The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-02-09
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~ HON.WI1.LIAM a. GRAHAM
The sixiIa.Iecture of this course was
delivered Yesterday evening. At Metre
poIilan Hall. Blythe Hon. w. A. Gra-
ham, on the above subject. The body
and gallery of the ediiiee was filed 10
eAeess BY = highly respectable audi
enee. A the hour appointed. the lee
furer. accompanied bs the Hon. Luther
Bfzdish. President Of ihe Society,
DR.. Hawkes. DR.. Francis, DrsDewiit,
and other distinguished gentlemen,
presented himself TO the Audience, and ,
after the applause which greeted him
had subsidized. said:
M. Poe&dssi. and L,aiios and Ceafkmea.
Regarding the New York Historical
Society as National institution, I
have not scruplcd to undertake the
task devolyed on me this evening, how
ever conscious Of my inadequacy TO its
proper fulfilment; and a primaryi OBJ
ject of ats establishment being the stu
dy and dissemination Of a correct
knowledge oi American history, the to-
pic ON which | propose to engage your
attention is the British invasion of
North Carolina. l.s0 and 'Sl. Having
been requested to turn my attention TO
some subject peitiining to the history
OF the Southern States, il was not
until after the choice Of this, and at
too late a period to prepare another,
that l learned that reverend and dis
tinguIshed friend of mine, who has
preceded me in the series Of exercises
appointed by the society. had made the
SUBJECT Of has discourse another inter.
estlng chapter in the history Of North
Carolina. With earlier Information
on this fact, would gladly have cho-
sen some other topic, to give greater
variety and interest to course Of
lectures which has thus far been so
well received by the public.
The subject is withal commonplace j;
but 1t is the story of our ancestors-of
their struggles and sacrifices their
freedom aud renown. The scene, too,
is circumscribed, but the actors were
personifcatiuns Of principles and rep
resentatives Of nations, and upon the
close of the drama depended the tate Of
an empire. Ii other apology be want-
ing for the selection Of this theme,
II am native there. anl to the manor born,"
and from occasional access to official
documents, as well as from traditions
aud legends Of those whose honorable
scars bore witness Of opportunities for
acquaintance with some, at least, of the
events. Of that period, am impressed
with the conviction that from want oi
chroniclers and printing presses in the
then infant State, at the time Of these oc-
currences, and from negligence or ac-
cident since, they have not received
full justice from the pen Of history.
Let II be remembered that the period
to which We refer is 1880 and 1881,
more than FIVE years alter the first
blood she'd in the war of the Revolution
at Lexington, and full five years after
the national Declaration Of lGdepen.
dcDce.
Yet, had North Carolina been nu
Indifferent or idle spectator while
other States were the theatre Of war,
or in regard to the common cause in
the incipiency of the contest. AS ear
ly as the passage of the Stamp Act,
and down to the breaking out of hos
tilities, disputes Of domestic nature,
touching the rights Of creditors in the
province to proceed by attachment
against the lands of debtors residing in
England, and the NAL administration
OF the provincial government, had been
agitated between the crown (through
the royal governors) and the people Of
the colony, which, added to the causes
OF complaintof more general interest,
produced,a free discussion of the con-
stitution Of Great Britain. and sharpen.
ed and lnvig0rated the public MIND IN
relation to the rights Of British subjects
in the colonies. Emboldened in these
controversies. the population were in.
telligent and acute in their comprehen,
sion of the issues involved, jealous OF
undue control by the mother country.
and ready to hazard any consequences
in resisting her encroachments. This
was sufficiently attested in the alacrl>
ty with which she responded to the
call for the first continental Congress,
in Iva; in the proceedings either va.
! rious provincial congresses and coun'
cils, prior to the establishment Of the
State government; and in those OF her
) popular assemblies, amung which j,
alnays be enough to particularize the
, Wilmingtun. Cumberland. Rowan and
Tryou associations. and the memorable
meeting in Meckienhurg, on the 20,l
OF May, sl775, which declared absolute
|, independence.
And these prompt and decisive man
) ifestations Of sentiment, had been sus-
tanned by military aid,,in the immedis