Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
[the following document, published on 30 April 1819 by the
Raleigh Register, was alleged to have been
adopted on 20 May 1775 by the Committee of Mecklenburg county,
North Carolina; its provenance is suspect]
Resolved,
That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted, or in any way,
form, or manner, countenanced the unchartered and dangerous
invasion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy
to this County, to America, and to the inherent and inalienable
rights of man.
Resolved,
That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve
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, contract, 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.
Resolved,
That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent
people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and
self¬governing Association, 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 cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and
our most sacred honor.
Resolved,
That as we now acknowledge the existence and control of no law or
legal officer, civil or military, within this County, we do
hereby ordain and adopt, as a rule of life, all, each and every
of our former laws -where, nevertheless, the Crown of Great
Britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges,
immunities, or authority therein.
Resolved,
That it is also further decreed, that all, each and every
military officer in this County, is hereby reinstated to 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 of a 'Committeeman,' to issue process, hear and
determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted
laws, and to preserve peace, and union, and harmony, in said
County, and to use every exertion to spread the love of country
and fire of freedom throughout America, until a more general and
organized government be established in this province.
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