The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-21
HILL RECITES HISTORY.
ELOQUENT GRAFTON ~ cHARLOTTE
A. the Celebration OF the It.th tnnivcrszry
of the meckienburg Declaration
of Independence.

CuAnrorrr. n. c., Nav 20. Senator Hi
and his party arrived here at 2 o'clock thu
morning. reception committee. headed d
Mayor Robert Brevard. escorted them iron
the Richmond and Danyille station 10 th'
Buford Hotel. After breakiasting Nayo
Brcvard and the members OF the executive
committee called at the hotel and escorted
the party 10 the Central Hotel. from the bal
cony of which they were 10 review tho pa
rsde. Governor Holt was sick and unable t
be present.
He depu.ed the pleasant task OF welcoming
the guests 10 Adiutant-Gonefal James -
Glenn. who received them IN the parlors o.
the Central Hotel and escorted them 10 Inc
balcony. Other members OF the Governor
staff and Of tho staff OF the Governor Oh
South Carolina were present IN full uniform
Senator Hills appearance on the balcony wa
greeted with prolonged cheering Hoh th'
crowd which lined the sidewalks.
Thy PROCESSION.
The procesion formed a. the junction OF
Tryon and Ninth streets. In the line wer,
tho Governors Guards and /ouaYes' Oh
Columbia. the Fayetteville Light infantry
the Guilford Grays. OF Greensboro the not
nets Nest Rihemen and Queen CITY buaTdS'
~ Charlotte aud the lrcdell Blues. Cabafius
T,ack Rows Cleveland Guards and Southern
Stars. of the Fourth regiment. and.hoidihg tAe
last place in the line, tho Nayal AItHeiy' ~
Charlotte The column moved al lU % cioch'
passing under the massive arch NJ the inter
section of IryOn and Trade streets IL passe
the reviewing balcony and tnen moved cow,
south TryOn street % large heiu' "A'cn lau
been selected for the military nhnH uNres.
When tho procession had passed the reviewing
stand Senator Hill and ms party were eS-
cortad 10 carriages and driven 20 the Dattle
field where they had an excellent view OF "
very spirited sham battle. from the Oatue-
field thew went 10 the Auditorium. wDeIe al
enormous crowd had gathered 70 hear the
Senators speech. The Rev. Edward Mack
onened the ceremonies with an invocation.
After the reading OF the Mecklenburg Declara-
ZION az independence. Senator Hill was nitro
duced.
SENATOR HILLS ADDRESS.
He said
To-day. this Goth day Of May in the one hun
dred and sixteenth year OF American lhleiehn +,
sDce We come 10 celeui ate me one HuhII'u anu
seventeenih year OF North 'arolhi"l iu"e
pendenco. We stand upon historic EIo4hI. a.
BIRTHDAY Of liberty. The birthplace OF ihet " j..
No1r historians narrntc tAat mere me hisl
Declaration of Independence was promulgated.
simple story. and Is lTieiy told.
Tho pafriOflc citizens of this county OF Neck
icnburg IN this grand Ola STARE Oh NVI ~ aio
lima restless under the yoke OF oppression I'M
p1tienr of the Injustice OF foreign rlue under
which they had long suffered. ana lmbdcO WIN
the splrlt OF Enforcement. assembled To-
gatber M the court house over thirteen months
before the memorable action Of me tonuhehlai
Congress. with the starting news oi io bdtll Oh
Lexington ringing IN their ears renewing lhe.r
devotion 20 tho inherent ang lhanrhaDc ith"
of man bravely and solcinnly rcsol ted, IN SUD-
stance that they were Tree ana lnhepthl-
emf people and that the political bands Mhich
bad bound them 10 the mother country were
dissolved.
In was a sublime and heroic action. 1t WAS
without an example IN the history OF the world
What a page IN the history OF these Jnltcd
One of Your later statesmen, and among your
greatest the Hon. William 4. Graham, whose
memory will be ever cherished ana whose name
will be ever honOred by the son, OF North Gro
lima has recorded for all time o. come IN hi,
centennial ami memorial address M Charlotte
III 1873, the thrilling story OF That Immortal
Not only was North Carolina the first colony
In which lndepcndencc Was declared. Dut - is
confidently claimed-and history seems 10 con-
firm the statement that here IN your state the
first blood was spilled III the United states IN
resistance TO the eNacuOns OF Englsh rulers, al
an engagement between he royal forces ana the
North Carolina militia. known as Regulators,
go early as the 10th OF May lil. at the battle OF
Alamance.
Ii Is not denied that these facts have been
questioned. ! am well aware that the settled
yerdicts of historv are appealed from IN all
directions. Historical criticism is making
formidable reprisals where the faith OF many
generations had never Wsycred. \ gentleman
in the West questions If the author of the
Shakespeare plays and sOnncts spelled MS name
with tine correct assortment 81 letters OF the
alphabet. Nobody now thinks worse OF BOilug-
broke for his atfainoer ihan of Andrew John
son for his lni etchment. People i've and pay
taXos who think John Adams was quite right
when he coupled Hamilton and BGrr as dan
gers 10 the republic and us freedom
The Swiss are told that no such person ever
lived among their mountains as William lell.
And now the historians are not content with
savinc that Christopher COlumhu. sought q
westward passage TO the Island of japan and
the Asiatic mainland; was interrupted 10y the
take an affidavit that one could march on foot
from Cuba across Asia TO Spain. but never land
ed upon North America nor suspected the eN-
istence of the Pacific ocean.
These terrible historic critics 60 further still
and Will read You what the last OF them, Mr.
Justin Wneor. librarian Of Harvard University,
says in this very quadrl centennial year which
we are about 10 celebrate by the Chicago Fair
upon the death OF Christopher Columbus.
I'VE have seen ptiable man meet "a pitable
death. Hardly name ~ the profaue history is
more august than his. Hardly another charnc-
ter in the world record has made so Little If rs
opportunities. His discovery was a biunier,
his blunder was new world. the new world is
his monument. It's dlscoyerer mlght havo been
its father; lac proved 10 re ITS despoler lie
might have given IT'S young DAYS such e
nightly as the world likes To associate with
maker; ho left II legacy Of devastation and
crime. lie might have been an unseihsh pro-
moter Of geographical science; he proved
rabid seeker for gold srd yico-royalty. lie
might have won converts 10 the fold of Christ
by the Kindness OF ms spirit. he gained the
excavations of the good angels. tie might, like
Las Casas. have rebuAcd The fienlishness of his
contemporaries: he set them an example of
perverted belief. The triumph of barcelona
led down TO the ign0mlny OF Nalladolld. with
every step III the degradation palpablc and re-
sutant"
Does anything survive in all this wreck of
famous regulations.
Yes. There Is tomb at Mount Vernon where
one of the mighty dead lies IN peace with
honor.
The historians have now done their best and
their worst hank Got, We know AT last that
the father Of his country has left 10 tho chill
dren and the children children Of this great
nation through all generations tho priceless
legacy Of Il pure, unsullled name. George
Washington, John Adams and his son. Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison 10 name no more
all those, among the great founders OF mighty
state; all .hcsc, thc first leaders of our sull
cOntendlng political parties, retain their title
10 our reverence a. 10 our pride, 20 our esteem
a. 10 our admiration. The whole record OF
their long. labOrOus lives has been exposed,
upturned, published. and not one syllable OF
shame.
Ii Is the slandor Of enyiouS or ambitious rivals
which the record has eApOsed-tO their shame.
1t is the hidcOus rcVlllngs. the coaseless caium-
MES OF some partisan ncwspa! ers, on both sues,
which have been shriNelcd mp AMI burnt away
III the glare Of modern nyestlgauon
IL Is the credullty OF opposing paiilsanS' sec
90 l. torn