The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-14

tunns me in his article in your issue
81 July 5th, please let me say a word
or two.
The LEGISLATURES: And as it is now
Ill understood that May goth, old
.tvle was the same date as May 31st,
nov STYLE. ther i no sound reason for
t,mpering with the date. when our
state has already decided upon the
good old style
;.lature was ever induced to make
ouch a slip, if the quotation is cor
,.ct The attempt to bring the diff
ference between the calendars one
hundred and fifty years ago into this
matter is like a drowning man clutch
ing at a straw. Alter september
t7.2. there was no difference between
thc calendars. Saturday, May goth,
fI75. was Saturday, May goth, 1775,
and Wednesday, May 31st, was We'd
ncsday. May 31st, all over Christen-
Jom Except Russia.) Conditions
then were just as now, and they had
hncn so for twenty-three years. 1t
would be a laughable suggestion that
the difference in the calendars had
anvthing to do with the subject. if
il were not pathetic that the Legisla-
rnre of a great State could be led in
4dvcrtently into Such a position in or
der To bolster up an historical error.
Ine great lICJl III ~ 1dst Ii lIld lliV
STATE is trying to sustain as a Decla-
ration of Independence of 1775 a doc
umcnt written in 1900. / quote from
Mr. Harris: cans. Does not affect
This question at all for it is only the
original text of the series of six re-
solves. known as the M"ecklenburS
Declaration that has been questioned.
The original copy of this series was
DESTROYED when the residence of Col
John McKnitt Alexander was de-
stroyed by fire in 1900, and the only
copy now in print was reproduced
from memory soon after by Colonel
Alexander, n of the secretaries Of
the convention.
That may be called fact number /.
Gu that general statement there is
agreement: to-wit, that the only YER
sion Of the resolves known as the
MAY goth Declaration that has come
down TO us is one reproduced from
memory by Colonel Alexander in 1900
Such is the origin of a document
called the Declaration of 1175.
Here is fact number 2: Colonel
Alexander did not reproduce six re-
solves, but only five. Where does
Mr.. Harris get his sixth? l think his
sixth resolve has to do with signing
the Declaration and sending the docu-
ment on to the Continental Congress
Who added that resolve? If it were
MoIin Wiilt, ILL queStlOI IIIlSAl OS
raised whether there was any resolve
in the docume to send the dOcu
ment on to the Continental Congress
for approval; also, whether. as a mat
ter of fact. the resolves were eve
signed by the alleged "signers." Blu
those are immaterial matters.
Mr.. Harris says that there were
two sets of resolves adopted, ano
that John McKnitt Alexander coul(
not have rehashed the Resolution
dated May 31st, as contended by MI
Ashe and others"
Well; he rehashed some resolves
Why not those that we know reall,
existed? 4.
Mr.. Harris contends that the re
hash was not of the resolves of Ma.
3lst, because. (a) "in A~lexander's re
production of the six resolves inspire
10y the news of the battle of LeXing
ton, there is naturally a reference t
the battle of Lexington, while Their
Is none in the twenty resolves date
May 31st." CD Because of the "forr
and subject matter of the two set
of resolutions" And he urges thu
there was no reason for sending tn
resolves of May 31st to Congress fc
approval; and that it must ave bee
4 more daring document" thar thu
Tor our delegates in Congress to haN
considered 1T "unwise to present
Congress at this time"
| think the authentic resolves
May 31st are about as daring" as tt
reproduced version of 1900; both al
substantially al assertion of Indepe1
dence. Those of May 31st annull a
british authority, displace all Crow
o~lhcers, and provide for the electiC
by the people of officers to admin
Ter public affairs in Mec<lenbul
county. The belief that it w;
mat particular set that was sent {
70 Congress for approval and we
dlsapproved is supported by the ia
mat they were never put into oper
tl"n. The authority of the Crown of
GERS was not a%nnulled. The people d
not elect their officers. Why? 3
cause our delegates in Congress sa
Such action was then unwise.
CO Mr.. Harris thinks that VIII,
Notonel undertook to r
produce the burned document, he d
not have in mind tba resolves