From
November-December 2004
How
Long Would You Wait to Defend a Brother?
Walter J. Klein, KCCH
Moments before
they signed the Declaration of Mecklenburg Masons on September
19, 2004, eminent Masons of North Carolina
gathered to attest to the authenticity of the Mecklenburg
Declaration of Independence signed on May 20, 1775.
Eminent North Carolina Masons, seen here
in front of the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite and Masonic Lodge,
signed the Declaration of Mecklenburg Masons on September
19, 2004, to attest the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration
of Independence signed by several Freemasons on May 20, 1775.
If you saw a Mason whose integrity was
under attack, would you hesitate to come to his aid? How
long would you wait
to help such a Mason? A day? A month? How about 229 years?
That is precisely how long Brethren in Charlotte, North
Carolina, historically known as a hotbed of Masonry, waited
to rescue
the reputations of the Masonic signers on May 20, 1775, of
the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, more than a
year before the July 4, 1776, national Declaration of Independence.
The Masons of 1775 who signed the Mecklenburg Declaration,
men whose reputations have been attacked, should have been
unassailable. Number one was Colonel Thomas Polk. He called
the convention, helped write the document, and was the leader
who read it to the North Carolina Assembly. He was also the
host to President George Washington during his 1791 visit
to Charlotte. Four distinguished Princeton graduates were
among the signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration: Waightstill
Avery, first Attorney General of North Carolina; Dr. Ephraim
Brevard; Hezekiah James Balch, cofounder of the Cliosophic
Society; and Thomas Reese. Abraham Alexander was chairman
of the convention. Hezekiah Alexander co-founded the city
of Charlotte and built the stone house, complete with emblazoned
Masonic symbols, which is today the oldest Masonic building
still standing in America. There were 27 signers altogether,
many of them elders in their Presbyterian churches and many
of them Masons.
That never stopped critics from calling the Mecklenburg
Declaration a fraud, hoax, false, and spurious. Attacks were
bitter and
deep. They focused on two
1819 letters between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (neither of them Masons),
loss of the original document in a fire, and the wording of surviving copies.
The authenticity of the document was questioned, and, by indirection, the integrity
of the signers and the validity of their signatures.
Those 27 signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration were brilliant
leaders who, by their bold act, knew they were endangering
their lives. They heard and read what
they were signing and knew the serious negative consequences that might follow.
Most of all, they were men of absolute integrity whose Masonic vows could never
permit them to perpetrate a fraud.
The Declaration of Mecklenburg Masons formally signed on
September 19, 2004, is more than a provincial correction
of history. It stands as a rational statement
that the 1775 Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was authentic by reason
of the authenticity of its signers. Two centuries of searching attics and
arguing are over. The 34 Masons gathered at the historic
Hezekiah Alexander Homesite
and Masonic Hall near the Charlotte Museum of History (photo above) were
led in prayer by Chaplain Carl Douglas Mayes, 33°, who
asked for forgiveness on behalf of the eminent Masons of
Charlotte gathered to defend the good names
of Brethren who signed the Mecklenburg Declaration. He prayed:
“Supreme Architect of the Universe, we sense
your Almighty Presence as our sacred fraternal bond is
tested as never before. We cannot rest because our
Masonic forefathers have been challenged for two centuries. We stand here
today before Thee in humility to ask Thy forgiveness for
our long silence, unworthy
of the bravery of Brethren who signed their priceless document of freedom
and brotherhood before us. We are eternally grateful to
Thee and to them for our
heritage which we hereby pledge to protect and preserve from this time
forward; so mote it be.”
The
leaders then respectfully lined up to sign a new document
(photo right), the Declaration of Mecklenburg Masons. The
line formed at the front door
of the Hezekiah Alexander stone house. One by one, they signed two originals,
each reading
as follows:
“We Freemasons of Mecklenburg County, North
Carolina, wishing to bring lasting peace to two centuries
of concern
about the validity of the Mecklenburg Declaration
of Independence of May 20, 1775, hereby attest to the honor and integrity
of all Brothers who signed that document. Their oath is our
oath. Their signatures
and ours are one. In this sacred structure, where Masons lived and
met from 1774, we solemnly sign this declaration of fraternal
unity and faith. This the 19th
day of September, 2004, in sight of the Supreme Architect, within the
Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, Charlotte, North Carolina.”
The first two signatures were those of former North Carolina
Governor James G. Martin, 33°, and former Charlotte Mayor John M. Belk, 32°,
both members of the Valley of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Other signers invited to the sunny Sunday afternoon event
included masters of all Mecklenburg Lodges, two PGMs, two
DDGMs, two DDGLs,
heads of all
Masonic organizations, and leading Masons from all walks of life.
The scene took place within a few steps of the American
Freedom Bell, the site for which was Masonically dedicated
five years ago.
Across
the bell
are the
bold bronze words, “Never forget that you are free!”
Walter
J. Klein
is a member of Excelsior Lodge #261 in Charlotte, N.C., and of the Scottish Rite
Bodies of Charlotte. While working to create a museum at the Charlotte Scottish
Rite Temple, he developed the idea that the Hezekiah Alexander House was built
as a Masonic meeting hall, and he believes it to be the oldest Masonic structure
in America. A member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, he received in 2000
the highest Masonic award in North Carolina, the Joseph Montford Medal, for his
services to Freemasonry and America. Contact: wklein@carolina.rr.com
