The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-20
Ths Patriotic Celebration 1t Charlotte
To-day.

After having done all in our power 70 ~
public attention on it and give il prominence
we do not need to make any professions 81 our
cordial sympathy with the commemorative
observance Of this interesting Centennial IN
North Carolina II there is a mistake in the
| date, that is Of minor consequence as regards
the fitness Of the celebration. The essential
thing is to do honor to the event. and It would
be q fastidious pedantry TO follow merely the
calendar or the clock. The first blood was
shed at Lexington between dawn and sunrise,
bat nobody was SO absurdly punctilious as TO
demand that the celebration should be held at
the same early hour, lest il should involve
violation of strict chronology. There IS no
doubt or question that Mecklenburg county
is the proper scene Of centennial celeora-
ton. There is no question that 1875 is the
right year, May the right month and Charlotte
the right place.
STILL the historical question has its i'm
portance and the HERALD has spared no ex-
pense or effort TO enable the public to decide
it on full view of the evidence. We have
enlisted the strongest writers on both sides,
and have made diligent explorations in every
direction for lost or missing documents. we
are obliged TO confess that our search Tor
original evidence relating to the Goth OF May
meeting and its Declaration has been unsuc-
cessful Had such original documents been
in existence we think we should have dis
covered them. The nearest we came to get
ting on the track of any was the suggestion
which led us to send representative to Sena-
ator Stevenson, of Kentucky, who possesses
the papers OF his father, the late Andrew Ste.
venson, who was Minister to England at the
time when paper that might have some value
as evidence was taken from the State Paper
Office by some American investigator and not
returned. 1t does not exist among Mr.. Ste
vcnson' papers, and as Senator Stevenson re-
ferred our representative to Mr.. Rush, of
Philadelphia, as being, perhaps, able to
furnish some clew, this gentleman was
visited, but without any result. We
are convinced that no document not
already in possession Of the public viii ever
be found.
After admitting to our columns so many
able disputants TO defend their opinions it
last state our own. The discussion would
have been Of little value if it did not facili-
tate judgment, and candor constrains us to
say that we think the weight Of argument is
on the side of the critics who regard
the 31st as the true date. The
only recorded evidence for the other
side consists of the testimony Of
several aged men, who gave their recollec-
tons long after the event. critical examina-
ton even of their testimony shows that it
really supports the document of May 81 We
will proceed to show that every one Of these
witnesses who confesses to any definite recol-
lections at all must be admitted to have had
the paper Of the later date in his mind as
being the only authentic proceeding symbol
lzing with independence that had occurred
in the Revolutionary annals Of Mecklenburg.
John McKnitt Alexander, by the narrative
with which he accompanies his report Of the
Declaration" leaves no doubt that it is the
paper Of May 81 to which bis "reminiscences
attach; for Immediately after giving the re-
solves in question he adds:-"A number Of
bylaws we're also added to protect the associa-
ton from confusion and 70 regulate their general
conduct rs citizens" That in this be refers
to the regulations Of May 81 is made certain
by his subsequent statement, in the same mar
rative, that Judicial proceedings originated
from this delegation. Now, it is admitted that
the provisional judicial proceedings OF this
period ID Mecklenburg we're regulated under
the ordinanceof May 81, aud hence it is to the
manifesto Of that date that the memoranda OF
Mr.. Alexander must be referred; for he makes
statements which can be accounted for.on this
assumption alone.
Captain James Jack, the bearer Of the
Mecklenburg manifesto to. Philadelphia testi-
fies that the resolutions which he bore we're
''read aloud in open court at Salisbury, the
county scat of Rowan, while be was ~ route
to his destination, and that he heard Of but
one person VINO did not approve Of them.
This was early in June, 177j. But on the LIST
Of June, 1775, the people Of Rowan had pub
licly protested their loyalty at Salisbury. If
a few days aflerward only few Salisburians
could be found 10 dissent from the Mecklen-
burg resolutions We may be sure that the
lalltF oAu lOt dA0AAh ~ 81 hibFo1dbAc ne
claration Of independence.
Messrs Alphonso Alexander, Amos Alexan-
der and J. McKnitt Alexander testify that they
had frequently heard William 5. Alexander,
deceased, make a statement to the effect that
he met Captain Jack in Philadelphia, as q
bearer Of the Mecklenburg Declaration, ION
the DAY General Washington left Philadelphia
10 take the command Of the Northern army"
This was June %, 1775. A few days after
ward the substance Of tie resolutions of the
3lst Of May was published ia the Northern
journals. We need not draw the inference sug-
gested by this rapproche'neat.
Francis Cummins testified that Captain
Jack brought back to the county the thanks of
Ct--.-1~. g. tbcsr 1o,1 and itc od--,oo