The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-03-11
THE MONUMENT QUESTION.

\ writer in last weeks Wing, over the
signature of Robert Allison," says he has
read with ''chagrin'' proposition in the
"Dcmocrat," copied from Il communication
i'm the Raleigh Standard, for the erection of
Il Monument, at Raleigh, in honor of the
~igucrs Of the Mccklenburg Declaration;
and Mr.. "AIliSon'' devotcs whole column
and more of the Wing, i'll laborcd effort
to create prejudice against the author Of
tie proposition and his "cndorscrs."
Ii the writer means to insinuate that we
''rmdorscd' the proposition, by copying the
article from the Standard, i'll favor of the
erection of Il monument at Raleigh, he in
sinuatcs what is not true. We copied the
article, without any expression of opinion
on the subject, merely to show what the
writer in the Standard said in relation to it.
Some persons are green enough to believe
that Editors endorse" every thing they
select fo3 their columns-and it may be,
..Robcrt AlliSon'' is one of this number
If 50, we must be excused for assuring him
Of his error. 1t would not do, and for very
Obvious reasons. For example: We might
copy the communication of Robert ALI
SON. to show our readers what others
thought and said on the Monument question;
bat We should be sorry to ''cndorsc' all the
nonsense he has written on the subject. He
has, he says, been 'chagrincd' by reading
in the Democrat a proposition to erect Il
monument Eat Rale1@h," i'll honor of the
Signcrs of the Mccklcnburg Declaration of
Independence! Now, we did not favor or
even endorse" the proposition, yet if we
had dome So, We are unable to see any
cause Tor ''chaEriu" Oh the part of "Robert
Allison or any other person. For one,
We are free to say, that we should be pleased
to see IA monument erected at Raleigh, at
Charlotte, or at any other place, in honor
of the patriots alluded to. We would not
BE- '.chagrincd'' if fifty or hundred monu-
mcnts were erected at as many different
points of the State and the Union, for such
Il laudable purpose. On the contrary, we
should be pleased to see one erected on the
beautiful Statc-IIousc Square at Raleigh,
the capitol of North Carolina, whether one
be erected or not at Charlotte. Let us also
have one at Washington, the capitol Of the
Union. alongside that of Washington. which
has not been built at Mount Vernon. We
care not where or how many monuments
may be erected in honor of the "MeckIcn-
burg Signers." Their deeds cntitle them
10 all such mpmentoS. We should not be
''chagrincd' if Robert AIliSon'' himself, in
his great zeal on the subject, should erect
one in ''Kamschatka;" and we should be
particularly gratiicd to sec one erected at
the appropriate place of Raleigh, the
capitol of the State. Who has ever been
''cha-rincd' at seeing a monument of
George Washington At the capitol of Eir-
ginia, although he lived not there and his
great deeds We're performed elsewhere!
According to Robert AllisOn's" arguments.
Washington's monuments should be on his
battle fields, where he performed his great
deeds, and not at the capitol of his State
or at the capitol of the L. States. What
u matter of ''chagrin," it would be, for the
thousands of strangers from all parts of our
State and from every State of the Union,
who annuall~visit Raleigh, TO view there
monument in honor of the ''Mecklenburg
Signcrs!." Awfully ''chagrining :" Yet,
Robert Allison says: Il appeal to you,
native Mccklenburgians,'' in this ertreme,
"momentous eNigency, and to those who
have worshipped at the shrine of civil
Liberty throughout our beloved Union,
''ano call upon you to most firmly and
"SoIcmntY protest against any such deSecra-
"tion as the proposition of writer in the
Raleigh Standard"!!
Wonderful appeal! What all extreme.
momentous exigency!" And what a desc
Grafton would it be, to erect a monument
at Raleigh in honor of the Mecklenburr
Signers!! Who does not feel s'ohagrinod'