The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-06-18
ONE OF THE COCK-sURE RE-
JECTORS.

We saw copied from the a~ll-knowing
New York Times in a southern daily a
paragraph hat denied the genuineness
and authenticity Of the Mecklenburg
Declaration Of Independence. The self
c~omplacant, doubling paragraph said
of the people of Charlotte:
They will doubtless find il easier TO
hold the celebration than they would
TO prove that any such declaration of
Independence was ever adopted. but
r is a point which the people of
North Carolina have agreed among
themselves TO take for granted, and il
is probable they will listen with scorn-
full composure TO the discussion which
their plan is sure TO revive. The ques-
ton as to whether a certain series of
resolutions. first published in 1919. was
really adopted by the residents of
N~ecklenburg county in IT'S, was settled
years and years ago to the satisfac-
ton Of everybody. Unfortunately. il
was settled bot in the affirmative and
in the negative, and there is small
chance that at this late day those who
believe that the legend is history will be
moved by those who are not less firm
ly convinced that the history is legend.
and rather obviously imaginative at
that"
1t is not necessary to enter upon a
discussion here of this mooted question.
In the past we have written a dozen
columns from time to time upon it.
The sceptics died before the full evil
dence was in. There were many of
these in North Carolina fifty or thirty
years ago. n such men as Governor
Swain, Chief Justice Ruffin. Rev. DR..
Charles Phillips and others were not
believers in the Declaration of the Goth
of May 1775, while accepting fully the
Resolves Of 31st May 1915.
This writer a quarter of acentury ago
had been led to share much in the
doubts and objections urged. We read
many productions-some elaborate
! such as DR.. Welling's, Mr.. Spofford's
Mr.. D. r. Goodies, DR.. Charles Phil
lips's and some minor papers. But after
a patient study of the who'll matter as
| presented. extending through some
years, the evidence in favor so accumu-
lated hat we were constrained to &C.
| cept the genuineness of the Declare
ton. We have no conscious dOubt
whatever as to this. Year by year the
facts and evidences have grown in
| clearness and amplitude until no
enable man, as it appears to US, car
afford to question longer, provided he is
not an ~ingrained sceptic, not open tC
..zc o~I - Esof thh = nnininr
still"
There are more and better witnesses
as to the fact Of the Declaration on 2Otf
May. than there are of important his
torical events tina go unchallenged
There were men at Charlotte on tina
day who were every way credible-me
of highest character, men of sense, me1
of education, men without possible un
due bias, men above all suspicion.
The undersigned condolences that lat
terday examination has revealed all g
to confirm the contention of a Declara
ton. We advise men of a SceDtlca
mood-"Doubting Thomases-to pro
cure the pamphlet of the Messrs. Ora
ham, of Charlotte, issued a year or tw'
since and study it carefully.
For ourselves we 10 more doubt tn
Declaration than we doubt Guilford o
Ramseur's Mill or Kings o
Moore's Creek Bridge. Nay. we n
more doubt it than we doubt Lexington
Bunker Hill and Plymouth Rock. TIL
cloud Of witnesses" and the accumu
lated evidence have indeed settled tn
question and swept away the cob
webs of the doubters who sought t
obscure and to destroy. We canno
be surprised at sceptics in the nortl
when North Carolina sets the example
When native son lay on the lash tn
~south-haters are invited to strike.