The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-17
For the Farmer and Mechanic
Eerquhar0 Campbell.
CONCLUDED

Mr.. Chas. Haign SAID. TtiIu"dio
Campbell was the hest stunp-speaker
Of his dav." and Mr.. Jonathan Evans
,,Iie,i. ...Lc haudsomest man; and he
va. never beaten in an election.
N-it'i.r endorsed this statement ~hirh
.orneS to u now ike bitter physic from
aur mother state.
Mr. Neill Monroe an old man. highly
,-Is,tcd for probitv of character and OF
~mimleached aud unimpeaci:able homes
t.. a co,einportry "f F. C.. a citizen OF
II ,ifrrlaud county from his youth. de-
Jared in 1910 that this was a trumpet
~ c,iarye for a purpose that r. L.
al gmrreled with Col. FolsOme. that
h. Colonel was afraid of him and de-
,red 10 get him out of the way The
I'D mans eve flashed as he denounced
II as "a stab in the dark" Old men
then were ready TO fight, at the men
tiou of this act OF outrage and injustice,
ION. after the war and long after r. I.
lad passed from earth.
Dr. J. G.. smith. of Fayetteville. said
N 1910. IF any man should tell HIM
that r. {. was a tory, his answer would
be a blow"
| have heard his daughter, the widow
81 \ vi. ~ ttiA VI 1890
ish troops. on his farm. carrying of cat
tie and horses before her eyes while
Ter father escaped.
Mr.. Ferquhard c. Smith. OF Cumber-
lane. n man OF high character and intel
l~iyrnce. laid. such accus alton was
made early, hu' traced TO two men OF
very low character at the time, aud
worse after. believed by none OF respect
ability in the county. and the.e tive IN
-tigated by All old grudse.'
Il well remember the rank and cor
dial inquiries at Mrs. Polk. widow OF
Co. Polk. of Raleigh, when 4 boy, IN
| reference to r. c. saying she knew
Inn vel. having seen him often at her
h tire. where he frequently dined with
Col. Polk while he WAS Il member OF
tie senate" adding. they were close
| friends This is substantially the case
made out bv his grandson, who thus
writes If Mr.. Wheeler had dipped his
pen in venom he could scarcely have
irawn a character more desp.cable to
nv mind. in AZ few Words
1t is true Campbell was arr ested. and
although he LAUGHED at it at first. and
re ted il "a n farce. he soon found he
vas the victim of designing enemies.
rhe people ot his county understood ii.
continue thei, constant sympathy and
.upport. and Notwithstanding his
prompt discharge by the court II re-
turn to the public stations" he had SO
on. faithfully and honorably filled.
nd sc had almost said bequeathed to
MS defendants. The mere fact OF the
trrest of such a man. a man OF such
prominence. distinction and influence.
went abroad, Mr.. Jones caught the
..rumor." Mr.. Wheeler publishes a
suspicion Mr.. Moore goes far be-
vond and discerns ''~treason,' and tells
th.t he ''disappeared from the public
stations he occupied, and d~isgraced."
an glad this last bit of ''dignitied SLAM
der'' never reached his grandson r. NJ.
E..
Mr.. Campbell was a civilian, and no
one u~nacquainted with the state OF
things IN the Scotch settlements on the
Cape Fear. can appreciate the position
he .occupiei.l.We have referred to his
son in-law. John Smith. the ''bitter
wiie;.' Ia Col. McAlister. his brother
in-law. and we might mention Col.
Armstrong, a brother-in-law. all active
and Jealous in the American cause, and
true a. steel to their convictions and
sense of duty.
On the other hand he had many
friends and relations on the other side.
Quite the equals of those mentioned,
socially. intellectually and morally.
among them. two s~ons-in-law, officers
in the British army, - Cunningham
and Malcolm Mckay, brother of Alex
Mckay. already mentioned. and uncle
Of the writer. We do not object to
truthful history. when it represents
many of our Scotch people as Loyalists,
being rather proud of the fact than 9TH
erwise. Many of their defendants o.
believe they were right, morally, re-
~ligiously and politically. and feel sure
of the sympathy and coincident belief Of
many of the best and wisest men in the
South and Southwest.
A defendant of F. c. himself said he
would not cry if in 1861 he could have
placed IA bomb shell under Boston and
blown Plymoth Rock into the sea" A
sound whipping has not sweetened Oul
temper. and subsequent prescription,
oppression. and robbery, have not in
tensitied our love for the best govern
tnent the world ever saw witness the
almost universal ignoring of our former
national holiday by the South.
The question at issue Is, was our old
chief capable of the duplicity. treachery
aud treason, as represented, and did he,
II consequence of the same disappear
rom the public stations he had occu-
pied and disgraced."
His prompt acquittal by the court at
| the time, the swift and terrible retribu-
ZION meted out to his accuser. degraded
rom office. and dismissed from the SER
vice, as the journals of l776 show the
"~nchanginy and hearty support of his
constituency all Through the rar and
rffer its close; the documentary history
of the State the concurrent testimony
Of many of the best men of his county,
Living and dead his uniform character.
rom the time that he first set his foot
II American soil. to the day of his
leatll. as IA man of generous impulses
md EobIe aspirations; mixing and
mingling only with the very best class
in all the relations of life ought to put
his matter at rest at once and ftorerer.
Last not least. The time nercr ssas
When tie old Bluff Church would have
honOred and cherished in her bosom
such Il person As r Z. Is represented to
ave beer. High time this scandal
should be stopped. and this lip,i upon
the name and memory of a great and
good man, his constituency aud church
:rpunged from the history OF the State
\ ge',tlemaa OF hugh character. i'm a
conversation on this subject o long
since, said to the writer. why. did not
MS Of. C.'s) family all move off to
Ctnada:' Another century. VITA like
pr 'yress. and the historian will have the
st one of us hung for treason or bun
shed to the British Provinces. More
nth than poetry i'll the u~lt-reptated