The evening times., 1900-05-29
THEMEGKLENBURG DECLARATION

To the Editor OF The Times:
The people OF Charlotte are much
amused at the ignorance of the Neck
lenburg Declaration of Independence,
which Mr.. ". H. Burr displayed in 4 re-
cent number of The Times.
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Irde-
pcndence was adopted on May 90 ITS.
and printed in the Cape Fear Mercury"
in June following
On pages SO and 80 Of the tenth volume
Of the North Carolina Colonial Record"
is an address Of the Royal Governor be-
fore the Executive Council on June %.
1775. one month after the meeting of the
delegates at Charlotte. in which the Chief
Magistrate rr.fers to the declaration that
he had read in the Mercury as 1.-The
late most reasonable publication by
committee in the county Of MeckIenburg.
explicitly renouncing obedience to His
Maiesty's Government and all lawful au-
thority whatsoever" etc. Yet Mr.. Burr,
owing to his ignorance Of this address.
speaks OF the declaration as "a myth
Again, on pages IA and las OF the same
volume OF the Colonial Record, the
Governor, in proclamation dated August
3, 11l5, recites: Whereas | have also seen
most Infamous publication in the Cape
rear Mercury importing 20 be resolves
OF set OF people styling themselves
committee for the county Of Mecklenburg.
most traitorously declaring the entire dis
solution Of the laws. government. and
constitution OF this country" etc. Here,
again, Ir Burr, owing to the haze which
envelopes his mind, could not see that
the Governor was describing a declara-
ton Of independence.
There are other references to the Meek
ienburs Declaration by the Royal Gov
ernoT in the Colonial Records" but we
deem those cited sufficient 10 show that
Mr. Burr does not know a declaration Of
independence when he sees it.
Another evidence Of Mr. Burr's careless
ness In writing is his assertion that Neck
lenburg County did pass some revolution
afy resolution on May 81, 1775, This state
ment has often been made before by other
writer's. Yet neither they nor Mr. Burr
have ever been able to find two conteIn-
poraneous witnesses. either IN or out Of
North Carolina. that mentioned any meet
ing Of committee in the county OF Neck
lenburS on May 81. 1775. while there are
hftce1 cCntemporaneOus witnesses that tes-
ufy 10 declaration Of independence hay
ing been adopted at Charlotte. Ard. even
admitting that Mir. Burr could establish
the genuineness Of these sO-CalIed ''TafFty-
first Resolves" they do not. as he aekn0wI-
edges. either renOunce obedience TO His
Ma1esty's Government or declare the en-
tire dissolution OF the laws. government
and constitution Of their country. As Go
the resolutions which the Royal Governor
read in the Cape Fear Mercury" OF June
ltl9. II they did Mr. Burr would prove
that the resolves which he asserts were
passed on May 81. 1915. a declaration OF
independence and thereby refute his own
statement regarding "Smyth." The ROYAL
Governor. who read the declaration within
Two or three weeks after its adoption. and
recorded his opinion al the time is a more
creditab!e witness than Mr Burr. who
undertakes 10 explain il in the year 1900.
Again, Mr.. Burr declares. with his Gus
tomary recklessness, that the 'old style
prevailed in North Carolina in 1775. so
that May 81 answers TO May % new
style" II Mr. Burr had taken The trouble
10 examine the deeds. court records 1nd
public documents made in North Carolina
IN the year 1915 he would have found them
all dated in the new style, and saved
the exposure OF his Ignorance in that pat
ter.
II Mr.. Burr will examine the records OF
Mecklenburg County be will find numerous
transfers Of prov erty that recite the date
OF their executicn from the MeckIen burg
new style. and some OF them read as fol-
lows: This indentuTe made this 18th day
Of February. 1779. and in the fourth year
OF our independence (BOok IS, page I5.
Robert Harris. RegisterJ
This indeu3ure made this 2Sth day of
January. In the fifth year Of our indie
pendence andrthe year Of our Lord Christ
l.s0.' Book l. page %. William Aiexan-
Ter. Register)
Nv
FORK sun OF July 1. 1882. l proved the
resolutions to Be a fabrication calls to
mind the negro who proved Joseph to be
in the pOssessiVe case The darkey had
stood his examination for license to teach
school. After leaving the recitation room
his friends gathered around and inquired
How did you come out. Jim?" why. I
answered every question What aid
they ask ycd2' s@They told me to parse
Joseph has coat of many cOlors' and I
answered Joseph Is in the possessive case
because he owned the coat
This ''cullud pusson's" knowledge OF
grammar is equal TO Mr Burr's appre-
hension of the Mecklenburg Declaration.
The next time Mr.. Burr writes on this
question let Us hope that he will exDIafn
the difference between declaring the en-
tire dissolution of the laws. government
and constitution OF a country and dec
-NA NAOH VI AN0ptuueuCt. also the diner
enee between declaration OF independ-
ence and explicitly renouncing obed-
ienee' TO the British Government.
We viii be glad also to have him cite
Two contempcraneOus witnesses who tes-
tihed TO meeting CT delegates al Char
lotte on May 81, 1775
Nhen he makes assertions We hone he
VIII cite contemporaneous authorities to
sustain them, as we are not willing tn
accept as witnesses DR.. Willing and the
late Peter Force. who lived from seventy
i've to one hundred years after the dec
laration was adoDted
GEORGE W. GRAHAM. MD.
Charlotte. y. c., May 26. 1900