Show PRESIDENT TAFT ATTENDS CHARLOTTE celebration three days carnival in the th north carolina carolina city marks the anniversary of the famous mecklenburg declaration of independence charlotte N C with three day days ot of military drills band concert concerti speeches athletic contests and other kinds of at entertainment the one hundred and thirty fourth anniversary of the mecklenburg declaration hai has been celebrated and all north carolina la Is happy in the knowledge that its pet pot legend has been recognized by the president ot at the united states for mr taft gave the oi occasion caslon the official sanction lon of at his presence iund nd was the chief feature of the celebration the carnival began tuesday whet the charlotte fire companies cave un exhibition of their skill and a speed peed at three a clock there was a drill by a body of united states cavalry and a band baud concert at the fair grounds follard by a league ball bame the evening was given up to a drill by the charlotte drum corpo and a concert by three bands banos governors day program wednesday was designated at as gov cenora day and the maln man event wat the delivery of addresses by gay of north Carol carolina lra and the chief executives of several other etapa at alt the fair g ground round these were preceded receded by a big athletic me meet and F heetland etland followed by a cavalry drill mil military ary man maneuvers eulers and band concertin concer concerts with another ball game thrown in for good rue measure asure two events made the evening not tible able the first was a may musical festival at the auditorium which en eu listed the services of a number of ex cellena soloists and a large and well trained chorus the second was aa illuminated parade given by the order of red men president taft arrives juat jut at ten clock wednesday morning orning In the booming of a 21 gun sa lute by the charlotte artillery notified the people that president tatt 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 ble part from their car they were greeted with a roar of at applause A specht lor committee took tool the dasting dieting unshed guests in charge and conduct cd ed them to tho the selwyn hotel abere they wore mora welcomed by governor Hitch kitchin tn senators simmons and overman and the mayor of charlotte after meeting all the committeemen and their wives president tatt taft together ath mrs stonewall jackson the governor and mayor and other distinguished viel viAl tors were escorted by a guard of old soldiers to a review ing ng stand and witnessed a great pa rade of all the military and civic chic or 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 a guests and then all returned to the reviewing stand island where president taft delivered an address his ilia word words were listened to with close attention and frequently elicit elicited et loud applause late later in the tile afternoon the president made a speech to the colored people and the students of diddle biddle university broin 8 to 9 30 in the evening Prest president dont taft held a nubile reception in the parlors of the set wyn hotel and shook bands hands with thou gands of people I 1 military drills bind concerts and other entertainments w were ere provided for or the crowds all wednesday after noon and ev evening ining and the great cele bration closed in a blaze of at glory old controversy renewed ile people of at north carolina whoso proudest dist boast hap ha been thear an were the first americana americans to throw oft off the yoke of british rule now rejoice in the feeling that president taft has recognized the justice of their claim butlre but bithIa con troverse tro versy my has broken out atrean many nany historians refuse to accord fo go t the he pioneers at of mecklenburg county the honor that Is thus accorded them these blat allude to the story as I 1 the mecklenburg myth and thereby arouse the anger ange r of north ca rolin lans 4 according to those unbiased invests geors who ave looked most deeply into th the master the era did hold a public on 4 kiy 31 1775 and did resolutions quite abreast of the public sentiment of that time but not venturing on the abeld of independence further than to ady ay that these resolutions were to re main in force till great detain britain resigned its in itoe 1793 or earlier some of the actors in n the feeding endeavored to supply the we rec ord from memory unconsciously inter mingling gome some of pf fe e of the declaration of july 4 which ir gave the resolution the tone of a pro bounced independency probably abrou li b another dimness of memory they affixed the date of may 20 1775 to them case for burgers the rase case tor for the burgers la Is bet set fortu aa as follows la in 1318 1818 there arose a great rivalry between massa chusett chua etts 3 and virginia aa as to which corn com mon wealth should receive the credit for the philadelphia document and the controversy waa was brought up in congress con gresa it waa was at thia this time that davidson Dav ldson a representative in con gress from north carolina Ca rolna announced that mecklenburg county had declared her independence 13 months before the promulgation of the do document ament la in philadelphia while the statement created some surprise it resulted reaul ted in an anve uga tion into the facts aa as to the nt malea Mk klen lea burs burg declaration chis inquiry was made by nathaniel macon who pro resented t ed north carolina in the senate and through gen joseph graham and representative davidson senator ma con rec received elved from dr joseph mcknitt Azander 7 the son on of john mcknitt alexander a full account of th event which dr alexander eald said he be had copied from papers left by hie his father tather thia this statement which included clouded the may declaration senator macon sent to raleigh nal elgh N C and it was published in the register on an friday april 30 1819 dr alexanders story dr alexander related at length bow how the farmers of at mecklenburg county in 10 the spring of 1775 had called a con bention to be composed of two delegates from each settlement in the county to meet may 19 to devise means for the assistance ot of the I 1 euf aut firing cring people of boston and to extrie i cate themselves s from the impending torro tord I 1 official news new s by express arrived ot of the battle of at lexington according to dr alexanders report to senator macon and the influence ot of the ahe news from lexington be he added resulted in the unanimous adoption ot of the mecklenburg declaration of independence pen pon dence the declaration as written by dr brevard Ur evard and approved by the convention on an may 20 1775 reada reads 1 1 resolved that whosoever directly or indirectly abetted or in any way form or manner countenanced the and dangerous invasion sion of at our rights as claimed by great britain Is an enemy to thie this country america and to tho the inherent and inalienable rights a of man 1 2 resolved ne solved that we the citizen citizens of mecklenburg county do hereby dissolve the political bands which have lave connected us to the ilia mother country and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance ta crown and andl abjure all political connection contract or association with that nation win iq have wantonly tuam trampled pled on our alts rights ind lind liberties liber tiet and inhumanly shed the Jn innocent blood of american patriots at lexington declared themselves free 3 resolved that we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people are and of right ought to be a sovereign and association a so under the control of or no power powe other than that of at our god and file general government of at the congress congress to the maintenance of which independence we solemnly pledge to ta each other our mutual operation cooperation nur par lives lives our fortunes and our most sacred honor 4 resolved Ile solved that aa as we now acknowledge the ex existence isten and control of noi no law or legal officer civil or military within this county WB we do hereby ordain and adopt aa an a rule of at life each and every one of our former laws wherein nevertheless the crown of great britain never can be considered as ms holding privileges immunities or authority alt authority hority therein 5 Res resolved RIved that it la Is also further d decreed 4 ed thin tha all each and every milt tary officer lii IA this county la Is hereby Y reinstated in his former command aid authority he acting conformably to 10 thesel regulations and calt every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer viz a justice of the peace in the character of a committeeman to issue proc ess hear bear and determine all matters of controversy according to said adept cd ed laws law 4 an ando 4 to preserve peace and u union nion and harmony in said sald county and to use every exertion to spread the love of the country and fire of at freedom throughout america until a more general and govern ment be established ed in tola province |