The Washington herald., 1907-09-09

Editor The Washington Herald:
In ;he New York Sun OF July /. 1852
proved that the Mecklenburg Declara-
ton of Independence was fake I was
not then aware that the late DR. yelling,
president of Columbian College. had an
ticipated me by a more elaborate expo
sure Of the fraud in the North American
Review for April. 1874. I learned from
him later that Peter Force. at a much
earlier period. had pronounced the alleged
declaration fraud
There was a meeting at Charlotte y
c.. on May 81, ITO. which passed twenty
resolutions Of a revolutionary character.
but without a word 10 parallel the Dec
laration Of July 4. I776. These resolutions
were printed in the South Carolina Ga
zette of June IS. 1775. and Gov. Martin
transmitted a copy 10 the Secretary Of
State In London, saying:
The minutes Of the council at this place the ether
day will make the impotence Ct government here as
apparent 10 your loriship anything ! can set be
fore you The resolves Of the committee Of Mecklen-
burg which youT luTjship viii fnd IN the incosed
newspaper. surpass al the horrid and REASONABLE
publications that he inf5mmatosy spirits Of the
continent have yet produced. copy Of these Tes0-
lutions was sent of ! informed, BY express to
the Congress at Philadelphia.
The governor was rightly informed that
a copy Of the resolves was sent TO the
Congress. Furthermore, the resolutions.
similar to those adopted IN other colonies.
were printed IN part at least, in several
Northern newspapers Of that period.
Whatever impression may have been
lutions, it does not appear to have been
enduring In June, 1913, john Adams was
dumbfOunded to see in the Essex Reg
lister an article entitled Raleigh Regis
ter Declaration of independence, en-
bodying five resolutions purpOrtns TO
have been adopted at Charlotte on May
% 1775. In four of them are phrases
borrowed from the Declaration Of July
4, 1776 for example: Inherent and in
alienable rights dissolve the political
bands which have connected u.s. "ab-
solve ourselves from all allegiance to
the British Crown declare ourselves a
free and independent people, are, and
Of right ought TO be, sovereign and
self-governing association ''sOlemnly
pledge our mutual cooperation, our lives,
our fortunes, and our most sacred honor"
The words ARE, and CT right ought to
be- were inserted In the Declaration of
July I. Inc. by amendment made in Con-
gress, being taken from a resolution of
June l, offered by Richard Henry Lee.
How is II possible said John Adams
in his letter 10 Thomas Jefferson. that
this paper should have been concealed
from me TO this day?' In reply Jefferson
pronounced il a fraud. and six weeks
later Adams wrote "Haud credo.
II was not until 1885 that an old news
paper was discovered by Peter Force.
of this city. containing a part of the
twenty resolutions of May 81. 1175. At
terward the complete records were pro-
cured by George Bancroft from the Brit
ish archives.
Bancroft avoided the question OF the
authenticity Of the Meckienburg Decla-
ration, but many have believed It, de-
spite the dlscredit of it by Jefferson
and Adams. the two most competent ex-
pert witnesses.
There IS no contemporary record Of
revolutionary meeting at Charlotte prior
to May 81. I775. And the iate testimony
of Capt Jack that he was the bearer Of