The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-09
THE FIRST DECLARATION.

THE FlRST DRCLANAEhONs
 one of the most interesting docu- ments, to Americans. that has in many years been rescued from oblivion is copy of The Cape Fear Mercury. dated June 5, 1775. It was found among the papers of . former United States Minister to England. and there can be no doubt of its genuinenesa. Golfers for July reproduces portions of its pages, but the original is 90 badly worn that the reproduction Is not en- tirsiy legibis,
 But the point of interest is not in the fact that here we have copy of c newspaper printed one hundred and thirty years ago, for there are in ex- istence many copies of tho early news papers of the country. some much older than this one, as to that matter. The point of great interest lies in the fact that this venerable specimen of jour- naIism contains the famous Mecklen- burg Declaration of Independence. drawn up and signed by thirty-one scotch-Irish Presbyterians at Char lotte. Mecklenburg County, N. C., on the goth day of May. l775. and about which there has been much dispute and scepticism for many long years.
 As is well known to all readers of history. North Carolinians have al- ways insisted that the tree of 1nde- pendence was really planted at Meck- lenburg nearly fourteen months before Thomas Jenerson's famous document was signed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This claim has been bit- terly controverted by some over-zeal- ous admirers of Jefferson, who seemed to fear that 1t would detract from his reputation to have 1t known that his great paper was in some degree ante- dated by those stern Presbyterians who inherited the courage and love Of liberty of their ancestors of Scotland and Ireland, and who took their lives and their fortunes in their hands when they drew up and signed this docu- ment. It consisted of three brief ar ticles, the last of which reads as fol- lows:
 Resolved, That we do hereby declare ourselves & free and independent peo- pie, are and of right ought to be self governing association under the con- trol of no power other than that of our God and tho general government of Congress; to khe main ntainsnce of which independence we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual cooperation. our lives. our fortunes and our most sacred honor" This was signed by Abraham Alexander, Chairman, and John McKnitt Alexander. Secretary. The first article declared all adher- ents of Great Britain to be enemies to this country, to America. "and to the inherent and inalienable rights of man." In the second they formally ab- solved themselves from all fealty to Great Britain, and the third we have | quoted entire. It was not by any means a lengthy document. but 1t was | as plain, pointed and definite as the English language could well express 1 Nor does the brevity of this declara- tion in any degree lessen Its impor- tance or its character. The men who drew up and signed the paper were as earnest. as patriotic and devoted as
 were those who signed the mucf Iengthier document on July 4. 1776 These Mecklenburg patriots knew wha, they wanted to say and they said 1t fir language that King George and his ministers could not fail to understand They knew the wrongs which the peo. | nIn 4f ha had saw the greater evils which would fol low submission. and they went at theii | task of declaring for independence with all the solemn fearlessness that had characterized their ancestry in the
 old country. and with all the sterr
 devotion to duty that was part of theii
 Presbyterian faith and practice.
 It is not essential to the fame oi Jefferson that this anterior Declara tior
 of Independence should be doubted ol
 discredited. The fact that these Nortf
 Carolina patriots really sounded tn,
 first note for human liberty and Ameri
 can independence detracts nothing
 from the masterful document drawn uy
 by Jefferson. which has ever been re
 garded as among the most wonderful
 of human compositions. Ills fame Is se
 cure, even though others preceded hin
 SO far as intent and sentiment wer,
 concerned. but the discovery of this olc
 newspaper will rejoice the hearts O
 the descendants of the Mecklenburl
 Declaration. some of whom now resid
 in Montgomery. This is glory enougl
 for them and for Jefferson. and his
 tory. while assigning a proper plac
 for the Mecklenburg patriots will als, leave Thomas Jefferson secure on tn pedestal long ago built for him. w regret that this account In Collier
 does not give the names of all wh, signed the paper. so that their descend ants might know the part their ances tors played in securing the freedom now enjoyed by Americans.
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