Evening star., 1925-05-28
FIRST DECLARATION
IN NOTABLE SESQU[
Charlotte Celebrates 15otr
Anniversary of MeckIen.
burg Challenge.

The celebration last week at Char
lotte, N. c., commemorating the 15oth
anniversary Of the signing of the Neck
lenburg Declaration Of Independence
calls public attention to a historical
document that is not as generally
well known as II deserves to be.
This declaration OF independence.
which was drawn up and signed at
meeting OF the citizens of Mecklen
burg County, n. c.. held at Charlotte
on May 20. ITS. antedates the Amer
lean Declaration of independence,
signed at Philadelphia, July 4, 1875.
by more than a year
In 1t are embodied the fearless cour-
age and independence of the sturdy
settlers Of this North Carolina county,
who risked their lives and their for
tunes when they stepped forward and
boldly affixed their names to resolu-
tions that made them rebels against
the mother country.
Resolutions.
The resolution declared:
1. Resolved, That whosoever di-
rectly or indirectly abetted or in
any way. form or manner, counte-
nanced the unchartered and danger
GUS invasion of our rights, as claimed
c0Ontry-to America-and to the in
herent and inalie nable rights of man.
2 Resolved. That we, the citizens
OF Mecklenburg County, do hereby
dissolve the political bands which
nave connected US to the mother
country. and hereby absolve our
selves from allegiance to the British
crown, and abjure all political con-
nection, contract or association with
xxt,
trampled on our rights and liberties
and inhumanly shed the innocent
blood of American patriots at Lex
ington
"3. Resolved, That we do hereby
declare ourselves a free and independ-
ent people, are, and of right ought TO
be. sovereign and self governing as.
sociation. under the General Govern
ment OF the Congress; to the main.
tenance of which independence, we
solemnly pledge TO each other our
mutual cooperation. our lives. our
fortunes. and our most sacred honor"
The fourth and fifth resolutions and
accompanying bylaws provided for
the existence of laws to govern the
county and legal and military officers
TO enforce and defend them.
Presents Dramatic Scene.
The dramatic scene that accompa-
MED the signing of this declaration is
being immortalzed on canvas by Miss
Eunice Bradford Kingsbery, whose
partially completed painting has been
on exhibition in Charlotte this past
week.
Miss kingsbery has been working on
the painting for nine weeks. and two
months more will be required in which
to finish it,
The canvas depicts the men Of
MechlenburS County gathered in a
room In the courthouse at Charlotte,
on what is now Independence Square.
One of the men Is in the act of af-
nxing his signature, while another is
addressing the assembled crowd. The
speaker holds aloft in his hands the
hand bill, which by a strange coinci-
dence had arrived by courier that aft
ernoon and which contained the news
OF the battle of Lexington, fought just
one month previous to the conyenIng
| OF the delegates from Mechlenburg
| County.
In the pictured group are the 81
| s1gners of the Declaration. Above
! them is depicted the battle of Lexing-
ton, news of which had inspired these
North Carolinians to their intrepid
action.
Above the battle scene shines a sil
yer crescent bearing the words LIB
erty or Death" in memory OF the cres-
cents worn on the hatbands of the
men after the Lexington engagement
| Black clouds, streaked with flashes
| or lightning, are seen through the
windows, indicative OF the approach
ing storm Of war.
| The complete picture will bear a
scroll on which will be reproduced the
first paragraphs OF the resolutions.
| flrSinlifnS nf he
lures will also be preserved in the
painting.
| Most Elaborate Celebration.
The celebration just closed In Char
lotte is the most elaborate ever held in
commemoration of the signing Of the
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independ-
ence. although one of considerable i'm
portance was observed in that city in
1875.
| Something of a national character
was given to the present celebration
through the fact that the President of
the United States was invited and that
! Congress at its last session appointed
an Official delegation to attend the
| event.
One of the chief attractions of the
| weeks events at Charlotte has been
| the presentation nightly OF a pageant
| In which 500 persons have taken part
! and which has depicted in eight cpl
sodes the history of Mecklenburg
| County from the days of Its first set
tlement by the sturdy Scotch Irish,
about the middle of the eighteenth
! century, through the Civil War. The
concluding masque represented Queen
Charlotte, for whom the town was
named, surrounded by spirits of ag-
riculture, industry, education, etc.
Queen Charlotte was impersonated
by Miss Julia Alexander of Charlotte,
! N. c., who is d descendant Of the
| Alexander family. whose members
were among the signers of the famous
! declaration. Miss Alexander is her
| self a leader in North Carolina and
has announced her candidacy for the