Mecklenburg Declaration
4th. As we now [ripped top of page, words missing] civil or Military within this County. We do hereby Ordain & Adopt, as rules of life; all, each and every of our former laws—wherein nevertheless the Crown of G-Britain never can be considered as holding rights, priviledges, immunities or authority therein.
5th. It is also further Decreed; that all, each & every Militia Officer in this County, is hereby reinstated in his former Command and authority: he acting conformable to these regulations. And also, that every member present of this delegation, shall henceforth be a civil officer, Viz a Justice of the peace in the character of a “committee man” to issue process, hear & determine all matters or controversy, according to said adopted laws—to preserve peace, union and harmony in sd. County, & to use every exertion to spread the love of country and fire of freedom throughout America, untill a more general organized government be established in the province.
A number of by laws were also passed—chiefly to protect the association from confusion and to regulate the general conduct of the citizens at large. And after siting up all night in the Court house; neither sleepy, hungry, nor fatagued—and after discussing every paragraph, they were all passed, Sanctioned and Decreed [Nem. Con.?] about 12. o'clock on May 20.
And in a very few days, a deputation of sd. delegation again met in Charlotte and deputed Captn. James Jack of sd. Town as an express to Philadelphia, with a full & attested copy of sd. proceedings, resolves & decrees; with a letter addressed to Wm. Hooper, Joseph Hughes and Rich.d Caswell our representatives in Congress; under express injunctions personally and through the sd. State representatives to use all principles—and to them unrepresented taxations might impose; or support their brethren who were doomed to sustain the first shock of that power, which if successfull [therein?] would overwhelm all in the common calamity.
Conformable to these principles, Colo. Thos. Polk, through solicitations, issued an order to each Captains Militia Company in the County of Mecklenburg then comprising the present County of Cabarrus directing each Militia company to Elect two persons & delegate to them ample powers to divise ways & means to aid and assist their suffering brethren in Boston—and also generally to adopt measures to extricate themselves from the impending storm and to secure unimpaired their inalienable rights, priviledges & liberties from the Dominant grasp of British imposition and Tyranny.
In conformity to sd. Order on the 19th May, 1775, the sd. delegation met in Charlotte Town, vested with unlimited powers, at which time official news by express, arrived of the battle at Lexington, on that day of the preceding month. Every delegate felt the value & importance of the prize & the awfull and solemn crisis which had arrived, every bosom swelled with indignation at the malice inveteracy & insatiable revinge developed in the late attack at Lexington. The universal sentiment was, let us not flatter our selves that popular harrangues or resolves, that popular vapour will avert the storm or vanquish our common enemy; let us deliberate—