New-York tribune., 1875-05-15
NORTH CAROLINA PATRIOTS.
THE FIRST DECLARATION OF NDEPEND-
ENCE

AAk AhSA DIlNLAhAllON OI ANDGA L&'D-
ENCE.
THE CLAIM OF MECKLENBUR0 SUSTAINED BY COLO
NAL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES pIsAGREE-THE
DAYS OF THE REGULATORs-EARLY DIsLoYALTY
IN THE OLD NORTH sTATE-A STAMP ACT DEMON
sTRATION-THE MECKLENBURG REsoLvEs-AB-
sTRACT OF THE RIVAL DOCUMENT THE AP-
PRoACHING CELEBRATION.
The resolves of the Committee Of Mecklenburg,
which your Lordship will find in the inclosed news
paper surpass all the horrd and reasonable pubica-
tons that the inlammatory spirits of the continent
have yet produced, and your Lordship may depend
that its authors and abettors will not escape when
my hands are sufficiently strengthened to attempt
the recovery Of the lost authority of the Govern
ment.D
The writer of these words was the Colonial Gov
ernor of North Carolina State Paper Office, London,
America and West, l. Vol, 2O4) and the doc
ument thus characterized was either the Declaration
Of Independence adopted by q delegated Con
ventlon of the people of Mecklenburg County, on
the Goth of May, 1775, the supplementary resol-
tons of similar purport adopted by the same
patriotic and determined people on the 31st of the
same month. The letter from which this extract Is
made addressed to the Secretary of State, from
Fort Johnson, North Carolina, on the 3Oth OF june
1775. Again. on the sth of August, Gov. Martin, In
usittu VII Ills lAsJcot5 ohiP NAN-'
in Cape Fear River, gave testimony TO the same
effect by denOuncing as most infamous publlca-
ton in Tho Cape Fear Mercury, importing to be
resolves by n set of people styling Themselves a
committee of the County of Mecklenburg, most
traitorousy declaring the entire dissolution of the
laws Government and Constitution of the country,
and setting up system Of rules and regulations SUBJ
yersive of His Majesty's Government" Gov. Wright
of Georgia, writing also to the Home Government,
transmitting the same document State Paper Ohce,
London, Geo, Vol 21sl, remarks to the Earl OF
Dartmouth: by the inclOsed paper yOur LordshIp
viii see the extraordinary resolves by the people OF
CharlOttetown in Mecklenburg County, and l
should not be surprised if the should be done
everywhere else
Throwing aside other cOtemporane0us evidence, as
well as credible tradition, these declarations OF
ROyalst Governors would seem to place beyond
cavll the claim of North Carolina, that she was the
first of all the colonies to declare absolute lnde-
pendence of Great Britain. As we have intimated,
however, there is difference Of opinion among
historians as to the date of the resolves
to which reference is made in these State
papers. The discussion arises from the fact
that the Original of the Declaration of
he Goth of May has not been preserved and was not
published in the press until late in the first quarter
of the present century, and that the copy then pro-
duced bore strong a resemblance to the ihiiadel-
phia Declaration written more than year after
ward, as to suggest suspicion of plagiarism OF
phrases either by Jefferson or the custodian OF the
Mecklenburg paper On the other hand the resOlu-
tions of the 31st of May were published soon after
their adoption. and there is absolutely no reason
10 doubt their authenticity. Bnt the North Caro-
lima Legislature, after mature investigation by a
,,oIt n..1n
ton of May 20 authentic and genuine. In this
opinion nearly all the historians OF that State concur
For years therefore, May 20 has been observed as
the anniversary and this year its centennial recur
renee will be celebrated at Charlotte with imposing
ceremonies.
NORTH CAEoLIyAs RECORD BEFORE THE REVOLT
TON.
Dislovaltv 10 the Mother Country was not a new
thing in North Carolina in 177j. For years there
had prevailed a dissatisfaction with the encroach-
nents of Crown and Parliament upon the rights
of the colony and under the administration Of Gov.
Tryon these sentiments eliminated in resistance
tothe acts of His Maestys official representatives
on this side of the water. One Of the first out
breaks was in the County of Mecklenburg. which
aferward became disin gushed for its early declara-
tion of independence George \. Selwyn had OBJ
tanned by some means large grants OF land from The
English Crown. and John Frohawk was employed
to locate these lands and survey them. The people
of Mecklenburg, in arms, seized the surveyor and
compelled him 10 desist This says the historian
"was the first buzzng IN the hornets
nest, from which the power of roy
atty was afterward fatally stung.' The
Stamp act, which received His Maiesty's sanction,
22d March, 1865 nhamed the spirit of North Caro-
lima as much as that of Massachusetts. The Legis-
.c.o, I'D, and
ionary that Gov Tryon prorogued it after q session
of fifteen days, the Speaker OF the House having
previously informed him that L" the law would be
resisted to blood and death" The Legislature was
not allowed to meet again until the obnoxious act
was repealed. But the people were not content
with mere words of opposition. Early in 1868 the
Diligence, sloOp-of-war, arrived in Cape Fear
River with stamp paper for the use of the colony.
The ship was boarded by citizens Of New Hanover
and Brunswick, and her captain frightened that
Inc made no attempt to land the paper. The ship 5
boat was captured and carried in triumph TO Will
mingtOn, where there was an illumination III honor
of the event. The next day the Governor was
forced TO surrender Houston, the stamp-master, and
the latter was compelled TO take a solemn oath that
he would not execute his office. The people then
gave three cheers and dispersed.
The repeal Of the Stamp act brought temporary
peace but the officers placed the people by the
King soon became again obnoxious. In April, 176s
a meeting was held in Orange County to inquire
whether the frcemen of that county labored under
any abuse of power, and measures were taken for
amendment. if So The organization effected at this
meeting was continued and the association thus
formed afterward met periodically, and soon became
known as the Regulators They resolved TO pay only
such taxes as agreeable to law and applied TO
the purpose therein named, also to pay officer
more than his legal fees' In April, 1858, the Reg
lators selected two persons to call upon the Sheriff
and Vestrymen of Orange and require them 10 give
an account Of their fees. The Sheriff defed their
a conflict eneued and this led to no