The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-05-21

'ui lner thai
say 'nat these resolutions were = !.
main IN force till Great Brita,s 2
signed It's pretens!ons. In ,1au n
earlier s"ne Of the actors in tbs -
ceedlng enteayored to supply tbs w
ord from memory, unconsciouslv w :, ~
mIngllng some OF the phraseolos,..s !.
the Declaration OF July 4, which y '. =
the resolution the tone of saw
nounced independently. pro,i no:
through another dimness of mss saa
they affixed the date of Nav IN W.
to them. Ia
Case for Mecklenburgers.
The case for the Mecklenbp,a.
set forth as follows: In ls,s ~
arose a great rivalry between M
chusetts and Virginia as to which !.
mon"ealth should receive the e,.s
Tor the Philadelphia document
the controversy was brought n,
congress. 1t was at this time i.
Davidson. a representative in I
gress from North Carolina, annom,s
that Mecklenburg county had decl,,.s
her independence Il months hsl,
the PRONUNCIATION of the documa,,
Philadelphia.
While the statement created son.
surprise it resulted in an invests.
ton into the facts as to the Meolls,
burg declaration. This inquiry w,
made by Nathaniel Macon. who y.
resented North Carolina in the sena,s
and through Gen. Joseph Graham ami
Representative Davidson, Senator N,
con received from DR.. Joseph McKni,.
Alexander, the son of John McKnli,l
Alexander, a full account of .4haI
event. which DR.. Alexander said h.
had copied from papers left by bisI
father" This statement, which h.
Guided the May Goth declaration Seo..
tor Macon sent to Raleigh, n. c.. and
it was published in the Register on
Friday, April 80. 1919.
Or. Alexander's Story.
DR.. Alexander related at length how
the farmers OF Mecklenburg county
in the spring of IT'S had called a con.
yention to be composed of two dels.
gates from each settlement in the
county to meet May 10 to deyiss.
means for the assistance of the ''suf.
fering people Of Boston and to exr;.
cate themselves from the impending
storm Official news, by express, al.
rived of the battle OF Lexington &C.
cording to Dr. Alexander's report to.
Senator Macon, and the influence q
the news from Lexington, he added.
resulted in the unanimous adoption Of
the Mecklenburg declaration Of linda.
pendence.
The declaration, as written by d..
and approved by the conYen-
ton on May 20, IT'S, reads;
Il. Resolved, That whatsoever d.
rectly or indirectly abetted or in any
way, form or manner countenanesd
the unchartered and dangerous inya.
sion OF our rights, as claimed By
Great Britain, is an enemy to this
country-America-and to the mixer
emit and inalienable rights of man.
q. Resolved, That We, the citizens
Of Mecklenburg county, do hereby dir
solve the political bands which hafe
connected US to the mother c0untrI
and hereby absolye ourselves from u
to the British crown aaa
abjure all political connection, con
tract or association with that nation
who have wantonly trampled on o1f
tights and liberties and inhumaniy
she'd the innocent blood of Americs1
patriots at Lexington.
Declared Themselves Free.
80. Resolved, That we do hereby 10
,lare ourselves a free and indepe1d
mt people, are, and of right ough! ga
,e, a sovereign and self-governiDg af
ISOLATION under the control OF pa
power other than that Of our 0ae
md the general government Of the|
congress to the maintenance OF which
Independence we solemnly pledge m
ZACH other our mutual cO-operatio1,
,ur lives, our fortunes and our nosE'
acred honor.
4. Resolved, That as we now acs|
knowledge the existence and contfa
II no law or legal officer, civil or nllss
tary, within this county, we do here
" ordain and adopt, as rule OF ille,,
'ach and every one of our former
avs, wherein, nevertheless, the crown
# Great Britain never can be ccnsld'
red as holding privileges, immunitiss
# authority therein.
IS. Resolved, That it is also furtnA
.ecreed that all, each and every NH,
airy officer in this county is hereoy
in his former command ana
uthority, he acting conformably g
hese regulations. And that eseii
lember present of this delegall0n
hall henceforth be civil officer, vlss
justice of the peace, in the charaV
er OF committeeman to issue pfoc
ss, hear and determine all matters y
controversy, according to said aoogs
d laws, and to preserve peace aap
DiNn and bormnpu in cold paliutifS