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

f
Independence the resolves" (as they style
themselyesl which embodv t adopted, and
bear date the slst OF May l775. Tney were printed
IN the South Carolina gazette G,ad Country Journal
OF June -. lTT5; ia the Mem york Journal Of juno
% 1916; 10 the Massachusetts spy OF July r. tT75
and In the cane Fear Mercury OF June -, l775.
,. No other Mecklenburg resoluEions than those
\ OF May 81, TITS, we're ever published tn any con
temporary newspaper. nor has any contemporary
record OF any other come down 20 IS. The Meek
\ lenDurg Declaration OF independence pufporung
to have been adopted May 20, l775. drst saw Tue
4 hight IN tue Raleigh RegtSter OF April %, 1919.
3. Fhe evidence CT the genuineness OF this
declaration OF May 20 n none OF 1t contemp0ra-
neous, Ia The proper sense OF that word IL all
consists OF the reCouecuons OF VINO were
present, OF OF the friends relations or mea
present, at tine meeting IN Charlotte IN May 1875.
Less tnan half or these persons mention the date
OF the meeting and John DAVIDSON. the only sur
viying member OF the committee VINO passed the
resolutions. does not say that the true date was
the 2Otn OF May. Most or their statements are
coupled wlth some expressions showing the IN
certainty they felt testnylng 20 such facts after
the lapse OF nall century. That ney saould have
mistaken the 3lst OF May for the zOtn WAS natural
enough.
L. rhe resolves % tae 3ist OF MAY are attssted
by she contemporaneous reference 20 them OF
two royal governers. Sir James Wright, then
/ Governor OF Georgia, forwarded tne south caro-
lima Gazette OF June IL 1875, containing the Meek
lenburg resolutions OF May 81, 70 lord Dart
mouth the 20th Of June. I775. In ike manner
Governor Martini OF North Carolina, In procla
nation dated August 8, ITS. refers 20 the IRE
solves OF q set OF people styung themselves
Committee for the County OF Necklenburg, most
traltoreusly declaring the entire dissolution OF
the laws, government and constitution OF this
country, and setting up system or rule and
regulation repugBant To the laws aud subyersive
70 HIS AaJesty's government Now, the re
solves OF May 81 are put forth by tile
Committee OF the County. signed by order
or me commits tee by Rpnaim BrevarG. Clerk, ana
the word committee Is eleven times repeated
in them. But IN neither OF the copies OF the reso-
lutions OF May 20 Is there word about any com.
mlttee, but the resolutions are in the name OF
I'VE, the citizens OF MecklenDurg county,
Neither OF the royal governors makes any allu-
sion 20 resolutions OF the goth OF May. l1T5, nor
eHcoses such resouuons.
s. The authenticity or me resolves OF May 81
being established By the highest evidence
namely, contemporaneous publication and cita-
tion, and nowhere denied then since, IL de.
wolves upon the supporters OF any rival set or
resolutions 10 prove their authenticity by least
equal evidence and especially 10 show that the
copies OF them purporung to be preserved are con.
slstent with the attested resolutions OF May 81
aud with each other. None OF these things can be
sho IN In the OF these resolutions but the
CONTRARY viii appear 70 any careful examiner
9. The resolves OF May ~ are papaoly in con-
sstent WITH the general resolves or May 81. Tie
former declare abs0lu'e ana unconditional indie
pendence. while the latter say that these resolves
shan be in ull force until the egisauve BODY OF
Great Britain resigns its unjust and arbitrary
pN
former claim 20 be a onal dissolution Of ali con-
necuon with Great Britain; the latter declare
tnat they are simply provisional and contingent.
II Independence had Deen Internationally pro-
Gained On the Dtn Is Il credible that the same
men who proclaimed Is would have silently re-
cedsd from 1t eleven days later Moreover, there
Is the genuine resolves OF Mar 81 no hint or
aausi0n TO any previous proclamation Of taeir in
dependence. = such proclamation had been
made woald i aOt have been IL some shape re-
ierred TO-
:. Men are % be judged IN history by their acts
as well A. ~ their words. Four or the Mecklen.
burg patriots wbO It h said signed this absolute
Declaration Of indepe ndence Of the British crown
signed only tares months later august % l7T5)
= test declaration with this preamble We the
subscribers profsss1ny orr allegiance 70 the King
and acknowledging tie constitutional executive
power y government &C. Ihis lest Of loyalty
and or patriotism was signed Dy AL the members
OF tic Provincial Congress 81 North Carolina, aud
am0ng them ~ Thomas Polk J. McKnitt Alexan.
der. John Pier ana ~ avery. representing the
couay % AecSienblrg ~ that Congress. II il
not credible that these Norta Carolina patriots
SHOULD nave soon and deliberately recanted
. tner own reputation Of aueEiance.
>. me hecse1burg resolves attributed 70 May
%, are not Only Inconsistent with the later re.
solves Or May Il. aud visa the conduct Or the
parrots who we're ssif % haye adopted them but
there are serious dlscrepanc,es between the riya,
coples o. them WA,ch c.aim our credence The
FIRST copy - them ever coBcuslvey proved 70
nave existed appeared. We nave said. IL tie
RcHgt Register Or April %. 1919 forty-iour years
amer ne date when they are alleged 10 nave been
wutfen. Inc secoad copy - tasm was pubusned
IN 1872, ~ r \. Martin, in TIE second volume Of
his History of NORTH Carolina The dlscrepan-
cies between these two documents are very
numerous. the nrst, published 10 the Raleigh
Regi1sr shich 4 that adopted ~ me state In The
on1cia pamphlet 81 1871 contains ony i've resOlu.
items. the second, II Martins hlstcrY. embraces
sx. Inc otasr discrepancies are Indicated In
ltalics n the following copy " both papers which
are placed side ~ side fJr tae readers comparl.
son
rus aEsoLyEs ~ rHT RaLEIgH REGISTER 1879
mat whatsoever directly or ind rectly st.ssf ~ n
az Wat ioun FL naaaer rsaseFaae-r he ssa 'se,i
briian e. ~ -neny ms conatry. T. America and ~
ina 80 IL cltl1ens "a Meckennrv county a. here.
~ s'.' ~ P2avra Do 49, = en ha's sonnecea ..
al aerance q tie Rru.h crown. nd srr IL political
iars Nsn.aa trampisi 81 oar rlgat. and bsr,,e nl
nhumany shsd tae blood q American tat, Lea
Iha w A. hereby declare our,e'yes free ant inas
ereign ,nd < goyerunE a.~o-1oe qo1@r Ne sfro y
r5.gtsps =. so.srastV sipavs N ssb ,, wni.s