The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-09

places or in the prints, h kept a
strong hold on the leadership q
the party and public affairs
through the more active partlci-
pants of contemporaneous history.
We recall one incident showing
how thoughtful men sought and
implicitly followed Col SAUNDERS
advice. Some years age, one OF
| the best editors of the state was
called upon to take a position upon
knotty public question. He was
greatly pcTplexed aud had great
doubts as to tue wisest course
to pursue. "That position do YOU
propose to take?' asked a fIlend 8.
II don't know" he frankly repll-
ed, "until | can see Bill Saunders,
and then l Will tell YOU
He took the next train for Raj
eigh, consulted Col SAUNDERS,
went home, and wrote strong
leader upon the lined marked out.
When his position was assalled
land his friends did criticize 1T
he replied with as much confidence
as If quoting Scripture: "Blll Saun-
ders says that my position Is wise
and proper, and he has got more
sense than any man in North Gar
dina" And with nine thoughtful
men out of ten who knew Col Saun-
ders or who knew bis reputation,
this answer was the strongest
defense Of his position that he
could have made. 1t IS rare indeed
that man, who for ten years had
not written for the press and who
did not speak to the people on the
hustings, to retain so great. an in
fuence. Only man Of extraoIdi-
nary wisdom could retain it.
If called upon to state the
most valuable of any single con-
tributlon made by Col. Saunders to
the history of the State, we would,
without hesitation, say that it was
his able and, to our mind, unanswel-
able defense of the Regulators.
What Judge Schenck has done for
the lame of the brave men who
fought in the battle of GulIford
Court House, Col. Saunders did for
Herman Husbands and his patri
otic band of Regulators. The writer's
Of y orth Carolina history had be-
Titled them and made it appear
That they were nothing more than
band Of marauders. Until Col
Saunders undertook to give a cares
full Investigation Of the var of the
Regulators, no effort that gained at
tention had been made to free their
names from calumny, and give their
uprising its true signifcane. Col.
Saunders showed that their protest
against British usurpatiOn and tx
tortlon was the beginning of the
revolutionary war, and that the
sturdy young men who were engag-
ed IN 1T were as patriotic as those
who afterwards followed the lea
dership Of Washington. For this
service, he is entitled to lasting
gratltude.-State Chronicle
X Y
In all bis years from the fresh
green day of youth to decrepit and
suffering age, did this true North
Carollnian never bear himself in any
way other than as patriot, good clti
zen and loyal man-loyal to his con.
science, to his convictions of right
20 bis own conscious nobility OF
soul,
4 man OF admirable parts has
gone out from among the children
of men. Many a liberty loving, de
voted son Of North Carolina vii
sorrow when he hears that William
l., Saunders is no more. He i.
"or' by of civic honors, ofmemorial
shaft, Of manly tears. q friend OF
the people is gone, forever gone
North Carolina stands with uncoy-
cred head weeping that one Of hel
nobieSt children has ceased his
labors and has passed to the mar
row house appointed for the dead
0, thou mighty and "eloquent
Death" how memorable are thy de,
crees. All have to bow IN submis
sion before thy touch. But in The
land Of silence are no storms anl
no sufferiags and beyond are lesr
and eternal life and the City WITH
foundations. Shakespeare speak
OF ''etelnal sIeep," but God blessed
Book tells of eternal tU'e.-Wll mes
senger.