Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-05-14
pg11t!sglksQimess;
PoRT EgBX3 co:
Friday Morning. May a, ,........'.. 1875.
SeKtsnninl Aassiyersaries.

feelings and is happy omen for the flu
ture of our country to witness the popular
enthusiasm which centennial celebrations
are evoking all over the land. These are
but preliminary outpourings over COM
paratively Insignificant events, but they
give an evidence of the determination OF
the people to make the 4th of July, 1876 a
elimination of patriotic display.
We have had centennial celebrations OF
the burning of tea in Boston harbor and at
Annapolis. We have had grand doings
at Concord and Lexington, and on Mon
day last we had, with appropriate cere-
monies, the celebration of the centennial
anniversary of the capture of Fort Ticon-
deroga 'In the name of the Great Jehovah
and the Continental Congress"
Our readers who are not too old to re-
collect their school-boy days will recall
how with throbbing hearts they read OF
this highly romantic affair. How a party
of eight started, after the news of Lexing-
ton and Concord, from Hartford to capture
the two strong posts of Ticonderoga and
Crown Point. How increasing in numbers
as they advanced they placed themselves
under the command of Ethan Allen, who
speedily increased the force until it became
80 strong. How on the evening of the
9th of May this little army reached the
opposite side of Lake Champlain and
found there were no boats How finally
getting possession of an old scow and
s'liff, eighty three men were carried across
and concealed whilst the boats returned
for more. How when day began to break
before the return of the boats, Allen, re-
fusing to wait longer, boldly dashed with
his small command through the wicket
into the fort and with loud shouts threat
ened to sacrifice the garrison if tine post
were not instantly surrendered to him.
Then, when De Ia Place, the officer in
command, wanted to know on what au-
thority such demand was made, came the
startling reply: I'm the name of the Great
Jehovah and the Continental Congress-
All this comes up fresh before US and
we can well imagine that the recalling of
these scenes on the spot where they oc-
cured an hundred years ago is calculated
to arouse slumbering patriotism. There
fore we are glad to see each locality vieing
with others in the celebration of local
affairs.
On Thursday next, the goth, we are to
have grand celebration of "the Mecklen-
burg Declaration of Independence at
Charlotte, North Carolina. This affair
differs in one respect from all other CEN
tennial anniversaries connected with the
Revolutionary war in this very essential
particular-th it is roundly. asserted
never to have taken place.
AS it may not be uninteresting to some
of our readers we will give brief state
ment of the controversary. 1t is claimed
that the people of Mecklsnburg county on
hearing the news OF Lexington and Con-
cord assembled in the county -town-Char
lottes-town then, the city of Charlotte now,
and adopted the following resolutions
/. That whoever. directly or indirectly abetted
or in any way, form, or manner countenanced
the unchartered and dangerous invasion of our
rights as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy
and inalienable rights of man.
2. That We, the citizens of Mecklenburg Coun-
~, do hereby dissolve the political bands which
have connected us with the mother country, and
hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to
the British Crown, and abjure all political con-
necten, contract and association with that ma
tson, who have wantonly trampled on our rights
and liberties, and inhumanly shed the blood of
American patriots, at Lexington.
3. That We do hereby declare ourselves free
and independent people; are and of right ought
to be q sovereign and Safeguarding association,
under the control OF no power, other than ,at
Congress: to the maintenance OF which indepen-
dence We soleInnly p'edge to each other our mu-
tual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and
our most sacred honor.
These, were then, it is said, sent by express
to the Continental Congress in session in
Philadelphia, but were never heard of
afterwards until about 1919, when Mr.
John Adams sent Mr.. Jefferson the Esser
Register containing these resolutions. Mr..
Jefferson thought the whole thing was IA
quiz" and denounced it as such. and APP
parently with much reason. The reader
will observe that these resolutions alleged
to have been adopted more than year be-
fore the Declaration of Independence at
Philadelphia, contain language and SEN
fences identical with some of the most
noteworthy in the latter instrument. As
for instance, "our lives, our fortunes and
our sacred horror" Of course Mr.. Jeffer-
son was naturally indignant at an hoax
which he believed intended for the pur-
pose of presenting him, as the writer of
the Declaration of Independence, in the
light of plagiarist. The use of the same
language: It the Mecklenburg declaration
is authentic, BY him is at first blush sus-
picions But a brief consideration will
satisfy us that these were nothing but
forms of expression which were in common
use in those days and times. Indeed an
examination Of the resolutions of Virginia,
which were presented to Congress and
acted upon by it, shows that they contain
several sentences which were embodied by
Mr. Jefferson in the Declarations of indie
pendence. Mr.. Jefferson in writing that
instrument doubtless sought to embedy
IL it the current sentiments and thoughts
of the day, and he did 80 most tersely and