The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-30
Po- the Farmer and Mechanic.
Tho "3tst May" was Never 50
Called In MeckIenburg, and
the Date 10 not Named by
Mr.. Bancroft.

n Date 10 not Named by
Mr.. Bancroft.
VIZ. Editor: In conserving to cone
before the public with the facts which
have been found to prove that the prin-
ter's date OF the ''Meckleuburg Re-
solves" was a variation from the Ms. a
new historical field was entered with
the expectation Of gaining, as well as
imparting. some information. In this
we have not been altogether disappoint
ed. Thank. are returned for congratu-
lations received. but more especially Tor
candid criticisms through private cores
pondence and otherwise, suggesting dit
i~iculties to be removed before this con-
clusion can be admitted. The last ar
ticle was. perhaps.ratEer undlgnlted Tor
such a subject. The end sought would
be defeated in the outset II the impress
sion were made that u own recent
convictions forbid "a decent respect Tor
the opinions OF mankind. from whom
we have only been led 10 differ by a
m~arshaling of the evidence and a dis
covery of some facts never presented TOR
their consideration. The truth. the
whole truth. and nothing but the truth
will straighten the lines from corner TO
corner through this strangely tangled
Wilderness of Mecklenburg. As the
| giants of the forest are disclosed. the
Ratchet of truth. through the lichen and
the moss on one side. and the immor-
telles Of more recent growth on the 9TH
or, shall be driven as deep as that OF
Thomas Polk III l7-2, when he ran his
portion of the present line between the
two Carolinas. All the arts OF log
rhetoric, and satire, were long since eX-
hausted on the trial of the general issue
to wit: whether there was a special
Declaration of Independence by Meek
lenburg prior to the general Il by the
Continental Congress. Nothing has
been further from our purpose than TO
reopen the ddjudtcdted case. so I'M
phatically approved by Mr.. Bancroft.
See Hist. L. ). Vol. VII. 370-314 He
saws that Bleyard "digested the system
which formed in effect a declaration OF
independence, as well as a complete
system of government which digest
the participants and witnesses. who
have mentioned Il at all. call "a copy Of
the whole proceedings
But in attempting, with all dae re-
spect, to correct others, we must set the
example. in candidly acknowledging en-
rors. The concurrence of both sides, III
the previous question, led US also to the
admission that the great historian had
given the 3lst May. l115, as the date OF
one of the M~ecklenburg Ms. \ careful
perusal ofhis language, Vol. I. PIP. SO
374. disclose. the fact that he does not
name the day. Of the action taken BY
a. ~a-t Ia ~ p. sSnrlafInOD m A1lN
l775.' and Of DR.. Brevard's signing the
digested Resolves - before the month
of MAY lad come to an end The old
Delphic oracles were so worded that the
victorious party should have the privi-
legs of constituting the language used
after the event was known. Our histo-
rian. unfortunately, as late as 1888,
found, that, while the previous question
had been decided. still there were some
who assumed that not only was the
printed date certainly right, but that 1t
was positive proof that no other Re-
solves could possibly have preceded
these. On the otherhand, none of the
participants and e~ye-witnesses had ever
named the printed date. The day and
days. he left to be decided by the wager
of battle. All who ever spoke OF more
than one day, and fixed the dates, said
that the caU was for the 10Th of May.
and that the Delegates met accordingly.
With equal u%nanimity, though hundred
of miles apart, the day when the Dccla-
ration was read out to the people by
Col. Polk. was fixed as the Goth Of
Nav. No witness ever named a differ
ent day for Il. In the U. S. Pension
Office, through the assistance of Major
Wheeler, and the courtesy Of the gov
eminent officers in that department. we
have found this day. the Goth, confirm
ed by an OATH and nc one doubts that
erery witness who certified to it in hon
or, was prepared, unhesitatingly, to
swear to il.
Hon. Jos. Ii. Wilson, who is at once
an honor 70, and the father of, the Char
lotte Bar, recOllects distinctly that 4
number Of the Revolutionary soldiers ap-
piled for pensions through him as their
attorney, and the statements of several
set forth the fact that they were pres
ent at Charlotte on the Goth MAY, l175,
when a Declaration of Independence
was made" So much, then, to SHOW
that one day, at least, has been settled.
The printed date is quoted to contra
dict the accuracy of the memories OF the
actors themselves. even on such a house
hold word, after the lapse of years; and
previous writers have either contended
for the 10Th. Goth, and 3lst, or denied
the first two dates upon the appearance
Of this mullins illus in 1887. The latter
class, as to the dates, appear to have
the more accurately defined the issue ;
for it is a contest of Ishmael against
Isaac, both cannot abide under the
same roof. This is the more apparent.
when it is fully understood exactly what
the printed Resolves contain. and
the long distance some of the delegates
would have travelled. unnecessarily, to
return to a second meeting. The oh
iect was not sufficient. If the Resolves.
as Mr.. Bancroft concludes. are really
the system which Brevard digested
from the several MSS. before him
which we find were two preceding Dec
larations, and three other papers of a
rather different charaoter.-'.a copy of
the whole proceeding.'-then there was
no necessity for the subcommittee to
separate before its completion. Printed
dates are not, necessarily. conclusive.
A wounded Confederate officer could be
named. who brought home from the
surrender at Appomattox, a parole,
printed on Gen. Grants army
press, bearing date April 10, 1865.
But the world knows that the oapitula-
ton was really on Sunday morning. the
day before. The only objection yet ad
vanced against the 2lst as the day of the
Digest, is that our calendar places this
day on Sunday. la the last article, it
was shown that such was not the calen-
dar Of the people in old Mecklenburg.
The point might, perhaps, more clearly