Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-05-28
00jUltilmington Jolltoal
FRIDAY. MAY 28, 1875,

WILMINGTON, n. G

effects of the very successful celebra-
ton of the Mecklenburg Centennial.
1t not only brings together the people
of the two sections into kindly and i
fraternal association, but it is direct
ing attention to the early history of |
North Carolina, too little known, even
by intelligent men within her own
borders.
There are many thousands OF read |
ing people who regard Themselves rs
well versed in American history, and |
many OF them live in = orth Caroline, |
who are totally ignorant Of the most
important events of the war OF the |
Revolution which TRANSFERRED within |
this State. How many school
children are familiar with the story Of
the s.Boston Tea Party" and can tell
how disguised persons threw tea
into the harbor. 1t has been handed
down in song and story. let how
many grown men never heard OF the
fact that long before, in open day,
without disguise, headed by leading
men, one of then an officer q the
Grown, a band Of patriots Of this i'm
mediate section. resisted the Stamp
Act and prohibited tta crew of tie
sloop-of-war DYigrn~C from landing
her cargo, and then marching 10 the
Governors palace IN this city obtained
from him a pledge not to enforce the
obnoxious law.
A year or two ago when bill was
pending to form q new county out OF
portion of New Henover TO be called
Ellington" subsequently, named
Pender, a gentleman asked IFS who
Ellington was for whom they desired
to name the new county. Net il we
Lad examined him is to the history OF
the Revolutionary War lie could have
stood a creditable examination. Re
would have known oil about Warren
and Ethan Allen, and Montgomery,
and every prominent man who figured
during the war from the North, but
Ellington and Harnett and Nash and
Howe would be unknown names, and
Moore's Creek tcrrn uacogltjt4.
And who is to blame ? Ia the
schools and colleges of our own StaSo
our own history is ignored. The very
books placed in the hands OF our
children contain little or no reference
to the achievements Of oar people
They are not impressed upon the
minds of the student. Our youths
grow up with the belief that they are
of such minor importance as hardly to
deserve serious notice, and are soon
forgotten.
The discussions in regard to the
authenticity of the Mck!enburng Dec
laration of the 2Gth OF May,177J which
have served only to establish more
clearly and fully their truth. have also
been useful in diverting public atten-
ton to the early history Of our Sta5a.
Among others, the New York Iiiuc>
pays Just tribute 10 North CaYotioa
history and character, III connection
with the recent celebration at CHAR
l OF 1t says:
It is such common custom to Dab
any favorite political division OF orr
county as ''Old," that We are SOME
times suspicious Of the authenticity OF
the title. Sometimes the lie west State,
or the youngest county OF iowa of a
State, is nicknamel "Oid puJuu4l -
or whatever it may be, by it's affection
ate inhabitants, as though tLcir home
was an ancient figure in national his
tory. But North Carolina las ample
right to call herself the Ola North
State. It was in the middle Of the
seventeenth century that Automatic
settled by Nirginians, New Englauders
and people from Bermuda, as well as
colonists from Englauti-shaped itself
into the community subs Guently known
as North Carolina. rs long ago as
1896, John Archdaie, q sagaclous
Quaker, was appointed Governor by
the British Grown, and as early as
I'LL, the North State showed that pc
culiar temper which later IN the dav
won for her the title of "hOrnat' s nest
from the representatives OF the impe-
rial Government. In that year it was
found necessary to send British troops
from Virginia to queli Thomas Carys
rebellion. And in 17Gg the Assembly
worried Gov. Tryon by declaring
against the right Of Erea: Britain to
tax the colony without representation
in Parliament. Later on, in I775,
the people Cf NIeckIenbrrg county
passed series of resolutions that were
declared by the royalist Governor, in
q dispatch to his euDeriors at home, to
'ssurpass all the horrid and treasolia-
BILE publications that the iutismmatory
spirits of the continent had yet pro
duced." It was this same Gov
ernor who subsequently, became 50
alarmed at the bUzzlng Of the North
Carolina ''hOrnets' nest, +" that he took
refuge on man-Of-war anchored In
Cape Fear Liver, from which secure
retreat he issued q warming prOclamu-
ton, which O convention OF patriots
denounced as scurrilous and scandals
Gus, and ordered to be burned Dy the
hangman. North Carolina provided
itself with State Constitution and q
full complement OF popularity elected
officials IN 1776; and when, not long
after, some of its own misguided citi-
zens joined tne rovalist cause and
were afterwards captured, the North
Carohn1anS actually hanged some OF
the most obnoxious of them.
Therefore, North Carolina has not
only right to wear the title of the
Old North State, but her citizens NAV
well be proud Of the glorious and in
spring memories which cluster
around the early history OF
their State. From these calm
and serene days, the scenes in
which the patriots OF those
old times moved seem stormy; their
conduct and their words were auda-
cious in the extreme. It is easy now
to initiate the language which gave to
the world the sentiments Of those
tough old protestants against the right
OF an imperial Government to tax and
harsss distant colony. But it re-
quired much resolution, and a keen
perception of the right Of man, to take
SO decisive step as that which led to
the early Declaration of Independence
IN North Carolina. The people OF that