The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-11-28
FAYETTEVuLES CELEBRATION.
The Parades and the Speech Making Were
Good Despite the Weather.

The adoption of the Federal Con-
stitution by North Carolina was a
great event, but we regretted while
the cold winter rain poured down in
Fayetteville Thursday morning that
our fathers did not select a month of
less frisky and capricious weather.
The weather greatly marred the
pleasures of the celebration, for
which SO much preparation had been
made. The Fayetteville Convention
perhaps did not, among other great
possibilities, in it's action consider
the possibility of bad weather this
week.
The celebration was deprived of
some of it's promising features, but
there was a crowd-a large enough
one to tax even Fayetteville gener-
Gus hospitality. There was North
Cardinals most distinguished men
Vance and Ransom, her Governor,
numerous members and eX-members
of Congress, members and ex-mem-
bers of the Legislature, judges of Su
perior Court, lawyers of well known
ability, representatives of the press,
citizen soldiery, sturdy yeomanry,
bright school children, dudes, hand
some and well dressed women, and
scattered in the midst of this surging
throng were pickpockets and thugs,
who were putting in their bad work.
There was not present distinguish
ed citizen from out the State. ltwas
strictly a North Carolina festival,
well differed by Chief Marshal Julian
S. Carr and his corps of representa-
tive assistants.
SENATOR RANsoM's SPEECH.
Senator Ransom, the orator of the
celebration, delivered his speech of
fully two hours in length to an audi
ence of three or four hundred people,
on a grand stand, on Thursday eve
ming. The multitude of North Caro-
linians present did not hear him
speak. because they would not or
could not pay so cents apiece, the
price to get on the grand stand. The
man whom Governor Fowle, in his in
PRODUCTION, said North Carolina es-
peciauy delighted to honor as the
greatest orator among us, the people
certainly ought to have heard. Fifty
cents to the grand stand was mis-
take. We put here a brief report of
the speech, as reported by the News
and Observer:
On this day and on this spot one
hundred years ago North Carolina
assumed her position in the Union.
The ever living inspiration of this
Union was the love of liberty. In
SIX thousand years of history no
government has ever been formed
with such elaboration.
Look at it. 1t was the work OF
patriots, statesmen, soldiers, philos-
Ophers, whose names have been pla-
ced in the highest inches of the tenn
pie of fame. And now, after a storm
which shook the Union to it's founda-
tions, this great people is assembled
here to demonstrate North Carroll
mas good faith in this Union.
l wish l could show you to-day
Washington the father of his coun-
try; wish could show you Others
who formed the great assembly OF
men who framed and perpetuated
this union
But my countrymen, magnificent
as was their work it was not perfect.
This brings us to the action of North
Carolina in respect to that constitu-
ton. North Carolina has been critici-
zed for her action at the convention
at Hillsboro. At the end of nine days
the convention decided not to ratify
and not to reject the Constitution
but to take further time for consider
alton.
Mr.. Bancroft says that North Car
DINA was influenced by three consid
erations in her declamationto accept
the Constitution at that time. The
first was that she was delinquent to
the confederation, the second that
she was deferred by geographical
considerations, and third, that she
was staggering under burden of pa
per money. think can show thai
the historian is wrong. Mr.. Bancroft
says not one word about Maryland
New Jersey Delaware and the Other
States. Had not the confederation
failed to protect the frontiers O
North Carolina and was not NORTH
Carolina forced to raise troops anC
send them to her western territory tt
protect her borders. He says thai
North Carolina was wanting in geo
graphical unity. A year before thu
Convention at HillsbOro the. Legisla
ture had rendered her western terri
tory to the Union; and North Carroll
ma passed an act recommending tina
the paper money be redeemed. Al
the States, with one, Or two excep
lions, had paper money. What il
the truth about the matter? Nortl
Carolina declined to ,ratify the con
stitution because she loved libert,
and hated power. When she declinel
to ratify she submitted declaration
of rights. Were they right? Clever
States had ratified the constitution
North Carolina was left alone unsup
ported and unsustained. She stOoC
not with defiance but with resolution
saying she would not accept the Con
stitution as it was. What did Nortl
Carolina secure by that refusal? Re
ligious liberty, freedom of speech
trial by jury and every principle O
the rights of the people. ~
North Carolina only demanded tn
rights of the people. and the .equalit.
of the States. Within two years al
ter she had declined to ratify, she wa
a State in the Union. By her patriot
ism North Carolina secured the safe
ty perpetuity of the Union at Phila
delphia. The large States said tina
they should have the predominatiol
in the government.
The fearful question ofslavery cam
into the convention. A storm aros
IN that body. North Carolina agail
stepped IN and saved the Constitu
ton and the Union. A second tim
North Carolina settled the SLAYER
trouble. .34
AT the exDiration IF one hundre