The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-14

lie must say, n candid man, that both cannot be
true copies OF the original; indeed would ne not
be InstIned, In view OF their numerous unex.
planned discrepancies, Ia concluding that neither Ia
a true copy OF the originate DO they not rresisti-
bly, suggest an attempt 10 reconstruct Tue re-.
solves nom memory, aDA thus reducing The entire
proof on winch this famous Mecklenburg Decla-
ration Of Independence rests from record eu.
dence 70 parole evidences
e o. All tue authorities concur that the author or
whatever Meckienburg resolves were adopted was
Dr. Ephraim Brevard. Now, Brevard Was a Guilt
waited scholar, graduate OF Princeton and mas
terry writer, as the clearly expressed resolves
adopted on the 3lsI OF May attest II IA impOssl
Die 10 believe that the writer who composed the
resolves of Nav 81 could have written either OF
the rival sets OF resolves OF May 20, win their
numerous tautol0gies and bungung imitation OF
the language OF legai instruments. IL bears every
mark aside rom ~ surprising borrowings from
the Declaration 81 independence OF July l77ol OF
onRendeayorlng to express tue spirit Of the period
ahd 70 make II a. strong rs possible.
no. the theory inst these resolves OF May 20
FWere al aiteIthought, an attempted Tecohstruc-
ton OF some Lost original uOes less violence to
Whatever i IL may have been - = dsciapea
90 nave been burned with the house OF j.
Mcknltt Alexander IN 1900. Even tue news
papers containing the undisputed resolves
OF May 81 hgd 80 lar disappeared as not to nave
been seen by any parties 10 the controversy prior
80 1888. what could DE more natural than the
supp0stion that John McKnltt Alexander striving
70 record wlrnoul authentic documents before
him the resolves y hIcn tue heckenburg patriots
OF l773 nad adopted, should nave falieE into the
very ardent expressions which so well describe
the sput ~ the period. mingled them with lit
tie law learning ana transfuaed INTO them those
striking phrases OF the Declaration OF Iudepend-
euce. which mad stamped themselves IN MS mind
4 IL. As 10 the parole evidence, which is held TO
authenticate bOth the date and the substance OF
the Meckienburg declaration ol May 20. careful
sitting or IL viii show that what Is caiied the
sworn testimony OF fourteen witnesses Is In no
single instance sworn testimony, Deing statements
from recollection. not afldayIts; tnat the wit
nesses differ materially and that tne only one OF
them VINO WAS a member OF tile Mecklenburg Com
miItee does not claim that the Convent on was On
the Goth. No doubt they declared what they be-
leYed 10 be true, and Il IL no more surprising lhat
they should nave made mistake OF eleven days
IN forty years than tnat they should have Jailed TO
recoect closely the pnrase0logY OF a set OF re-
solves which tney had never seen IN print, but had
only heard read from the steps OF courL mouse.
IL is no mps achment oil the honor or the honesty
OF these men 10 hold tnat, judged w record evil
dence tney were mistaken He Knows little OF
history or OF human lie who has not learned that
the easiest thing IN the word ~ 10 be mistaken.
Men instinclvelI accept and accredit as true what
runs ia harmony with their patrlottc Impulses anu
PRIDE OF neghborhood.
tiIZ. attach little Importance 70 the argument
drawn nom the similarity OF these Meekien-
burg resolves OF May 20, lII5 and the Dec
laratlon OF Independence, OF iT76 Mr.. JeneT-
son never claimed originality Tor ghe lead
ing ideas or even expressions OF that In
strument Inc phrases which are common
III ooth with one exception, are not tue compost
tlon OF Mr. Jef1e fson nor OF Ephralm BreYard. but
OF Richard Heary Lee. " virginia, who drew the
resolutions passed 10y Congress July z. l776 THAT
these unted Colonies are, aud OF right ought 10
be tree ana Independent states; that they are
a0solvcd rom all allegiance 10 tue BRUSH crown,
aud that all political connection between tnem
aud tie state OF Great Britain IL, and OF right
ought to be dissolved Mr.. Jefferson chairman OF
the commIttee instructed 10 draw the Declare
ton. adopted This resolution. as be adopted many
expressions from the BIZ OF Rights and constItu-
ton OF Virginia into That immoral state paper.
But. let me ask, wnicn Is the more reasonable
supposltlon,. that Tie Continental Congress,
through Richard Henry Lee, borrowed the
phraseology declaring independence rom certain
>Ieeklen qurg resolves, meyer he4rd OF IN print TN
1919, or that the constructor OF those Meckenburg
resolves borrowed some phrases 81 tneln from the
Declaration OF independence
IL Ii we are TO attach ans weight 20 historical
authoriteston when size viii the balance laly
The ate Peier Force, OF Washington, whose MALI
century oil indeiatga0le and fruitful historical
laboIs made bis name familiar 10 the whole coun
try declared his Oeel ol the unniSt0rical char
acter 81 the Mecklenburg resolves or May 20 l755.
lie went lurther aud wrote, la publishing the
genuine resolves Of May 81 Ia the AGtso.di Inlet
ttgeHceT Of December Is 1855
The aathenucity o the resolutions Of Nav 70 ITO has
hoeu guesuoned yci no others have been produced
sons MA qiha,e.t vStns a. r. ~ ~. mtss seogs
declaration OF lnooI endence " ali the eo.ones.n
The resolves 0l May 81, 1915 then follow. Mr..
Forces Characterization y tue genuine 'Deciara-
toun (Which Will not he accepted by all WIS
dou tless based On ne preamble, yhieh declares,
substance, 1LnAt all laws auQ commissions de-
rived frOEl the authority OF the KING and Parlla-
ment are annulied anu vacated, and the former
civil constitution ol these colonies Tor tue present
wholly suspended
MI. Bancroft, ia tue seventh volume Or hia HIS
tory OF tue United States published IN 1858. pp.
$50 ST4. does ample justice 10 the Mecklenburg
Resolves vi May 81 AMI 10 their patriotic author,
Ephram BTevard, making no allu-l0n 10 any
OF ner HecklenOufg Declaration oil independence.
Mir gapcroit wrote IN Maren ls42 to Mr. Force
.slhe documents, a tRey existed uelOre. prove
my mInc cOncluslvell tnat the people o. Mecklen-
Durg passed spirited resolutions aud tnat tue
set published BY The Leglsa ufe ere not tile real
ones ~ ft tll
Inc testimony Of Thomas Jefferson and'of John
Adams 10 the IdCg that no sucn resolves as the
alleged MeckleRburg DECLARATION 81 Nay 20, 1875,
were ever seen or hearu Of N the Continental
cong ess j. another nS IN tie cham ~ historical
evidence. and = uneontradicted ~ Lac testimony
0l a singie member " that bow, May OF whom
survived when tnis en- royefsy began.
u mas be ADDED that Writers Vi history. such
as Professor george Tucker. Benson J. Losing,
denry ;. Randall aud we la,e hugh Bais Grigsby,
resolves q MAY 81, l7'5 q the only historical
= T Finally no true son Or No.tn Carolina need
arprencud tne loss 81 ! single laurel l. ON tue
brow OF state whose history Is - iliustrious,
even should me ela!m 50 pers.,sen.iy made Of
tne Authenticity OF the Meckieabur- Declaration
of N4s 20 be abandoned. surrey ~ = glory enough
Tor single state to nave successfully resisted the
daring patriotism OF Colonel Jonl A,le aud colo
ael Hugh NaNGeNs 70 nave annotated virginia
o. the i2th u Ap.iL ZOO m empower ng ~
delegases m the Continental Congress TO
concur Win the deiegales q the Otner
colonies In declaring inderendehceih 10
nave fought 80 bravey. ana win suca
aAimosity against tue BRUSH TO draw from
Colonel Tarietoa the declaration that the IN.
haOltants oi MecKlenougg we're more hostile 10
England than any Others IN America aud 70 nave
resolved NJ an 1875 thirteen uontas before tie
INCARNATION 81 lndependeuce tAaf me aatnorlfv
Ol ne King and Parliament uas annufed through
out tne col0nies. tAat wnoevet attempted 70 sXer-
else authority under them should - deemed an
enemy 10 MS country, ana tnat tne military Onicers
81 MeckienOurg county should Aoid ana exercise
o TINS county, and "INnEPESDESr o. tue
crown o. Great Britain. a. afUFtOkD.