The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-07-06
AUTHORSHIP OF THE DECLARA'
TION OF INDEPENDENCE.

AZ vi Ahh DLSLAlNA-
TION OF INDEPENDENCE.
Thomas Jefferson desired it to be re-
corded on his monument that he was the
"author of the Declaration of American
Independence" Since his death, much
discussion has been produced by the fact
that many expressions in this celebrated
document have been found to be identical
with the language used in the Meek
lenburg Declaration Of Independence"
a paper of earlier date, and it is con-
ceded that the resemblances between the
two instruments are not accidental. In
1919, John Adams found copy of the
Mecklenburg Declaration in the Essex
Register, into which gazette it had been
copied from the Raleigh Register, and
perceiving its similarity to the Congress
sionaI Declaration, and that it purported
TO be an older document, he inclOsed it
to Mr.. Jefferson, with whom he was then
in frequent correspondence. The Sage
of Monticello replied to Mr.. Adams,
informing him that he did not believe
the paper to be authentic. {" believe it
to be spurious" he says; al deem it
very uniustifable quiz. Nor do | affirm
positively that this paper is a fabrica-
ton, because the proof of negative can
only be presumptive; but | shall believe
it such until positive and solemn proof
of its authenticity shall be produced. /"
The document is as follows:
THE MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF IN
DEPENDENCE
2Oth of Nag. 1775.
That whosoever directly or indirectly
abets, or in any way or manner, counte-
nances the unchartered and dangerous in
vasion of our rights, as claimed by Great
Britain, is an enemy to this country, to
America, and to the inherent and undenia-
BILE rights of man.
That we, the citizens of Mecklenburg
county, do hereby dissolve the political
bands which have connected us with the
mother country, and hereby absolve our
selves from all allegiance to the British
crown, aad abjure all political connection
contract, or association with that nation
who have wantonly trampled on our rights
and liberties, and inhumanly shed the blood
of American patriots at Lexington.
That we do hereby declare ourselves
free and independent people; are, and oi
right ought to be, sovereign and self-gov
erning association, under the control OF nc
power, other than that of our. God, and the
general government of Congress; to the
maintenance of which independence, We
solemnly pledge to each other, our mutual
cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, ano
our most sacred honor.
That as we acknowledge the existence
and control of no law nor legal officer, civil
or military, within this country, we do here
by ordain and adopt as a rule of life, all
each, and every of our former laws; where
in. nevertheless, the crown of Great Britain
never can be considered as holding rights
privileges, immunities, or authority therein
That it is further decreed, that all, each
and every military officer in this county, is
hereby reinstated in his former command
and authority, he acting conformably to the
regulations. And that every member pres
ent of this delegation shall heneeforth be a
| civil officer, viz, a justice of the peace, IN
the character of a committeeman, to issue
process, hear, and determine all matters OF
controversy, according to said adopted laws
and to preserve peace, union, and harmony
in said county, to use every exertlon to
spread the love of country and fire OF tree
dom throughout America, until a more gen.
eral and organized government be estab-
lished in this province.
ABRAHAM ALEXANDER, Chairman.
JOHN MCKNITT, Secretary.
The letter of Mr.. Jefferson having
been published, the Legislature of North
Carolina, influenced by natural State
pride, made a thorough investigation of
all the facts connected with the Meek
lenburg Declaration, the result of which
was the establishment of the authen-
ticlty of that document by the most con-
elusive testimony. Professor Tucker, in
his Life of Jefferson, is forced to admit
that there is a plagiarism in the case,
but decides that Mr.. Jefferson could not
be the plagiary. He does not deny that
on the 20th Of May, 1775, the citizens
of Mecklenburg county, North Carolina,
made some sort of Declaration of In
dependence, but he contends that it was
not in the words of the instrument now
published; and that the second and third
paragraphs or resolves which this con-
tains are interpretations, copied from Mr..
Jeferson's Declaration after the 4th of
July, l776. This position of Professor
Tucker has been overthrown, and the
perfect authenticity of the Mecklenburg
document so conclusively and satisfac-
torily established, that it is unnecessary
at this time to enter into any discussion
of that point. We now give the Decla-
ration of Independence as written by
Mr.. Jefferson, with passager from the
other documents to which it bears any
resemblance, from an article in the New
York ReUie00, written soon after the ap-
pearance of Professor fuckers Memoir,
by the Rev. DIR. Hawkes.:
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AS
DRAWN BY MR.. JEFFERSON.
When in the course of human events, ii
becomes necessary for one people to dissolve
the political bands which have connected
them with another, and to assume among
| the powers of the earth the separate and
equal station TO which the laws of nature
and of natures God entitie them, decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires
that they should declare the causes which
| impel them to that separation.
We hold these truths self-evident; that all
men are created equal; that they are en-
dowed by their Creator with inherent and
inalienable rights; that among these are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
that to secure these rights, governments are
instituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed
| that whenever any form OIL government De-
comes destructive of these ends, it is the
right of the people to alter or abolish it,
and to institute new government, laying its
! foundation on such principles, and organi-
zing its powers in such form, as to them
shall seem most likely to effect their safety
and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will die
tate that governments long established,
should not be changed for light and tran
sient causes; and accordingly all experience
hath shown that mankind are more dis
posed to suffer while evils are suferable,
than to right themselves by abolishing the
forms to which they are accustomed. But
when long train of abuses and usurpations,
begun at a distinguished period, and pursu-
ing invariably the same object, eyinces a
design to reduce them under absolute des-
potism, it is their right, it is their duty, to
throw off such government, and to provide
new guards for their future security. Such
has been the patient sufferance of these col
onies; and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to expunge their former
systems of government. The history of the
present king of Great Britain is history
of unremitting injuries and usurpations,
among which appears no solitary fact to
contradict the uniform tenor of the rest, but
all have in direct object, the establishment