The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1892-02-21

Ills naa5e-W wide acquaintance,
especially among the Revolutionary
veterans, and his love of literature and
historical research, rendered him the
most suitable man for this duty. His
letter to Gen. Joseph Graham, of Lin
coin, July Goth, 1921, :breathes forth
his patriotic spirit:
"1our letter to Col. Connor first
suggested to me the plan Of work
which l will execute if live. It is
work on the history. soil, climate,
legislation, civil Institutions, liteca-
ture. etc, of this State. Soon after
reading your letter l turned my atten,
tention to the subject in few hours
which | could snatch from business.
and was surprised to find what abund-
ant material could, with care and dill
lgence, be collected materials which,
If we'll disposed, would furnish mat
ter for one of the most interesting
works that has been published in this
country. We want such work. We
neither know ourselves nor are we
known to others. Such a work. well
executed, would add very much to
our standing in the Union, and make
our State respectable in our own
eyes. Amidst the cares of anxiety
which surround me, Icannot cherish,
hope, that could do more than
merely guide the labors of some man.
who would take up the work after
me and prosecute it to perfection. l
love North Carolina, and love her the
more because so much injustice has
been done to her. We want pride.
We want independence. We want
magnanimity. Knowing nothing of
ourselves, we have nothing in our
history to which we can turn with
conscious pride. We know nothing
of our State, and care nothing about
it. We want some great stimulus to
put us all in motion, and induce us to
waive little jealousies, and combine in
one general march to one great
purpose"
Judge Murphey's enthusiasm was
contagious. The General Assem-
bly, granted him authority to raise
by lottery (then considered moral
the sum of $4,000 for the .execu,
tion of his contemplated work, but
the lottery was unsuccessful. Albert
Gallatin, then minister at the cour,
of St. James, had the Office of the
Board of Trade and Plantations
and the State Paper Office in Lon
don, searched for colonial docu
ments bearing on our history
Thomas Jefferson and James Madi
son recognized the value of tht
work being done, by furnishin!
useful information; the papers 9
such men as Governors Burke, ane
} Samuel Johnston and Mr.. Hooper
we're placed at Judge Murphey's
disposal and Revolutionary vete
rams, Col. w. Polk, Gen. Lenoir
I Maj. Donoho, Gen. Graham, ane
!, others then living, added their con
tributions ofpersonal "reminiscences
The Judge never lived to complet,
, his work, but the materials he col
, lected are invaluable. The thor
oughness of Gov. SWANS ''War o
the Regulation" is largely due te
the carefully collected memoranda
of Judge Murphey.
Before closing this sketch, tn
important work of Judge Murphey
F. in obtaining a handsome endow
g ment for the University from es
: cheated lands in Tennessee, mus
be mentioned. The authority 70
the following information is. Dr.
!. Kemp P. Battle, of the Chair {
r History in the University: 9Th
= General Assembly had given to th
t University the State claim to wal
5 rants for lands located in west Tel
: nessee, granted to Revolutionar
d soldiers. who lett no heirs. Th
a title of the Chickasaw Indians ha
t not been extinguished, and th
# State of Tennessee refused to adm
+ any title in North Carolina. tt