The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-30

another October IL. l.ao. Nlnout
further facts, aud excepting the dffI
from one or two docket entries IN cur
last, the legitimate presumption 4, that
the Meckienburgers preferred the caien-
dsr of julius Caesar. PoRt5feh NIrsHaaS,
to that 81 Gregory. substituted ~ stat
ute, - Geo. H., l75l. No one who un
der tan3s the history of ALEAANDEh
CRAIGHEAD from l743 10 l1t6, and
that he was virtually Alag n NeckIca-
burq ioT The last II year, Of biz lie, can
doubt whose time be kept. If the choice
wa, limited T. the two We are graudei
to learn that 10 " hceler h,HihiSctRcf.
due credit i gwen 10 taat eminent az
vine aud ripe scholar. the Rev. A. "
Miller. y. ID for demanding and secur-
inc for the memorv OF this independent
pioneer a proper p.ace 10 American LIS
tory.
His boil Declaration at Middle Octora
was but eight years before the Act pro
vidinc for the Abandonment Of the time
table of Caesar and S~osigines. To the
old hero and patriot, 1t seemed but a short
time for the love he bore the land which
has almost forgotten his name. Every
Gazette aud every established church,
presumably. adopte the change in l.52:
but he founi neither mere in 100: and
there "a, ueithcr lit the time Of his
death. 176G, nor when his sentiments
were voiced by his surviving comrades IN
MAY, I175. Though dead he was stu.
first in the hearts Of his countrj men on
that memorable day, and no other iutiu
ence was - potent N the occasion winch
witnessed the final f"rlition of his hopes.
He planted the tree, poeterIty gathete
the fruit. Without a previous knowi-
edge of the previous training and true
statu. of the 1900 taxable persons
who were represented in the Mecklen
burg Committee, the effor: might well
be considered desperate TO show that
they SO persisiently chung 10 the Old
Style. They had sought a remote part
of the world to be as free as civilized men
could expect to be. from outside interior
ence -especialiy IN matters OF conscience.
in which forum there seems from the
earliest dawn Of Christianity 10 have
been always a difference OF opinion as to
whether d0ys and seasons are MINOR mat
tiers of law. To day We feel great cons
placency in looking around us, and seeing
a people of almost every phase OF chris
tian faith with a comfortable house OF
worship and a legal instructor apt to
teach" to say nothing OF the legal, and
medical profession, the bankers mer-
chants, experts IN every trade and avoe
cation, and last, but not least, our excel
lent schools vet, in the face OF all this,
we blush to own that the PROPORTION
of persons well informed as TO the civil
and religious status of their country, and
possessing a fair education, IN Mecklen-
burg in 1884, is not equal to the exhibit
for l715. We are not behind our age
but general prosperity and growth OF the
country, and the upheavals of the late
disastrous war, from which the people IN
the aggregate have recovered as rapidly
as could have been expected, must not
be left out of the account.
Our excellent newspapers. since the
establishment of the Cdtai0Jd Journal
here about 1920, by Mr. Samuel Bing-
ham, who still survives In a happy old
age In StateSville, nave ever been in the
front ranks as true educators of the peO-
pie but the ancient MecklenburgcrS.
from the college at Queens Museum III
Charlotte, were as well informed, and nc
less vigilant. liz was before the DAYS OF
kilograms and steam-engiGes. but then
stecds were as strong and as fleet as ours,
and from time TO time, well considered
manuscript went out on the wings of the
morning TO prepare every freeman TOR the
coming storm. Such were their loca
gazette.. In full sympathy with the
b!oodless defeat Of Gov. Tryon A. to the
enforcement Of the Stamp Act in l764;
SO openly in favor of the Regulators IL
I'LL, that an oath Of allegiance was re-
Quired of every man able to shoulder {
musket as soon the parties SO arttul y out
witted and cajoled by the olive branch
Of Gov. Tryon, and his elegant household
could reach the county, they had already
determined among themselves that "tht
cause of Boston is the cause of all" The
removal of the dead body of that enforced
oath-the usual and absurd ~artifce o
tyranny 10 p%rolong its life beyond the
time appointed by the King of kings
alone stood between them and a de.
claration of independence as absolute a;
IT was IN the power OF one county to maxi
1t. All the resolves. then and there unanl
mously adapted, they knew amounted t
nothing, unless they succeeded in the
performance OF the duty SO solemnly as
sunled Ito spread the love Of country
and fire of freedom throughout America
The frs step IN this direction wa
Brevard's Digest. Hear what Mr.. Ban
croft has TO say as to the construction
put upon its language by the actors them
selves The Resolves were made bind
ing ca all, and were to be enforced till The
Provincial Congress should provide other
wise, or, what they knew would never
take place, till the British Pariiamenr
should resign its arbitrary pretentlous
with respect to America" VII. 372
Why then were such an enlightened PEG
pie so far in advance of other, IN see
ing the end from the beginning, behind
them in the change of their calendar
They held to the O.. s., doubtless, as al
once a legacy from Craighead anC
a badge of liberty. But the fact is they
were very little more tenacious than were
the Protestant States of Germany, who
only made the exchange In l774 while
the civil and religious head, the king
and pontif-of all the Russias, bear:
C;esar's name, and keeps Caesars time.
to the present day. X. ID. u.
Mr.. Raymond Wilson has removed