The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-06-24
NORTH CAROLINA FIRST COLONY
TO DARE DEFIANCE TO GEORGE iii
DECL LARATION OF FREEDOM
AT MECKLENBURG 1852
YEARS AGO

fFTOm New York Times Magazlne)
In spite of doubling Thomas JEFF
ferson and the reluctance OF GER
tain less interested Virginians to
admit that anything good ever
came out of North Carolina, no
sufficient reason now exists for
questioning the proud boast that
citizens of Mecklenburg county, in
the latter state, did fling defiance
in the face of Great Britain in
the form of a declaration of inde-
pendence just thirteen months and
fifteen days before the Continental
congress in Philadelphia saw hit to
make the same decisive move. The
date was May 20, 1775, the place
was Charlotte, n. c., and the I'M
mediate provocation of precipitate
action was the arrival of the ex-
press with the news of the shoot
ing down of Capt John Parker's
Minute men by British regulars
under Major Pitcairn on LeXing-
ton common.
It was in 1919 that newspaper
reprint of what was said to be the
declaration itself-a document
containing several of the phrases
of his own famous paper-was
called to the attention of Thomas
Jefferson ny John Adams. Writ
ing to Adams from Monticello, JEFF
fersoI said he believed it spurious,
because up to that moment he had
never beard of it, though he had
lived in the adjoining state of Vir-
ginia. He called attention also to
the Circumstance that the witness
ses appealed to were, most OF
them, dead.
Jefferson Open Minded
However, Jefferson was careful
to add that he based his opinion
on negative evidence which posi-
tive evidence was perfectly com
petent to overthrow. One of the
most valiant collectors of this evl-
dence has been Archibald Hen
derson. who is otherwise known
as the American familiar of Ber-
nard Shaw. Another-furiously as
sailed when he first collected the
data-was DR.. George Washington
Graham, who has written a Whole
book on the subject. The controv-
ersv was heated and acrimonious.
On the affirmative side it extend
ed to the insinuation that one OF
the Virginia champions OF Jener-
sons priority had used his posi-
tion as minister from this coun-
try to the Court of st. James TO
abstract from the British colonial
archives a copy of the Cape Fear
Mercury. which was material evl-
dence because it contained the
text of the Mecklenburg declara-
ton printed within the month al
ter if was issued. 1t was known
that such a copy had, in fact, been
sent to Lord Dartmouth by JOSIAH
Martin. the royal governor OF
North Caroina at the time. Martin
described it as "the late most
reasonable publication OF com
noittee in the country OF Mecklen-
burg explicitly renouncing obedle-
ence to his majesty's government
and added that it surpassed all
borrid and reasonable publlca-
tions that the inflammatory spirit
Of the country has produced On
the negative side there were char-
geg Of forgery and mendacity-.
the manufacture of history out Oh
whole cloth.
Convention Met
Assuming the evidence as SUI
fcient. the story of what happen
ed becomes a part Of well-con-
nected series of events in the prov
ince whose position between TWO
ostentatiously aristocratic nelgn-
hors has sometimes, it is SAID ue-
nrived her of due consideration.
In March, 1774, Governor Martin
had dissolved an unruly assemply'
(Turn to Page s, Col. 2, Please