It was a civil court founded on military process. Before this judicature, all suspicious persons were made to appear, who were formally tried and banished, or continued under guard. Its jurisdiction was as unlimited as toryism, and its decrees as final as the confidence and patriotism of the county. Several were arrested and brought before them from Lincoln, Rowan and the adjacent counties.
DECLARATION
NAMES OF THE DELEGATES PRESENT.
- COL. THOMAS POLK,
- JOHN M'KNITT ALEXANDER,
- EPHRAIM BREVARD,
- HEZEKIAH ALEXANDER,
- HEZEKIAH J. BALCH,
- ADAM ALEXANDER,
- JOHN PHIFER,
- CHARLES ALEXANDER,
- JAMES HARRIS,
- ZACHEUS WILSON, Sen.
- WILLIAM KENNON,
- WAIGHTSTIL AVERY,
- JOHN FORD,
- BENJAMIN PATTON,
- RICHARD BARRY,
- MATTHEW M'CLURE,
- HENRY DOWNS,
- NEIL MORRISON,
- EZRA ALEXANDER,
- ROBERT IRWIN,
- WILLIAM GRAHAM,
- JOHN FLENNIKEN,
- JOHN QUEARY,
- DAVID REESE,
- ABRAHAM ALEXANDER,
- RICHARD HARRIS, Sen.
Abraham Alexander was appointed chairman, and John M'Knitt Alexander, clerk, The following resolutions were offered, viz.
1. Resolved, That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted, or in any way, form or manner, countenanced the uncharted and dangerous invasion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy of this country, to America, and to the inherent and inalienable rights of man.
2. 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 connections, contract, or association, with that nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties, and inhumanly shed the blood of American patriots at Lexington.
3. 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 mutual co-operation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.
