would be OF In inves
tigating the matter, and for this he is regarded
with a suspicious eye by some OF the press as az
enemy In the camp. IL VIII be established during
the coming month that North Carolina stands
foremost In noeonlv declaring her independence,
but in having made toe nrst resistance to
the British both by land and water and BY
also having shed the first British blood on Ameri-
can soil at the battle OF Alamance. With such q
grand history and patriotic record she can GER
tanly AFFORD to allow a free discussion among her
own citizens TO settle important fact IN that
history. since ] have been here Tor the past few
days / have conversed with quite number or
gentlemen on both SIDES OF the question, and
leaving any historic investigation TO other and
more able pens, will briefly state the result OF the
several interviews.
THE THIRTY FIRST SIDE.
The advocates OF this date, so far as have seen,
have certainly ample proof as 10 the authenticity
OF their paper, and some OF which is rather dam
aging to the claims OF the paper OF the goth.
FTrst-As contemporary evidence, they state
there is In existence to-day copy OF TimOthps
carolina Gazette Of the 18Th OF June, 1875, two
weeks after the event, containing the resolves CT
the 3lst OF May, which was in the possession OF
the late Peter Force, OF Washington. Besides
ths, there are two otner copies OF the same paper
extant, one said to be ID the Congressional
Library as Washington. Then there is in addition,
as corroborative testimony the correspondence
OF the Royal Governor In the Colonial once in
London, which was examined and copied By Mr..
George Bancroft when he was Minister to Eng
land
Second-It is claimed mat the difference in the
language OF the two documents Is DECIDEDLY ad-
verse to the paper OF the goth, that document
being defective ungrammatical and not scholarly,
while that OF the 3Ist IL clear. accurate ana elegant
in style and composition. and that 1t not only de-
mes the British government, brt that II provided
for a temporary government for the people and
was in every respect a scholarly and statesman
like paper.
Third-The Royal Governor bases his charge OF
treason against the colony OF North Carolina on
the resolutions or the 31st OF May. lie never
refers his charges to the Declaration OF the 10Th
and had there been such paper a. taat ofthe 10th
in existence 1t is scarcely probable he would have
taken the weaker one OF the 3lst
Fourtlt-The paper OF the Goth was not published
untll 1919, IN the Raleigh Register. II was found
among the papers OF John McKnitt Alexander,
who was secretary OF the Mecklenburg meeting.
Ills son, John McKnitt Alexander, brought 10 TO
light and published II as the genuine Declaration
OF Independence az Mecklenburg, and It was so re-
garded for many years. Finally, the Rev. DF. Charles
Philips then Professor OF Mathematics In the Unit
versity OF North Carolina, discovered and puo-
lisned note, written In 1900, by the elder John
McKuitt Alexander, to the effect that the original
document had been destroyed by the burning Of
his house, and that the published document-that
OF Isle-was written from memory twenty-five
years after the event, when ne (AleAanderJ was a
very old and feeble man.
Flth-lt is alleged that some OF the supposed
sgncrs OF the paper Of the 2oth four months after
ware, in the Court OF orange county, declared
themselves loyal to the British crown, AFTER nav
ing pledged their lives, fortunes and their most