The farmer and mechanic., 1914-09-08
|CAPT. ASHE INSISTS SSTATF,
i ISCELEBRATING WRONG DAY
Replies to Recent Article of Mr. Hugh Harris and De-
cares Circumstances Show That May Twentieth Is
Wrongly Observation-Disclosures Change of View

niittee, sent the New Bern paper to |
Caswell at Philadelphia, and said |
LOU IL observe the Mecklenburg Re |
solves exceeds all other committees |
or the Congress itself l send YOU the |
paper wherein they are inserted AS |
nope this will come soon to hand" |
Governor Sam Johnston, who was at |
the head Of the Revolution in North
carolina on June 27 wrote to Hewes |
at Philadelphia: "Tom Polk. too is |
raising very pretty spirit in the back |
country (see the newspapers). He
mas gone little further than / would
choose TO nave gone, but perhaps no
further than necessary"
The Royal Governor, Josiah Martin.
sent the Wilmington paper to Eng
land. and said: t'The resolves Of the
Committee Of Mecklenburg. which
your Lordship will find in the en-
closed newspaper, surpass all the
horrld and reasonable publications
that the inflammatory spirits Of this
continent have yet produced A
copy of these resolves am informed
was sent off by express to the Con
gress at Philadelphia, as soon as they
were passed in the committee"
Then, when in 1920, when Col VII
nam Polk was obtaining statements
from those who were present at the
meeting, Mr.. John SimeSon wrote a
statement that he was present and
heard Col. Polk read the Declaration
| to the crowd, and at the last Col. Polk
read military order appointing
| Thomas Polk, John Phifer and Joseph
| Kennedy, to secure military stores for
the country; and We find that that is
| the last one Of the resolves published
| In the neWSpaperS-dated May 31St.
| Then, when Col. Alexander under
| took to make his notes in 1900, he
evidently had in mind, Judging from
1 fhnIr 4 Il
| same same resolves, May 31St
| With this new evidence. none of
| which was before the legislature Of
| 1S3O-31, we can safely rely upon the
| court on rehearing, to hold that
| the copies published in the neWspa-
| perS are superior evidence to the pa
per sent to General Davie; and that
! the Resolves adopted were those of
May 31st.
Then as to the date: While the date
in the newspapers fit in with the at
tending circumstances, the date Of
May goth is an impossible date. The
date Of May g for the beginning OF
the meeting was perhaps written
down through inadvertal
| Col Alexander's rough notes made
in 1900 in his own handwriting and
signed by him, are in part as fol-
lows:
"On the 10Th May, 1875, pursuant to
the order Of Col Adam Alexander to
each captain of militia in his regiment
Of Mecklenburg county, to elect, nOmi-
nate and appoint two persons of their
!, militia companies cloathed with ample
! powers to devise ways and means to
extricate themselves and ward off the
dreadful Impending storm bursting or
! them by the British nation.
Therefore on said 10Th May the
: said committee met in Charlotte
Town (twO men from each company
vested with al powers these their
constituents had or conceived they
| had
their suffering brethren, besieged ano
suffering every hardship in Boston
and the American blood running il
Lexington the electrical fire
, flew into every breast and to preserve
| order chose Abraham Alex, esquire
| chairman and J. NICK. A. secretary
e After about a few hours free discus
, sion in order to give relief to suffer
. ing America and protect our just ant
: natural right:
"1st. We (the county, by a solemn
: and awful vote dissolved, abjured oul
< allegiance to King George and th'
a British nation.
0 "2d Declared ourselves a free ant
4 independent people, having righ
: part of North Carolina.)
"3d In order to have laws as ;
rule of life, for our future govern
t ment, we formed a code of laws b.
e adopting our former wholesome laws
a "4th. And as there were then n
: officers, civil or military, in our coun
8 ty we decreed that every militia OF
@ ficer in said county should hold am
) occupy his former commission am
grade, and that every member pres
a ent of this committee shall hence
e forth (acO as, a justice of the peac
+ in the character of a committee, t
} hear and determine all controversle
5. agreeable to said laws peace
union and harmony IN salo county
- to uSe every spread the e1ectrica
fire Of freedom among ourselves an
q u
18th = many other laws an
ordinances were then ma aite