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- = e u ts-E, ~
Frs The persons present at the meetings ol
I2Oth MAY, IT'S were asceriained (after thu
hbuFning Of their book of proceedings in I800l bs


the recollection of the several witnesses WIN


were examined to that point-not by any names


siggedto the declaration.


Hence, as will be observed, / have not spoken


of Ezekiel Polk as signer of the declaration =
but as one toho took tie lead in making it
Hence also any attempt to question his agency in
that patriotic work because his name does not ap
pear one Of the "SIGNERS," will be worse
than fruiiess y o. ffk


| { A man of common fairness may now see how
one edition of the declaration might have been
published with Ezekiel Polk name and another


without it; one with Major Jno. DGuidsoa's name


(see Jones's defence) and another withoutit .(see


pamphlet published by legislature of 1880; y and


yet no blame rest upon those who did it. Hasty
accusations of I" forgery" on such point are bet.
ter calculated to discredit the declaration itself
than to set history right The compiler of the
State pamphlet of $780, after taking the declaration
itself from Gen. Davies copy very probably re-
ferred to the other proofs to ascertain the names
of those who were spresent as delegates" REQ.


Humphrey Hunters memoirs furnished him a
list of the "deleg0tes as they acre placed the
ro Gcc0rdgngto the best recoLL ectaon" of the au-
thor. AS that list did not contain the name of
John Davidson or of Ezekiel Polk, he omitted
them although Capt Jacks evidence spoke ofthem
both as "Gntong the LADDERS" The writer of


onsss defence probably took the pamphlet list and
superadded the name of Major John Davidson
upon his own statement that he was a delegate,
andthe evidence of Capt. Jack that he was /" a.
mong the leaders," Or possibly it might have
escaped the notice of them that Capt Jacks cer-
tifcate included several names which do not ap-
pear in the memoirs The compiler of the pam
phlet and the writer of the defence, however, both
referred their readers to the evidence already re-
hearsed in this paper; and with great Difference
and unfeigned respect for the ability of those gen.
temen as historians, tits believed that ACCORD
ING TO THE EVIDENCE in making out
the list of persons present." or of delegates pre-
sent' commonly called "sigmers Of the decIGrG-
tied to be enrolled in addition to the 26 inserted in
the pamphlet publication of 1880, and to the 27
inserted in "Jones's defence" Though the au-
thor of Rev. Mr.. Hunters memoirs (the date of
which memoirs does not appear anywhere that l
know of did not recollect them-and it would be
singular if he had remembered them all-and,
though neither of the many witnesses examined
could recollect all the names, (if Mr.. John Brown
be not an exception yet CAPTAIN JACK pos
itively states the names of Is leaders, including
Gen. Wnr. DGDidSon, Maj John DGvidson, Ezek-
ieI Polk, Samuel Martin, Duncan OcAiItree, and
Wm. WILSON. None of these SIC are named IN
the memoirs, whilst the other seven are named by
both witnesses. have carefully examined all the
proofs upon this subject; and this short explana-
tion it is hoped may put and end to the confusion
which has arisen out of these trif1ng discrepaA-
ces between the different editions of our Mecklen
burg declaration Of independence. The right
document ITSELF as found at General Davies, |
have no doubt would, upon inspection. confirm
he statement that there aocre no SIGNERS"' to
he declaration IN the proper sense of the sOord,
all
readily set afloat that spurious copies of it had
been torgsE' by any one Unfortunately, this
document cannot be found in the ezeeutiue office
Il this time (where it ought to be y and if this
indication produces no other good trust it vail
induce our public men to adopt all necessary
means for seet0iming It, II is too precious jew
Il Of the STATE to be left in the hands of pri- |
rate citizen yet it is understood that Coz Stokes
permitted it to 60 back into the possession of Mr.
MeKnitt. He or his representative ought to
estore tito the States o1cn keeping.


Respectfully submitted,


WILLIAM H. HAYWOOD, Jr.


RALEIGH, AUGUST %, 1914


