Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-10-20

county, North Carolina. The occasion, which was
in itself deeply interesting made much more so
by the presence of the great American historian,
George Bancroft. At the conclusion of an address
of much eloquence by Col John S. Preston, the
president of the day, Col. j. D. Witherspoon an
nounced the fact that Mr. Bancroft was present. and
proposed the following sentiment: eS-E.
"The Hon. George Bancroft: The patriot, the
statesman, the truthful and impartial annast; his
presence among us inseparably links his fame with
the memories of Kings Mountain. We bid him
welcome" ,.z-....-..
This sentiment and the information it conveyed
was received with many demonstrations of pleasure,
and Mr.. Bancroft, with some little embarrassment
but with evident interest in the occasion, appeared
upon the stand He was thin, but without the ap
Dearance of i'll health and though his head was
sable silvered and he had quite the appearance of
a student he stood remarkably erect, and spoke
with voice as clear i'll enunciaon and distinct in
utterance as would have become the vigorous and
practised orator. From the tenor of his remarks
report with accuracy it will be seen that he was an
mated by unbecoming spirit of complacency,
over-winning solictude to please, but only by a
just perception of the great historic truths of which
he was called upon to speak. He said:
'The president of the day assigns me few min
utes to express you my sincere delight in being
witness of this great panorama of southern life and
beauty and patriotism, and joining with this count
less multitude assembled in the mountain forest I'M
der the shadow of the battle-ground, and animated
by the spirit of the heroes whose virtues they are
gathered to commemorate. come among you not
to address you; but to share silently in the
to receive instruction from the eloquent lips of your
distinguished orator-to enkindle my love of
country by the fires of your enthusiasm. No State
may celebrate the great events of the American
voluton with juster pride than South Carolina. At
the very beginning of the struggle of 1865, South
Carolina the first to adhere to general union;
and to her it is due that the colonies then met in
Congress. When in 1774 tyrannical government
endeavored by the slow torture Of starvation to crush
Boston into submission, South Carolina opened her
granaries of rice and mnistered abundanty to its
relief. While the sons of the Scotch covenanters in
Meckenburg the first to sever the connexion
in Great Britain and institute government for them
selves the immediate harbinger of the great reform
rose within the borders of this State; the victory
gained at the Palmetto Fort by Moultrie the
bright and the morning star which went before the
declaration of American independence. Wherever
the camp fires of the emigrant shall light up the
forests of the West; wherever the history of our
country is honestly told; wherever the struggles of
brave men in the cause of humanity respected,
high honor will be rendered to the triumph at Kings
Mountain and at Cowpens, and to the sad victory at
Eutaw Springs when the voice ofexutaton is chas-
tened by for the brave who fell. For the
North to take interest in your celebration is but
an act of reciprocity. Everywhere in my long pill
grimage to be present with you on this occasion,
found evidence of the affection with which the
South cherishes the memory of every noble action
in behalf of liberty, without regard to place. Beau
tul Virginia. land of mountains and lowlands, rich
in its soil, Astounding in healing springs, and the
storehouse of all kinds of mineral wealth, builds
Lexington in the very heart of her most magnf-
cent valley; North Carolina repeats the name in one
of the lovelicst regions in the world; and South
Carolina dcsgnatcs by it the great central district of
her State There is still stronger reason why the
North should give you its sympathy on this occa-
sion. She sent you aid in the hour of your great
est need. 1t is blessed thing to give even cup
of cold water in right spirit; it was not then pos,
sible to do even that All honor must be awarded
to the South since she left herself alone in
the hour of her utmost peril The romance of the
American revolution has its for the most part
in the South and the battle of Kings Mountain, of
which celebrate the seventyffth anniversary to-
day, the most romantic of all. The achieve
lnent was opportune. The American army for the
South routed and dispersed Charleston was in
the power of the enemy the government scattered;
the paper currency all but worthless; GadSden a
prisoner, doomed to the dungeon of ST. Augustine
Sumter forced to retire beyond the State, the one
side, and Pickens the other CORVALLIS hoping
to extinguish the rebellion by system of inpris-
onment confiscation, and hanging; the British min
ster promising himself that, before winter, the
whole country south of the Delaware would be sub
ected.' The Genius of Liberty never bows his head
in despair; but there cause for anxiety-the
faultless PARTISAN the lion-hearted Marion, stood
alone in his impenetrable Businesses the sentinel
Of Carolina Such was the almost hopeless distress,
Of which the tidings penetrated the hardy dwellers
On the Watauga, the Nollichucky, and the three
forks of Holston. All the difficulties which st 'od
had distance to overcome in collecting their forces
but swift runners hurried up the valley; they had
70 the highest range of the Aeghanies, where
there not so much bride path they could
drive no beeves, but must depend mainly on parch.
ed corn for their sustcnance meeting from remote
districts, they had to organize themselves the in
slant for action with unity The movement COM
nends itself still more to admiration a voun-
ary act of patriotism. 1t was planned by no Con-
5ress, it was ordered by Executive. All that is
best springs from the heart, and the expedition to
Kings Mountain sprang from the heart of the COM
non people west of the Alleghanies. They were
;heered by martial music your orator has tru'
y observed; they had no gliding banners, no nod
ling pumes they we're southern farmers in their
every day dress, to exercise though in most
signal manner, their everyday courage and love OF
country and virtue. The dangers which they en- |
:ountered those from which the bravest might
shrink. Do you think refer to the fact that they
attacked an enemy superior in numbers, and still
more in the munitions of war, posted yonder |
,eght which yon is precipitously steep, and |
,ristling with the slaty rock which crops out all
long its sides and summit? No; those things had |
or them terror. But their departure they knew |
the signal for British emissares to excite hordes
If worthless savages to burn their homes and MUIR
Ter their wives and children. Every breeze from |
he West might seem to bring to their the |
cho Of the Indians war-whcop, the dying groans !
# those they loved best. This was the fear which |
hey had to cast under foot. Let rejoice, then, |
hat the success of the men engaged at Kings Noun
ain was, as they expressed it, complete to wish
The firing was as heavy as could be conceived for
he numbers engaged; the disodging of the enemy
ing men from stony breastwors > the vigor ofther
10 Ovod hv fhnir ho1d mt til1