The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-07-12

OF many or CnOSo now nave C1o uOQ
or to address. The men who penned
! they knew. In pledging their lives
| and fortunes to resisting British op-
preston, they sounded the key note of
the National Declaration Of 1nde-
pendence which, 11S years ago this
day, was proclaimed by the Continen-
tai Congress at Philadelphia. To
North Carolina, then, belongs the i'm
perishabie honor of having taken the
first step towards securing to Ameri-
can Colonies, Independence of the
British Crown.
What shall be the future Of this
great Commonwealth The glorious
achiePements of her sons in the past
are part OF our common history. In
her devotion to liberty, her struggles
and sacrifices for independence, North
Carolina stood in the fore front Of the
Colonies. The heroism Of her sons at
Eutaw, at Guilford, at COwpens and
Kings Mountain turned the tide Of
war from the southern border, and
made possible the early termination
of hostilities by the surrender Of
CORVALLIS at Yorktown. Nor has she
been less renowned for firm attach
ment to the principles of religious toll
eration-for her efforts in behalf of a
higher and grander civilization.
But what of the future? What will
be the verdict of history as to the
achievements Of the present genera
tfon? In all that makes State truly
great, is North Carolina to lag behind,
or to keep even pace with her sister
COmmOnWealthS in the century upon
which we are soon to,enter:
With an area of more than fifty
thousand square miles, stretching
from the seaboard, five hundred miles
to the Western border; with breadth
OF two hundred miles from North to
South; with soil happily adapted to
the supply of all material wants; with
climate unsurpassed upon the conti-
Dent; traverjed from Narth To South,
from pine forest to mountain fastnesS,
by railrOadS-her mountains overflow
ing with every variety OF mineral
wealth-in word, SO abundantly
blessed with natures choicest gifts
North Carolina, l am persuaded, Mr..
President, is just entering upon d
career Of maJerialsprosperity.
But this is not all. Let this COM
higher standpoint. In the struggle
for material wealth, have the claims
of education, of charity and of religion
been forgotten? To her honor be it
said that in her hour of misfortune
and peril, as well as of gladness and
of peace, the humane spirit of her
people has found expression in estab-
fishing and sacredly guarding the in
stitut.ons which minister to human
necessities and misfOrtunes. Your
schools, your churches, your asylums,
attest more eloquently than can any
poor words Of mine, the generosity,
nay, the lofty spirit of humanity
which animateS all your people.
This is indeed, Mr. President, the
lifting hour and place for this great
assem- blage. Today-the 4th Of July
there are no State lines or sections,
but whether our abiding place be on
the banks of the ST. John or Of the
Columbia whether upon the Eastern
seaboard, or near the great Father OF
Waters-we are all Americans. Thank
God, we are all citizens of common
country-with one flag. a common
history, and common destiny.
Standing upon this historic spot,
Consecrated by the blood Of heroes, we
lift up our hearts in gratitude to God
that He has been pleased to vouch-
safe to our fathers and to us, such
country. Under this flag, we have in
the largest degree, liberty-not the
license Of the anarchist-but liberty
the heroes of Kings Mountain
and of Guilford can never forget
that this flag is the symbol of
constitutional liberty-the eternal
symbol of IAN indivisible unio of in
destructible States"
You should never forget that all of
your hopes and aspirations are bound
up in the constitution Of our fathers.
Guard this constitution as the very
ark of the covenant. At whatever
cost, the federal union-this grand
union Of people and of States be-
queathed us by our fathers, must be
the heritage of the future generations
Of our countrymen. Let him be ac-
counted the common enemy who,
whatever the pretext, would weaken
the cords that bind together all States
and sections of our common country
in fraternal union.
/ congratulate you, fellow citizens,
upon this auSpiciOus celebration OF
the 4th day of July, upon the glories
of the past, and upon what yet re-
We have now entered upon the second
grant that we may not prove unworthy
of those who have gone before; that we
may not prove unmindful of the sub
lime lessons of the past. Then may we
rest assured that the bright sun,
which ushers In each succeeding ami
versary of the Declaration of 1nde-
pendence, will look down upon peO-
pie who celebrate this day with
hearts grateful to God, that those
who guarded and strengthened, were
counted worthy to be named with
those who founded this government.
Brief but interesting addresses were
made by Judge Simonton, of South
Carolina; Sam Wittkowsky, of Char
| lotte; Chief Justice Shepherd, OF Raj
eigh; DR.. Kemp p Battle, of Chapel
Hill; Kope Elias, of Marion county;
| Hon. Richard Battle, of Raleigh;
Judge r. P. Dick, of Greensboro. Mr..
| Wittkowsky's talk was one of the 'fa-
vorites," Notwithstanding his words
| were somewhat Of the German accent.
He was proud of the presence of the
| man who held the second highest of
| fee in the United States-Dut said he
| hoped that he would not hold it long
desiring to see him take first place.
DIR. Kemp Battles remarks were
"few" but to the point. He said that
he once knew a young man who lost
| his sweetheart because he popped
the question" before stuffing her with
ice cream and candy. His brother,
| Richard, was also entertaining. BE
| said: POSSIBLY four t1fths of this au-
| dience have never seen me before, and
possibly One-half of the four-f1fths
don't care whether they ever see me
| again or nOt."3
/ Judge Schenck made the closing ad-
dress-afld a good one it was. He
/ spoke earnestly of the grand work ac-
complished by the Guilford Battle
Ground Company, and what 1t pro-
| posed to do In the future. He pre-
liicted that before another year rolled
around a granite shaft would rise
| kor l1n fnc nf q yaC