The Washington herald., 1907-09-04

Charlotte, n c.. Sept 3-Charlotte, the
center OF the cotton manufacturing indus
try Of the South, is the county seat Of
Mecklenburg County, n. G To the great
majority Of the people of the United
States, the 4th of July Is depend
ence Day. and the greatest Of holidays
but TO the people OF AIecklenbuTg County
the 20th Of May is the most significant
Of anniversaries On that day. in the
year 105, the delegates elected from the
nine militia districts in the county de-
clared the political bands which had con-
Reeted Meeklenburg County with the gov
ernment of King George III 10 be sun
dered, and the people to be free and In
dependent, The convention had met to
consider ways and means 10 combat the
oppression OF the British governor. While
it was in session hoTseman gallOped up
with a handbin telling the news Of the
battle Of Lexington, fought just one
month before by the New England pa
Uiots. That settled the question, and
eleven days later the delegates met and
provided for a new government by the
adoption OF a series Of twenty resolves
Thus ended English rule in Mecklenburg,
more than a year before the Congress at
Philadelphia, on the 4th of July, 1I76,
adopted the Declaration of Independence
written by Thomas jefferson.
AIecklenburgers had taken part in the
battle Of the Alamance four years before.
and Mecklenburgers. disguised by paint
ing their faces black. had destroyed the
powder wagons being transported by Col.
Moses Alexander, commissary to the op-
pressive Gov Tryon. A few years later
Lord Cornwallis marched through Char
lOtte, but the reception given him was
such a hot one that ne called the place
"a hornets nest" Hornets nest" It is
to this day On the monument erected
TO the signers Of the Mecklenburg Decla-
ration Of Independence IS a hornets nest
in bold relief, bearing the craven words:
Let US alone" The Carnegie Library
has hornets nest on its book plate. In
every possible way the words of Corn
wallis have been adopted as the symbol
OF the spirit OF the town.
Like all county seats. the original
Charlotte was built around a square. in
the center Of which stood the courthouse.
One would look in vain now for this pub
lie square, yet the visitor to Charlotte is
always given directions in terms Of dis
tance and direction from the square"
The spot where the first courthouse stood
is now at the intersection Of Tryon and
Trade streets The square" has been
built up for more than a half century,
and the street intersection is just like
the intersection Of the street car tracks
is a great iron plate sunk IN the street,
which marks the spot where the famous
Declaration was proclaimed. But more
enduring than iron plate is the m0nu-
ment erected 10 the old courthouse in the
everyday speech Of the people, for TO
Mecklenburgers that spot will be always
''the square"
Meeklenburg County was organized in
1862. and was originally Of much larger
area than the present county. It was
named IN token Of the intense Loyalty
Of its people 10 the English Crown. Char
lOtte, charming princess Of the duchy Of
Mecklenburg- -Strelitz, had become the
bride and queen of George III in ISL
She went 10 England in q ship command
ed by Admiral Arson. The county from
which Mecklenburg was created was
named Arson IN honos Of the admiral
The marriage Of George and Charlotte
was hailed with delight in the Southern
colonies. and what was more natural than
that the new county should be named for
the new Queens native home. and that
its county seat should bear her own
name? In further manifestation OF 10y
atty, the principal street was named
TTyOn, FOR the crown governor of the
colony None Of the names has been
changed. but a brief ten years was all
that was necessary to turn that love Of
king and mother country into hate and
light the fires Of independence, which
have never ceased to burn in Mecklen-
burg.
The independent nature Of these "hor-
nets has a history which goes far
back Of that famous 10Th Of May. Most
Of the people Of the county were Scotch
Irish-that Is, they were descendants of
the Presbyterian Scotch who were sent
TO Ireland to colonize that rebellious isle
They believed firmly in four things
God, the Bible, hell, and John Knox. Not
least Of these IN their practical religion
was John Knox. He had taught their
fathers in Scotland IF princes exceed
their bounds they may be resisted by
force" a statement which has been called
the creed Of republics IN its first hard
form"
When Thomas Polk called on the people
Of the nine militia districts Of the county
to send delegates to a convention to be
held at the courthouse on May 1s. 1775,
there were seven Presbyterian churches
in the county. These seven churches are
extant to-day, housed in new and better
buildings, perhaps but still known as the
seven revolutionary churches" In these
houses Of worship sturdy ministers
preached militant gospel, and re-echoed
the brave words Of Knox One of them
was the principal orator in the conven-
ton which framed the declaration These
Scotch-Irish Mecklenburgers have given
TO the United States two OF its Presidents
Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk
From the same community, Just across
the line IN South Carolina, sprang John
c. Calhoun They have furnished many
other famous warriors and statesmen,
and they are now furnishing competent
captains 70 lead the armies Of industry
Not the Presbyterians alone brought to
Mecklenhurg the spirit of freedom that
would brook no tyranny. The first set
tiers were Germans from Western Penn
sylvania. followed by the Scotch-Irish
from the same source and from Virginia.
Then came Huguenots from Charleston,
exiled victims OF an oppression. the ter
rors OF which no British subject in
America ever knew. Englishmen came.
too, but few Of them. were leaders in the
independence movement The Scotch
Irisn and the Huguenot blood has com