Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-10-09

in one hand sword with which he struck
down all opposers, and in the other a
! fambeau, with which he set fire to the
capitol, was never so intolerant as were
those monsters of iniquity who endeavored
to be considered par excellence, the propa-
gators of virtue and religion, and the civil
and political polity OF all time. The in
tolerance exercised towards the Quakers
was religiously extended to the Anabap-
lists.
The first rank among those colonies, and
in all this demoniacal spiri! of sectarian-
ism, was awarded to Massachusetts. Her
people deemed liberty no liberty unless it
was the liberty of those whom she De-
culiarly styled the good. With this bold
idea she struck down freedom and raised
the black flag of prescription. She scoffed
at the creed of others. She never felt the
smart OF repentance. Her chief glory was
to tear down church, to throw Goals of
fire on the heads of the innocent, to de-
fame the fairest name, to decry and debase
the noblest achievement that did not bear
her own sectarian stamp. She never
blushed at a wrong, or at insulted virtue.
When others were in peril she hid her
head, and when peace was manthng the
horizon to bless and brighten the land, she
put it forth and darkened the happy scene.
Her narrow soul, so full of the bitterness
of fanaticism and falsehood, sees nothing
noble, nothing brave, nothing liberal,
nothing magnanimous, nothing worthy the
esteem of mankind, outside her own cor
rupted and corrupting circle. She
"Can pray upon occasion, talk of heaven.
Turn mp her goggling eye-balls, rail- at vice,
Dissemble, lie, and preach"
steal libraries, instruments of music and
ture. can't ruffian slang, barter goodness
for gain, show the fairest face with the
falsest heart, and demurely look while from
under her cloak she will draw knife, and
politely cut your throat for ten cents !
Behold the honor, and the honesty, and
the policy of Massachusetts,. I speak not
individually. I speak not collectively
But do say that that is the spirit of Puri-
tanism which prevailed in that State, and
which endeaYors to become prevalent
throughout the whole country, and in no
section of it so much as in the South. You
have only to look around to see the proof
of this assertion. From her you can learn
the status of all the New England States
which are still devoted to their Radical
idol.
Having cursed the land and liberty they
find in the end retroaction on themselves.
They Danish each other. The stronger
overc0mes the weaker. Free voting is
those who are denied every civil right.
The people do not rule in the public
affairs, but set of twanging preachers, and
hOrrld screaming women. In these abso-
lutte power was vested, and following this
were those passions and prejudices charac-
teristic OF those two classes. Many knew
they had high duties to perform, and
neglected them, and, in neglecting them,
they neglected their rights. Not capable,
therefore, of resisting those preaching
men, and strong minded spinsters, they
seek an asylum. Where? In the Southern
colonies. They are received with open
arms. What is their return The basest
ingratitude. How could they forget to re-
pay kindness with a specie similar to what
they were accustomed to get at home I?
Did they follow different line of conduct
they would fling from them the garb of
Caesar and then stabbed him. They dipped
in the same dish, and then betrayed their
Saviour. They fomented rebellion in Ma
ryland. They succeeded for a while, and
sent many of the missionaries, and of the
faithful servants of Lord Baltimore bound
in chains across the ocean. Here was graft
tude Yankee gratitude !
These miscreants were put down. But
they arose again, and deprived the old
citizens of Maryland of every civil right.
Even Cromwell, as bad as he was, disa-
vowed their bloody acts, and reinstated the
people and their liberal government. Lo !
these people stoop to the law, and beg for
that very act of liberty which they had re-
pealed.
Fellow-citiZens, it is hardly necessary to
refer to these facts of history to show you
the parallel between those times and the
present. The line is too palpable to be
mistaken. But let us continue.
When the aggressive war was waged
against Great Britain for separate ma
no people stepped with prouder,
more determined mien to join in the brunt
None struck stronger blow than did the
sons of North Carolina. None preceded
them i'll the attack, for at Alamance they
shed the first blood for liberty. Remem-
Der Kings Mountain, down whose rugged
slopes rolled the blood of your ancestors,
and for that very act of liberty for which
you contend so nobly, SO persistently, and,
hope, VIGOROUSLY Remember Cowpens?
Will you be recreant to the past Do you
forget the days of yore Will you neglect
your duty now Is your State pride dead?
The war terminated successfully. Peace
was proclaimed. Subsequently Bill OF
Rights was established. Its fundamental
law was this, that every individual, that
each society, that each State, in every pri-
vate and public concern, is the sovereign
Judge of its own affairs. This was
the leveling blow at New England
Absolutism. She could no longer
raise by the law her paltry hand
and command the individual to crop his
hair, to keep his kisses at home on Sun
day, to chew no more tobacco, to fog peo-
pie into a stiff and informal worship, to
burn Old women as witches, and to hang
up tom-cat for catching rat on the Lord s
day. All this tomfooiery was done away
with. This bill of rights has been ever
admitted as the supreme law of the land.
It has always been the bright beacon on
every hilltop to which our people have
turned with as much devotion as did the
-worshipers of the East turn to the
rising Sun. Radicalism is destroying, it
has already destroyed, this bill of rights,
for it cares nc more for the common veal