The farmer and mechanic., 1914-09-08


-. - correct. In 1907 Mr.. Hoyt pub
il.hrd his book on the Declaration and
i'r.,i.-ht to my attention a great deal
=. ,cw evidence. much of which [
"a never heard OF before.
AIR Harris also mentions that I
link the distinction between the
,,..tinc of the committee and that of
~ convention. There was but one
,n.ctiuc. and whether it is called a
r,uruittee meeting OF a convention
c,n make but little difference. Col
Alexander in his rough notes. be-
IN, his personal statement called it a
committee meeting.
Mr. Harris likens the proceedings
&, he Legislature of 1S30-1831 to
,rorneding to establish a lost docu-
,aart Realizing that the original
document had been burnt in April,
$500. he relies on the paper sent to
General Davie in September of that
vaar as copy Of the lost document,
ar as statement of it's contents
made from memory by Colonel Alex
apdrr. and the best evidence procur-
ah1. If it's contents. 1t was the only
.yidouce at the time, 1881; but since
tban hctter evidence has been diScoy-
cred.
To refresh the minds of your read
ers for whose benefit these articles are
written. ii is well to state that in May,
t775 there was held a meeting at
Charlotte of which independence was
declared and Captain Jack was sent
express to the Congress at Phiiadel-
phia To obtain their appreciation.
Their appreciation was not obtained
and the whole program fell to the
ground A series of resolutions, pur-
Dortinc to have been adopted at Char
lotte May 81. 1878, was published in
the newspapers of June, 1775, but no
one in Mecklenburg preserved copy
OF any paper. The book in which the
record was made was il the possession
Of Colonel Alexander, who in 1887, or
later. made n copy which he sent to
Or. Williamson. the historian, who,
however did not print it in his history,
and that copy is lost.
In April. 1900, Colonel Alexander's s
residence was burnt and the original
book was then destroyed. Later, Col
onel Alexander made some notes in
the way Of reproducing the burnt
document; and then, apparently, these
notes were expanded, and a set Of
resolves was incorporated into this ac-
count. In September, 1900, Colonel
Alexander sent copy Of this new doc
ument. composed in 1900. to General
Dayie. attaching to it his certificate as
follows:
at may be worthy of notice here tC
observe that the foregoing statement
though fundamentally correct. YET
may not literally correspond with the
original record of the transaction OF
said delegation and court Of inquiry
a all those records and papers were
burnt with the house on April 6, 1900
but previous to that time. 1900, full
copy OF said records, at the request O.
DR., Hugh Williamson, then of New
York, but formerly Representative il
congress from this State. was for
warded to him by Colonel VIM. Polk
in order that those early transactions
might fill their proper place in thu
history of this State, then writing b.
sad Doctor Williamson in New York
Certified TO the best of my recollec
ton and belief, this 3rd day OF Sep
tember. 1900, by
u. NICK. ALEXANDER
Now. while this was the certificat
allached to the paper sent to Genera
DaVle. the LEGISLATURE of 1830-183
caused To be published a copy OF tn
same paper. along with the following
certlhcate:-"The foregoing is a tru
copy OF the papers on the above sub
tect left in my hands by John Nc
nhitt Alexander. decd. l find it men
uohed on file that the original boo
,,V9py OF the proceedings was sent t
nuSh Williamson in New York the
"IilihS a history of North Caroline
I.'u - mat a copy was sent to Gen. "
H. Davis
81. McKNITT"
II the Legislature relied on this las
itlhcate. it is supposed that tn
pdper sent to General Davie was
my from the book Eut that state
.nt .,tt was made by inadvertence; a
nav DaVie copy" was copy of tn
paptr written in 1900. after the dc
1c'loh of the original
no,ie can file with the Legislature I"
s;,a'loh s;'aoh for rehearing'' based on tn
f,tNery of new evidence; and can Sc
tmca n me above error: and can intro
M the newspaper publication
50 "iiciaily. as follows:
tle Town, Mecklenburg Cou,
S Day the Committee met, an
'ne following Resolves: