Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-06-02
NORTH R0LlSA JUDG e
MANLY.

At the supper given to the Press
Association Of the State, at its recent
meeting in Newbern. the first toast
being North Observation-Disclosures
blessings attend her." the venerable
Judge MANLY responded as follows:
Here am. lingering on the stage,
but with vitality enough left to join in
chorus of benedictions upon our
| beloved State.
| It is needless for me in the presence
of our esteemed guests, whose special
duty 1T is to know all about North Car
| DINA. to speak of her in detail. Its
climate, soil, productions; it's beautiful
rivers, valleys and landscapes, its rug
ged but sublime mountain s0litudes.
| its people of unsurpassed worth and
excellence, are all known; and all pro-
| claim aloud that the State is not only
| worth praying for in the language of
| the toast, but it is worth councillng
for, laboring for, and dying TO, if
need be. There is nothingin her con-
| dition physical or moral, nothing IN
| her past history. Grom the time that
Sir Walter Raleigh landed on Roanoke
| Island to this year of our Lore, } moth
ing in her capacity for future develop
ment, of which we have not reason to
be proud. No North Carolinian ought
to droop his head in any presence, but,
| (ostentation aside), to hold it level
| with the highest in the land. When [
speak of the State and its people. it is
not OF hearsay, but from observation
and experience; speak that which I
do know and as to which am willing
to make my affidavit as a matter of
belief.
Yes, memory now passes before me
as IN a panorama, our vast domain
| from the waters of Currituck to the
| Hiawasse of Cherokee, with the noble
| race of people who occupy it, and my
heart wells up with admiration and de-
| light at the picture. I look back upon
its past history and no blush is called
| to my cheek. 1 turn to the future and
think descry in the distance happy
and honorable destiny.
The bane which has prevented much
good in conauc ing the affairs of
| North Carolina, is want of union and
| cooperation between the different
parts of the State. This is the result
of observation, extended through
period of half century. 1t is some
what trite and commonplace to say that
in ali things community of action, con-
| cert of movement is necessary to both
comfort and efficiency, but common
place and obviously necessary as it is,
we have not yet had the wisdom to
secure it. This annual assemblage of
gentlemen having the control of the
public press, and eng ged incidentally
in moulding public opinion, is an i'm
portant step towards the correction of
this mischievous state of affairs
| Should your councils bring about a
union among yourselves the unity of
the people will follow. We want a
State policy. 1t alone can give dignity
to the commonwealth and prosperity
to her people. ga pull, a strong pull,
and pull altogether" must be made
in order to land Us il port of safety
and in a position of honorable distinc-
| ton.
Excuse me, Mr.. President. but one
other matter before l sit down, L do
not like to hear the State called old,
as it sometimes is, and for two rea-
sons: First, because she is not old
at any rate not older than some
of her sisters; and secondly, be-
cause l have sort of interior consci-
BUSINESS that it means something that
is worn out and good for nothing. [
|
parties of very close intimacy as term
of endearment, but this is not the
sense which it,used for the most part,
when applied to us as State. [ OBJ
| ject to it. We have as much youthful
vigor in our muscles, as much hope
| fullness in our hearts, in short as
much outcome" in our frame and
constitution as the youngest among our
sisters. Besides, the grammar teach
es us that State is feminine, on ac-
count of her bounty, beauty and
J grace, and it is, to say the least of it,
not polite to call any feminine old.
There was a time when I thought
there were some old men, but that
time has past, and there is nobody old,
but the devil. But no matter what
outside barbarians, and would be wit
| lings, call her, We acknowledge her
| Sountiful protection, and vote to cher
ish and defend her. for better, for
worse, for richer, for poorer, in sick
ness or in health, until death do us
! part. We say then now, from the
| bottom of our hearts Heavens bless
| ings attend her."