The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-24

the other four Ia the same words with the version
OF the Revised Code. There Is a discrepancy also
as to the exact time OF the adoption or the reso-
lutions. The carefully written sketch or the
Mecklenhurg Convention, prepared by Hon. B. L.
Morse and Judge Asa Blggs, In 1854 states, In two
places, 'that the resolves were adopted at two
O'Clock A. NJ, May 20. at the conclusion OF SEES
sion commencing the day before and continuing
without recess into the night" Another account
alleges that 1.-THE convention reassembed at noon
on the 20th, when the resolutions were read
AMID an anxious throug OF auditors and unan
mousIy passed, and then read aloud from the
Court House steps to the concourse OF
peoples TDs discrepancy however much
it has been harped upon by the doubt
OF the genuineness OF the whole story,
seems TO me more apparent than real we sup
pose that the adoption at noon on the 10Th
merely public ratification, in the presence OF the
masses, OF the action taken ten hours before in
the night session, the seeming inconsistency dis.
appears entirely. And II we apply Bishop Buffers
rule OF evidence, Endorsed by Greenleaf, In treat
ing OF the contradictions OF the evangelists, this
very difference OF detail as to time Is a proof OF
intrinsic and essential truthmlness. as tending to
snow the absence OF preconcert in a fabrication.
But WIN return TO this matter OF authenticity
further aud give the Thomases o fair show.
copy OF these immortal resolutions was for
warded by hand OF Captain James Jack TO the Con-
rlnental Congress at Philadelphia. Captain JACK
appears 10 nave Deen an enthusiastic gentleman,
with good deal OF the propagandist In blm. lie
magniHed MS mission by reading the resolutions
TO every crowd he could gather along The entire
They were read IN open court at Salts
bury as he passed through thai town,
amid tile plaudlts OF judges lawyers and
citizens. Their sentiments were so congenial to
the popular taste and temper that they everywhere
found willing listeners and by this frequent and
perseverlng reading their spirit and language be-
came universally dinused. When the Captain got
TO Philadelphia the members OF the Congress.
wDile individually approving the resolves, deemed
iTpremaLure to take action upon them a body,
and they tine resoves) went into pigeon-nole
Thomas Jefferson however, seems Id have APP
propriated portion OF their phraseoiogy IN the
Declaration OF July 4, 1916
As | nave already intmated, the authenticity OF
the Mec&lenburg resolutions Is seriously contro-
verted and that. too, by North Carolna's native
sons. Daniel X. Goodloe Is one OF the latest and
most elaborate OF these adverse critics; but
/ not ut hand his ingenious contriou-
ton TO vexed debate. A letter OF Dr.
Charles Phillips oil Davidson College, North Caro-
nna hitherto unpublished, supplies me with
some OF the points relied on by the lconocasttc
party. Dr. Phillips. IN referring TO the historical
papers OF Ex-Governor swain, OF North Carolina,
now deceased, so lar as they have bearing upon
the MecklenDurg controversy, alleges that an ex-
amiuaEon OF them, even II permitted by his
ecntors aud relatives, would not be worth the
mains as ali that thew contain worthy OF pupl,ca-
non is already In print. No one of the documents
Fantedates the year lS0O-a date entirely TOO recent
Tor a contemporaneous authority. The attention
OF the pnblic was called to the Meckienburg docu-
ments for the nrsl time in 1919. The truth and
nothing but the truth was told about them then,
but, unfortunately, not the whole truth. Had the
certificate OF Jonn McKniit Alexander the alleged
secretary OF the Charlotte Convention, which
DR.. Phillips published Tor the first time IN
the North Carolina University Magazine for
OF the paper to winch it was attached, when the
Meckleupurg resolves, rewritten by Mr. Alexan-
der from recollection alter the destruction OF the
original by the burning OF his house, were
originally put In type IN 1919, the present contro-
non however, OF this transcript rom memory,
Mr. Alexander's certincate TO that erect was, pur-
posely inadvertently IL matters not, omitted by
his son. since 1S47, when DIR. Johnson IN Charles
ton =. c., aud George Bancroft, IN London, dlscov
erei the paper OF May 81, 1875, Governor SWAIN
entertained no faith In the paper ascribed to May
2otn 1775, holding IL TO be morally Impossible that
paper OF the 3lst ever followed that OF the 20ih
Dr. Philips also calls attention 10 the TACT
that Mr. Bancroft, VINO was IN close correspon-
dencc with Governor SWAIN omits All notice
OF the paper or May 20 and that Mr.. LOSING, VINO
ne presuines saw the original IN Governor SWANS
hands, has merely note ABOUT It. The paper or
May 81, i775s Is TO be fognd IN Timothy Is Carolina
gazette Tor June ID I775, preserved in The city
hbrarg ip Charleston, S, q. Again, the records Of
good preservation. if the paper OF May, l775,
produced any impression on tue pubic some trace
o. it ought TO appear In those records. But Dr.
phillips understands that these books contain
no reference TO either paper inc Doctor,
been tia, which the youthful neaas and
warm heards OF 1875 dld actually de.
clare Independence, aud were for lighting
contamination. The cool-Beaded grayDeards we're
inclined to watch aud watt Another source OF
i
entirely unexplored, the collection OF docu-
ments made py Andrew Stevenson while Ameri-
can Minister in London. aud now IN tue posses
sion OF his son, lately a memoer OF Congress from
Kentucky. IL IL agreed by both parties 10 the
ever they we're, we're forwarded Dy the royal
Governor. Josiah Martin, his master in
dence that whatever Governor Martin sent
was in the Colonial once In London until Mir.
that ne borrowed these documents rom that
office. These papers may be among Mr.. steven
sons collection. winch, DR.. Philips learns, have
never been opened since their arrival IN this
country. DR.. Philips saws tnat the originals
wnicn ne used In 1856 we're mutated sheet
winch contained Two or three OF the resolutions ~
May 20 1875. page preserved from entire de-
strnction by the executor OF William W. X,
DAVE, and iSt OF the persons said 10 ne present
at tie convention OF May 20 rue eldest
OF these papers bore as It's date or composition
''SeptemDer, 1902 ana was on IT'S face.
attempt 10 recall what had been burned IN
/ April, 1900. This fact was suppressed, ana when
the men who were IN Charlotte IN May, 1875, were
told that the day was the 20th. ami that this " as
I the paper then read they OF course said they
/ heard In read then and mere The DOCTOR con-
\ Cudes with the remark that IL IL almost high
/ treason up his way TO doubt the genuineness OF
tue declaration OF May 20. 1875. As propose to
/ thoroughly investigate tais question | hasten
therefore to state that. notwtths landing all that
Dr. Philips and his coadJutors say 10 the con
/ trary, 1 am steadIast believer IN the authentic
\ character OF the MecklenburR resolves.
4 II strikes me that this whole debate is one
/ bic that John McKnltt Alexander dId not
\ succeed In reproducing, IN hEc ueT0G, line
\ lot Nue anu worn LOT WOru, tue exact
! phraseology OF the resolves OF May 20. I755;
IL Is still equally possible that he did. There are
/ very lew men OF ordinarily retentive memory wnO
could not readily learn the whole thing by neart.
\ The custodian OF such document, whose wisdom
mad been ytndlcated Dy the successful issue OF the
Revolution, must have lelt glad pride In It's pos
session and nave valued IL as = most precious
treasure What Is more likely than that he read
and reread II again and again until 10 became in-
aeliDly imprinted In MS mindg In II incredible
tnat ne should have been able 10 recall, even WITH
literal exactltude, In September, 1890, what was
almost daily before his eyes up 10 the preceding
April, when it was burned2 Is IL not. Father, IN
credible tnat he should have been unable to recall
the d0cament, az least substantially And IS it
not in fact, absurd 10 conceive that there could
have been any difficulty IN Identifying the date.
only twenty-five years afterward, OF transaction
so memorable. so widely nosed abroad and ia
which there we're so many actorsY
Inc proceedings Of the MecklenDurg meeting
were At once published in the Cape Fear MeT-curV
this attracted the attention OF the royal Gov
errors Of BOTH North Carolina and Georgia. Gov
ernOr wright, or the latter province wrote as fol-