The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-17

Inc MeckenOurV DECLARATION OF In0eUeuueuNb
was thus published for the nrst time and certified
by DR.. J. McKnitt Alexander win the suppression
OF mis- paternal name. Tue Declaration as pup
hshed was accompanied with an historian nara
tive purporung 90 explain the circumstances Ia
winch it originated, anu this narrative processes
by the date placed az Its head, to have been writ
ten on the 20tn Of May. lT75. This representation,
however mas no foundation In fact, as The MARIA
tive undertakes 10 recite events winch occurred
not only Gays, but even years, AFTER that date.
such mode or recording veraclous history ~, TO
say the least, very inartistlc, though It is not
necessary TO impHte any fraudulent design IN he
premises. The fact that DR.. j. Mcknitt Ale Xander,
son Of old Jonn McKnltt Alexander, suppressed MS
copy he had made from the papers Of his father,
has been cited IN evidence as evinclng q want OF
candor on MS part but his defenders at the pres
ent day plead In extennatlon oil This apparent
concealmeuL that ne often omitted the surname
nom MS signature because OF the commences oI
tAe name Of Alexander ia Meckienourg county
and lts vLclnage.
ACCEPTING THE TRUTH or THIS
statement as entirely satisfactory, the historical
critic OF the present day. Ia further tracing the re-
la ions OF ~. Mcknitr' 10 tine documents IN ques-
tion soon stumDles on q discovery winch ne mas
II much more difficult TO reconcile either with the
rankness winch sho uld he practised or else the
accul acy which should be Scrupulously observed
In making copy or such an important paper.
DR.. j. Mcknttwe may so call him since that is the
name he preierred-nad stated, as we have seen
In the certificate attached TO his publication IN the
year 1919, mat mis- father appeared from the
record ION hlen to have given copy OF the
Mecklenoarg Declaration, among other persons,
to Gene al w. K. DAVE, distinguished citizen or
North Car DINA. Search was insti uted Tor this
copy AMONG Tie papers 0lL Dy DdVle ab
mis- decease, and the document was found IN the
Well-known, and as we are assured by competent
testimony, IN the unmistaKable handwriting 81 the
venerable John McKnltt Alexander. THIS ''Dayie
copy OF tue Mecklenburg declaration of
Independence was long preserved IN the
archives oil the state Department OF North Caro-
lima at Raleigh but was at length removed from
that custody Dy the late Governor ID. 5. Swain,
while he was President OF the North Carolina Uni
versty Governor Swan had been appointed TO
tue office OF Historical Agentn OF North Carolina,
and IN that capacity ne Withdrew this paper.lrom
IN nf a N nm.
portuniy OF subjecting IL TO crltcal inspection.
l have seen an autograph letter Of Governor
the olographer OF Jefferson, In whicn, under date
OF April 8, 1858, Governor Swain states that the
Dave copy' OF the MecKlenburg Declaration OF
Independence was at tnat time IN MS hands.
When this "Davle copyn came TO oe examined by
by certificate OF John McKnitt Alexander. when
told an entirely different story rom the certificate
with which DR.. u. McKntt,n his son. had accom-
panied the nrst publication OF the Declaration in
the year 1879. rhe luil certificate appended by
John McKnitt Alexander TO the copy which ne
had given 10 Governor DAVE runs as fonows:-
1t may be worthy of notice here to observe that the
iofegong sta.eaen 9agn e GO "Sy
lions Of sad Delegation and CONT Iquiry az ne records
and papers rs burnt gih ae toTse on 4prl6 1870; but
at the request Of Dr. Hugh Williamson, then Of New
this state, forwarded to nIm by Colonel William
Polk IN order that those early transactions might nil
BY SAID Dir. Williamson in New York.
OF september 1870. j. Mex ALExANDER.
Now, 1t Is safe TO say that If this certificate had
put IN It's appearance simultaneously with the
McKnItW In the year 1910, there could never nave
been any ground for the long coniro-
e either TA se Has Or IL.
ticity OF the Meckenburg Declaration OF
Independence on the 10Th of May, l7T5 In point
OF fact this certificate was not given TO the word
until the year 1853, when Ii was published in the
Worth carolina University Magazine by the Rev.
Professor Charles Phillips, a colleague OF Governor
Swain in the Chapel Hill University, and who
made this publication under the Governors super
ticate the accuracy of his transcript being as
present citizen OF Mecklenburg county and a
menoer or the Faculty or Davidson college. situ-
ated within It's borders. The "Dayle cOpyo has
itsef been lost or mslaid.
THE rELLTALE CERTIFICATE
In all respects, except III the matter OF this GER
tincate and perhaps, one other Important varIa-
ton, the "Davie c0pyn OF the Meckenourg Decara-
ton was found by Governor swain and Professor
Philips TO be identical with the paper published
by -. McKnittn In the year 1872 The pertinent
question, then, arises, Why did not -. Mcknltt'
give the certificate OF hts father N lull2 why did he
truncate the certificate conceal the fact that
the whole paper OF MS father purpOrted, on It's
lace. 10 be nothing more than ''the best recollec
tlon ana behefu OF man writing ABOUT events
when had occurred Jwvnty-slx years agone, and
without single scrap OF the original records WIN
winch to refresh hls memory. We can eXculpale
MIN rom blame in the premises ONLY ny the char
liable supposttlon that Inc paper when fen into
MS hands had received from his lather less
cOpious and frank certificate than was appended
by the same hand to the 'Daye copy'' Of this doc
ument.
How these questions may best be answered Is
matter oniV private concern between JoGn
McRnltt Alexander, the father, and ~ Mcknitt"
his son. the important fact with which the puo-
he are concerned IN this inquiry Il tue Admired
fact that the Declaration OF Independence. as puo-
lished by -. Mcknttn In lS19, IS IDENTICAL IA lts
terms win the Declaration VI independence as
contained III the "Davie copy" Ana II tnis latter
the attempt OF John McknItt Alexander to
reproduce long string ofresolutlons ana oIother
transactions. without the aid OF any original rec
touched the bottom OF this Investigation only 10
hnd that there Is nothing ON winch TO rest our
feet II the authenticity Of this Declaration he
conceded-that IL. II II be admitted tnat there may
have been such a declaration-the shape IN winch
we nave IL Is Ger, AMY NOT genuine. wafer cannot
rise above It's level and just a. ftle can the AecA-
lenburg Declaration oi Independence, Ol May -,
lI15, ever nope TO rise higher tnan us source ia the
memory OF JOnn McknItt Alexander, writing OUT
MS best recullectionS ol transactions ana resolu-
t0ns which had so far LACED from his mind that he
Is frank 20 confess they NAV not correspond VITA
the original recordsr As 10 II supposed by our
North Carollna friends that the MechicnDurg Dec
laration OF independence, whatever may nave been
It's purport. was the composition OF DR.. kphraIm
BreVard, patriotic citizen OF MecKlenOurg, IA
1915, aud Is It is in evidence that We nave
as J0nn Mcknttt Alexander could recall IN the
year Ise0 withouta line oi ths original text 10
gulGe him, 1t follows that the absence oI al
kenuiucness In the document must De ifeey al
mItted even by those VINO woula most IKE TO De-
heve IN IT'S authenuclty. Tue reader Will bear "a
MIND mat Sue question oil genuinencss IN sucn
discussion tnIs relates 10 the authorship ~ the
paper ana that the question Of It's authenticity
relates TO the yeraclty Of It's contents.
An IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
having SHOWN on the testimony OF It's reporter
that the Mecklen burg Declaration OF lnnependence,
as We now have H. IS not a genuine document
have neXG To consider tue question Of It's authentic
Ivy. Was therc dHV declaration OF independence
made by portion " the people OF Meckienburg
the 2Otn OF May, l7752 DID the patriots OF
Meckienburg, on that day, formally and forever
dissolve tne political bands winch had connected
them with the mother country, and absolye them
selves from all allegiance 10 the British Crown
lne ImpOssibnuy Of such supposlton
IA negatlved Dy great variety OF most
irrefragabe proofs derived from the
contemporaneous history oil North Carolina. IN
the first place, point 10 tue TACT tnat tue same
patriots wno II l. alleged, took part in this deca-
ration OF May 20, 1875, are known rom Docu-
mentary evidence 10 have participated IN conf
mlttee meeung vi MecklenDurg county only eleven
days aterward. TO wit. on tue jlst OF May, ana at
thaJ meeting they adopted set OF resolutions
which, though In the highest degree credi ta0ie ~
their revolutionary PATRIOTISM are, nevertheless,
OF such tenor as 10 silence the hypothesis that
these same men mad only eleven DAYS before re-
nounced their allegiance 10 the British crown,
unless, indeed. we are believe mat in aplbs VI