The North-Carolina standard., 1844-09-18


rende efing il proper and just tiHthe eye of God an
man, as never esteemed as having been dishon
orabe or faVoring the British aud tory side; an
especially where those whoiook them, as Col. Pol
land Col. Hayne did, again drew their swords i
their country's behalf, as soon as hope again sm
tedupen the American cause, and the British ha
tretreated and sufficiently evacuated the preViousi
conquered portions of the country TO admit G
the hope OF success in renewed efforts of the whig
to drive out make head against the commo
enemy. Many in the situation of those VIII
took these temporary protections--of whom 60
Polk and Col. Hayne where two prominent lnstan
Eces-were, and ever will be, esteemed In thel
lives and in their memories as among the pures
and bravest soldiers of the revolution. gratetu
posterty, to the latest generation, will revere thel
memories as such.
never heard it hinted during COL Folks life, o
until lately, that he had been tory, or In any man
ner friendly to the British cause ia the reTolntion
/ feel clear ha4 can truly say, in view OF the grea
account of my life which must shortly give before
the dread tribunal where the secrets of all hearts
known, that the charge is, and must be false, mall
cious, and unfounded for if it were true, or had i
been true in any sense could not have escaped my
knowledge and recollection, and the knowledge o
other men who lived at the time. Ia Mecklenburg
among jealous, ardent, and vgiant wings of '7s
and '76, aud of 178l-2,it could not have been hid
den or unknown. / feel happy that my life, under
Providence, has been prolonged in sound health
and memory, so as to enable TO make this state
ment, act of justice to the living, as well as
the dead.
'o@ J ..'o (signed) "JoHN SMITH"
Statement of Thomas Grib6le, Esq. fs..
WARREN COUNTY, Tennessee, July %, 1874.
"Having heard that it is reported and even has
been charged in print that Col Ezekiel Polk, for
merly of Meckenburg, North Carolina, the paternal
grandfather of Gov. James K. Polk, of Tennessee
was tory in the revolutionary war; and consi-
derng the charge as an unfounded slander upon a
soldier of '76, feel happy that my life has been
prolonged to enable me to give my contra
dction 20 the charge. lived in Mecklenburg coun-
ty, North Carolina, during and at the close of the
revolutionary war. l have read the statement OF
George Alexander, and of my friend and neiGhbor,
John Smith. had an acquaintance with Colonel
Ezekiel Polk from the time he settled in Meckten-
burg, and from personal knowledge concur fully in
the statements of Messrs. Alexander and Smith.
Colonel Polk lived nine miles from where lived
and had been raised. | knew him and knew Col.
William Polk we'll. They were both known TO
have served faithfully, and as wings and good sol
diers in the revolution. That Colonel Polk could
have ever, at any time, been tory, or friendly to
the British. / esteem to be wholly impossible, and
a SANDER on the dead. If it had been so, must,
in some way, have heard of it. Icontinued to live
in North Carolina until 1914, since which time
have lived in Tennessee. The sta atement of facts
and dates, by Mr.. Alexander and Mr.. Smith, cor
responds, from my recollection, with all ever
knew or heard. In his life, no man was more
beloved, more esteemed, after the revolution,
patriot, than Col Ezekiel Polk.
(Signed.) "THOMAS GRIBBLE"
These statements proceed from such of the
compatriots of Ezekiel Polk, as are known to be
alive. They do not require comments to under
stand them, they speak for themselves. All that
can be necessary is to read them with feeling Of
ordinary charity, and they must and will prove
that Ezekiel Polk was not Tory This paper,
however, would be imperfect if it did not review
number of other statements published in the Char
ione Journal only few days ago, which will no
doubt be extensively circulated by the enemies Cf
Col. James K Polk Sincerely desirous not to
speak unkindIy ofthose who signed the statements,
nor of those whose preiudices have prompted them
to hunt them up, will not indulge the full hcence
even of of legitimate criticism. A very few
words must render them harmless.
1St. Mag. Thomas ALerGnder's certificate of
1841 is republished. He has frankly answered
it himself in the foregoing statement a. made in
1914.
ID Andrea EIliotte undertakes to say "that
there was but one opinion, and that was that Eze-
klei Polk was Tory" and this upon his recol-
lection of go or 70 years back, although number
of highly respectable and intelligent men las has
been seen) have declared in their statements that
Ezekiel Polk acGs not q tory;;" that he was moi
suspected Of 1t by the Hseremtysiz whigs" To say
he least of it therefore, Mr. EIliott's statement is
'ntarety too strOng-proves too much. But one
'P1nro" :" when all the surviving companions
If Col. Polk have Indignantly pronounced it
FALSE !"
3D. Hezekiab Alexander who was under 1ol
Years. old, when the declaration Of independence I
vas made, not only recollects the event. but he
vas "acquainted with the names of all the sign
rs" and he " KNOWS that Ezekiel Polk was
lot Signer." This witness affirms also, that "the
people looked upon Ezekiel Polk To be as ARRANr
\ TORY AS ANY IN THE COUNTRY" How Mr.. |
1ezekah Alexander acquired this kno1oIedge"
that Ezekiel Polk was not a signer,' he does not
ell. His being acquainted with.the noues'of
III the signers certainly does not account for it,
His youth must have excluded him from the meet !
ng of delegates; and among all the witnesses who !
lave been examined in 1919, 1920, 1880, and since,
10 other one has been able to recolect GALL"
he signers, if, indeed, there were any "signers"
o the declaration at ALL So in regard to " the |
people at that time looking upon Polk as an ar
ant tory'-as "arrant tory as any in the coun-
ry," (Mr. Alexander excepts none it will suffice
o remark that the groaOn-up men ofthat time hav-
ng spoken for themselves, it may be left to the
readers decision whether they are not likely 10
know their Own opinions better than lad ten 7
years, of age, no matter how brilliant boy he
might have been.
4th. Amos alexander, brother of Hezekiab.
who was but six years years DID, i" dist;mctLv re-
collects OF his father, who was sgner, telling his
mother what he had done, and of her ervius" a.
bout It, The connection between this reminis-
;ence OF his youth and Mr.. Polk does not really
IwA - /