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Show PRESIDENT TAFT ATTENDS CHARLOTTE CELEBRATION Three Days' Carnival in the North Carolina City Marks the Anniversary of the Famous Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. they affixed the date of May 20, 1775, to them. Case for Mecklenburgers. The case for the Mecklenburgers 19 set forth aa follows: In 1818 there arose a great rivalry between Massachusetts Massa-chusetts and Virginia as to which commonwealth com-monwealth should receive the credit for the Philadelphia document, and the controversy was brought up in congress. It was at this time that Davidson, a representative in congress con-gress from North Carolina, announced that Mecklenburg county had declared her independence 13 months before the promulgation of the document in Philadelphia. While the statement created some surprise it resulted in an investigation investiga-tion into the facts as to the Mecklenburg Mecklen-burg declaration. This inquiry was made by Nathaniel Macon, who pro-resented pro-resented North Carolina in the senate, and through Gen. Joseph Graham and Representative Davidson, Senator Macon Ma-con received from Dr. Joseph McKnitt Alexander, the son of John McKnitt Alexander, a full account of "the event," which Dr. Alexander said he had "copied from papers' left by his father." This statement, which included in-cluded the May 20th declaration, Senator Sena-tor Macon sent to Raleigh, N. C, and it was published in the Register on Friday, April 30. 1819. Dr. Alexander's Story. Dr. Alexander related at length how t.e farmers of Mecklenburg county in the spring of 1775 had called a convention con-vention to be composed of two delegates dele-gates from each settlement in the county to meet May 19 to devise means for the assistance of the "suffering "suf-fering people of Boston and to extriv cate themselves from the impending storm." "Official news, by express, arrived ar-rived of the battle of Lexington," according ac-cording to Dr. Alexander's report to Senator Macon, and the influence of the news from Lexington, he added, resulted in the unanimous adoption ot the Mecklenburg declaration of independence. inde-pendence. The declaration, as written by Dr. Brevard, and approved by the convention conven-tion on May 20; 1775, reads: "1. Resolved, That whosoever directly di-rectly or indirectly abetted or in any way, form or manner countenanced the unchartered and dangerous invasion inva-sion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this country America and to the inherent inher-ent and inalienable rights of man. "2. Resolved, That we, the citizens of Mecklenburg county, do hereby dissolve dis-solve the political bands which have connected us to the mother country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British crown and abjure all political connection, coal-tract coal-tract or association with that nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington. Declared Themselves Free. "3. Resolved, That we do hereby declare de-clare ourselves a free and independent independ-ent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing association as-sociation under the control of no power other than that of our God and the general government of the congress to the maintenance of which independence we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual co-operation, our lives, our fortunes and our most sacred honor. "4. Resolved, That as we now acknowledge ac-knowledge the existence and control of no law or legal officer, civil or military, mil-itary, within this county, we do hereby here-by ordain and adopt, as a rule of life, each and every one of our former laws, wherein, nevertheless, the crown of Great Britain never can be considered consid-ered as holding privileges, immunities or authority therein. "5. Resolved, That it is also further decreed that all, each and every military mili-tary officer in this county is hereby reinstated in his former command and authority, he acting conformably to these regulations. And that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz., a justice of the peace, in the character charac-ter of a 'committeeman,' to issue process, proc-ess, hear and determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted adopt-ed laws, and to preserve peace and union and harmony in said county, and to use every exertion to spread the love of the country and fire of freedom throughout America, until a more general and organized government govern-ment be established in this province." Charlotte, N. C With three days of military drills, band concerts, speeches, athletic contests and other kinds of entertainment, the one hundred hun-dred and thirty-fourth anniversary of the Mecklenburg declaration has been celebrated, and all North Carolina is happy in the knowledge that its pet legend has been recognized by the president of the United States; for Mr. Taft gave the occasion the official sanction of his presence and was the chief feature of the celebration. The carnival began Tuesday noon when the Charlotte fire companies gave an exhibition df their skill and speed. At three o'clock there was a drill by a body of United States cavalry cav-alry and a band coucert at the fair grounds, followed by a league ball game. The evening was given up to a drill by the Charlotte drum corps and a concert by three bands. Governors' Day Program. Wednesday was designated as governors' gov-ernors' day and the main event was the delivery of addresses by Gov. Kitchin of North Carolina au.d the chief executives of several other states, at the fair ground. These were preceded by a big athletic meet and followed $Dy a cavalry drill, military maneuvers and band concerts, with another ball game thrown in for good measure. Two events made the evening notable. not-able. The first was a May musical festival at the Auditorium which en listed the services of a number of ex-eellent ex-eellent soloists and a large and well trained chorus. The second was aa Illuminated parade given by the Order of Red Men. President Taft Arrives. Just at ten o'clock Wednesday morning the booming of a 21-gun salute sa-lute by the Charlotte artillery notified the people that President Taft had arrived on his special train. Nearly all the inhabitants and the thousands of visitors were at the station, and as the president and his party alighted from their car, they were greeted with a mighty roar of applause. A special reception committee took the distinguished disting-uished guests in chaTge and conducted conduct-ed them to the Selwyn hotel, where they were welcomed by Governor Kitchin, Senators Simmons and Overman Over-man and the mayor of Charlotte. After meeting all the committeemen committee-men and their wives, President Taft together to-gether with Mrs. Stonewall Jackson, the governor and mayor and other distinguished visitors, were escorted by a guard of old soldiers to a reviewing review-ing stand and witnessed a great parade pa-rade of all the military and civic organizations or-ganizations that could take part in the celebration. Mr. Taft Speaks Twice. A second installment of the music festival in the Auditorium was graced by the presence of the city s guests, and then all returned to the reviewing stand, where President Taft delivered an address. His words were listened to with close attention and frequently elicited loud applause: Later in the afternoon the president made a speech to the colored people and the students of Biddle university. From 8 to 9:30 in the evening, President Taft held a public reception re-ception in the parlors of - the Selwyn Sel-wyn hotel and shook hands with thousands thou-sands of people. Military drills, band concerts and other entertainments were provided for the crowds all Wednesday afternoon after-noon and evening, and the great celebration cele-bration closed in a blaze of glory. Old Controversy Renewed. The people of North Carslina, whose proudest boast has been that their ancestors an-cestors were the first Americans to throw off the yoke of British rule, now rejoice in the feeling that President Taft has recognized the justice of their claim, but the century-old controversy con-troversy has broken out afresh. Many historians refuse to accord to the pioneers pio-neers of Mecklenburg county the honor that is thus accorded them. These historians allude to the story as "the Mecklenburg myth," and thereby arouse the anger of North Carolinians. According to those unbiased investigators investi-gators who have looked most deeply into the matter, the Mecklenburgers did hold a public meeting on May 31, 1775. and did adopt resolutions quite abreast of the public sentiment of that time, but not venturing on the field of independence further than to ay that these resolutions were to remain re-main in force till Great Britain resigned re-signed its pretensions. In 1793, or earlier, some of the actors in the proceeding pro-ceeding endeavored to supply the record rec-ord from memory, unconsciously intermingling inter-mingling some of the phraseology of the Declaration of July 4. which gave the resolution the tone of a pronounced pro-nounced independency. Probably through another dimness of memory. |
