The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-20

son Of the old secretary.
Is This publication was copied into the
Essex Register Of Massachusetts. and re-
ferred By John Adams to Thomas Jefrer,,
son, whom 1t appears to nave vexed
greatly. AS he. wrote Mr. Adams: And
you seem to think 1t genuine. believe IT
spurious. l deem 1t to be very un]ustl-
With this letter Of Mr.. Jeffersons,
dated July 9, 1879 and repudiating the
Mecklenburg Declaration, began the con-
OF that statesman contending that it wss
impossible for John McIknitt Alexander to
rewrite the resolutions correctly from
memory, and that in his attempt to DO
SO he had confused the MecM!cnblrg
and national declarations and inserted
several phrases peculiar to theslatte: &c
ument, these friends being unaware of
the fact that genuine copies Of that de-
claration are still preserved. when ipaEcs
the sa fety of the document independent
+ of the Davis copy.
Although the partsans Of Mr.. jefferson
aliese that the Aleckenburs Declaration
Of Independence was never heard OF pre-.
vious to the Raleigh publication n NJ ~,
seven true copies of the resolutions were
extant prior to the burning of the orig
inal draft in April, 1860. OF these copies,
-four, at the direction of the delegates
were sent by John McKnitt Alexander.
with a special messenger, to Philadelphia
shortly after the meeting at Charlotte
one to the President and one copy each
s to the three members OF Congress from
North Carolina. A fifth copy was printed
in the Cape Fear Mercury. in June. ITO.
A sixth copy was furnished by Alexander
TO DR.. Hugh Williamson, who was then
writing history of the State. and Coy
ernor Stokes speaks OF havlnE seen tu !, >
copy in the possession of Williamson as
early as 1893, seven years before the orls-
inal was lost. and seventh copy or
the resolutions, also antedating the fre
of 1900, is preserved In Martihs history
of North Carolina.
The copy of the Mecklenburg Decla-
ration of Independence printed In Mar
tins History. il, known to be correct;
because that author says it was obtained
'.in the Western part of the State prior
to the year 1S)0" -before the records We're
burned Next. Martins opportunities FOR
ascertaining the facts as 10 the Charlotte
historian. He personally knew three men
who saw the decarati ton adopted. two
delegates who signed the, resolutions, and
u member of the Continental Congress
who received a special copy of the pro-
ceedngs from the delegates at Charlotte;
and. in describing the action OF the COM
mittee for the county of Mecklenburg
that me, in Charlotte on May ls-so ITO
Martin cites as his authority, contem-
porary records, magazines and gazettcs,
His history OF North Carolina was not
printed until 1870. ten years after Mr.
Jefferson first questioned the sauthoflty
OI INC AletkltllpNl IINN t'fiS'pA'' i'iN -
that reason 1t has not been accepted as
an authority upon this question. Inn
ipeachment on that ground Is wrong. how
ever. as. We learn from Martin 8 preface
the book was written 11al TO lSG, ten
years before tho controversy began. and
therefore without prejudice. and taken to
New Orleans in manuscript. in 1909, to
await the completion Of a third and Il
fourth volume, for which. the preface
says. "the writer nad very ample notes
ard materia Isl" but, owing to a busy
life and feeble health, after the his
torian's arrival In louisiana these last
two volumes We're never finished.
Thus we see that the circumstances of
the Mecklenburg Declaration Of indie
pcndence, as described In Martins His
tory of North Carolina, are authentic;
and, had historians ascertalned the pos
BILE sources of Martins Information re-
gardng this event, instead OF trying TO
prove correct. the Davie copy OF the reso-
lutions, which Alexander reWrote from
memory, the controversy, which has last
ed since 1919. would have ceased years
ago.
There are many other evidences Of the
eenuineness of the Mecklenburg Dec!nra-
ton OF independence but have neither
me nor space to cite them here Besides
what would he the use, II the historian
Martin, who personally knew eyewit,
nesscs and actors in the TRANSACTION, ana
read the proceedings Of the delegates IN