The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-14
MECKLENBURG DECLARATION
FROM ANOTHER ANGLE
Capt. S. A. Ashe Reviews Some of the Matters Presented
BY Mr.. Hugh w Harris In His Communication.

TINS is more plain, If the comparison
Is made with his first rough draft
before they were dressed up. Who
dressed them up, I do not know: but
perhaps they were put in fnal shape
by some school teacher; hardly Inv
the old Colonel himself. Certainty.
the Colonel forgot some things. and
his alder did not know about them
He forgot that the resolves provided
for the election of officers, and for
n turning out of the Crown off
GERS, as h Grown officers were not
turned out, and new oneS elected in
their places. In passing. it NAV be
SAID tnat he also forgot that Colonel
Polk was Colonel and called the meet
ing; and he mentioned another man
as doing tina Also, he forgot that
Or. Brevard was clerk or secretary.
and did not mention tina name any
more than Folks, in his whole narra-
tive; although it is now aid that he
way he came by the records was that
the Doctor died at his house and left
the records with him. But no Bre-
ward is mentioned. Yet it is now said.
that not only was Brevard secretary.
but that he drew the document.
ptain Jack and others speak of
preliminary meetings.: and papers
prepared. The authentic resolves of
May 31St appear to have been drawn
Will IluCll care, ana Cney nave Deon
attributed to DR.. Brevard as the
doubtless GraNn in advincc.
ca Mr.. Harris rejects the idea that
the basis of the reproduced resolves
could be the Brevard resolves of May
81, because that set makes no refer
ence to the battle of Lexington In the
first rought draft of. the reproduced
version. Col. Alexander does not re.
fer in the resolves to hat battle; al
though he does mention it in his mar
rative as being the immediate cause
of the adoption OF the resolves.
An order was ssued for the eiec
ton OF delegates with ample powers.
When they met, the resolves ha
been drawn; news of the battle came
posed action was taken by the people
Substantially ali the witnesses agre
as to the above course OF events.
Fact number 3: There was onl
one meeting at which resolves Of In
. dependence were adopted. All the wit
nesses agree in hat. 1t vas the oc
casion when Colonel Polk read tn
: threw their hats" What was tn
S language used in that Declaration
S One witness recalls: zone among tn
reasons offered was that the King c
: Ministry had by proclamation, c
some edict, declared the Colonists OF
e of the protection Of the crown; an
e they ought therefore to declare then
e selves put Of his protection, and RI
solve themselves independent"
S The preamble Of the authentic r.
solves is Whereas, by an address
r his majesty by both Houses of Pa.
lament, the Americans are declare
Rebels, we conceive"
e Now; did not that witness recall tt
d authentic resolves?
\ AUoin. onOfhnr uyitnocS MY Sim
IS son, after telling about the Declar:
ton, says "In addition to what l ha7
said, the same committee appOintt
three men to secure all the militia
stores for the use Of the county
f. Thomas Polk, John Phifer and JOSEF
Kennedy. / was at the head OF Il
" line, near Colonel Polk, and hea
him distinctly read a long string
a grievances, the Declaration, and Mi
, tary order above"
- 1t is to be noted that he put TT
70 military order last, after every thiI
ID else. Well: the last resolve Of t
authentic resolves is this: THAT tt
ts committee do appoint Colonel Thorn
at Polk and DR.. Joseph Kennedy to pu
"a chase 800 pounds Of powder; 6
ar pounds of lead, and 1000 f1ints for t
IN use Of the county,
~ Does not hat connect the authen
resOlves with the only meeting c
scribed by Simeson and by all t
other witnesses, including Color
Of Alexander?
We have a meeting; what is call
~ by all the witnesses a Declarati
of Independence; authentic resolve
a reproduced version that agrees
80 the main with the authentic Declal
o ton, but written in 1900; and J
- cause nearly a hundred years a.
:. when nothing was known of the 6
= thentic resolutions and the only inf
nation was the version of 1900.
va produced from memory, people W
honor the good fame of North Ca
lima are asked to stand by the erro
q North C~arolinians ave much
IA boast of; among other things of h;
~, Ing made the first Declaration in II
pc let US not belittle that claim by p
'o ducing a Declaration written in Is
On the tablet in the State CapI
should be chiselled "Written in $50
re- s. A. ASHE