The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-05-31
was fought the battle of Alamance th

~ '"6A~ ~AAS OoSeAS w 1AAouaouSS liiS
18th Of May, 1771, between the
British and the Regulators" Here
by this stone was poured out the frs
libation to American Independence
-Four years thereafter, on the 2ott
of May, z75, the listening ear o
North Carols Ia heard the cry that the
men of Massachusetts had been slain
at Lexington. And no more, save
from hostile camps, did the ensign oil
Britain wave over her soil. Then, i,
was enough for her to know that the
invaders foot was upon the soil of a
sister State. Can the sons of Massa-
chusetts ever forget how the battle cry
of Lexington was answered? Can they
ever forget how they and the sons Of
North Carolina locked their shields
until King George, on the 2oth day ol
January, 1883. calling each one by
name, treating with each one of them,
declared these States "to be free,
sovereign and independents
Let it be said of our comrade tina,
he loved the Union, but, let it also be
said OF him, his proud lineage taught
him that his own beloved State and
her sister States were sovereigns. He
remembered how those, whose name
he bore, had refused to enter the
Union, under the Constitution until
the sovereignty of North Carolina and
the liberties of her citizens had been
assured. In all the years of peace,
while he titled his fields and reared his
children, he had been taught to guard
this treasure committed to him with
that supreme devotion with which the
sons of Israel guarded tine walls about
their sacred city. In all these years OF
peace, he rejoiced in the strength and
glory of the Union as it broadened
toward the setting sun. By the fireside
he had heard his sire tell of 1872, and
of Lundays Lane, and how he marched
against the Indians with the warrior
Jackson, whom North Carolina gave,
with many other noble gifts to her fair
daughter beyond the mountains. He,
himself, had marched with the star
spangled banner and cheered it as it
waved in triumph, over the halls of
the Montezumas.
Let it be said of him that he loved
the Union that he loved the arts of
peace; that he loved repose but, let
it also be said of him, his repose was
never SO profound that the tramp of
the advancing host failed to arouse
him.
In 1861, as in 1775, his sensitive
ear caught the first football of the foe
upon the soil Of 3. the State that holds
the ashes OF Washington. 1t was
enough. The plow stood still in the
furrow the unuttered goodbye was
said with quivering lips and straining
eyes; the door of his home closed
behind him, and he went forth to
battle. BY his side, through all the
frey struggle, be it said, was one whose
love for him was as the love Of JON
athan for David given him strength
and comfort caring for the stricken
ones whom he had left behind guard
ing the honor of the cause for which
he bled and when all seemd lost, save
honor, leading him by wise counsels,
away from the sorrows of war to the
victories of peace. We would that
this one were with US to-day. How
our hearts would burn within US to
hear his voice and look into his face
again! But he sleeps we'll where we
have laid him, with our love for him
as lasting as the mountains that guard
his resting place-our great war
governor and leader; but, as we
tenderly think of him now, our comrade
and brother, Vance!
1t was strange and terrible to see
these men of the South and of the
North, shed each others blood. They
spoke the same language they
worshiped at the same altars they
had been school-hoys together; they
had shouted together in the shock OF
battle and, together they had filled
the world with their victories of peace
No ray of light touched the glory of
their country, that did not fall, with
its benediction, upon them both. And
yet, above the contentious of tn
White and Red Rose ; of Cavalier and
Round Head of Bourbon and Jacobin,
there was solemn grandeur in their
struggle. Can the Union live by
force? The North answered, yes the
South answered, no. And this momen.
tous question Of government was to be
settled in the stormy comitia of arms
! Each thought he had "his quarrel just,
and thus thrice-armed they strove
Two millions of men Of the North
stood to arms six hundred thousand
of the men Of the South stood to arms.
How grandly they strove, shaking the
ocean with the tramp of monitor
and ram, and teaching new warfare te
the nations Of the earth
How they strove, while the storm O
battle howled up the valleys, and ovel
the mountains, and across the plains
shrieking and Kissing into the ear o.
the pale wife as she knelt by the bed
side of her children, and prayed fcl
the husband upon whose breast th'
pitiless storm was b1eating How
they strove, while their fiocks ano
harvests perished, and their home
were consumed, and want and hunge
came, and, through the dreary watche:
Of the night, and widowed wife sa
looking, with wan aud weary face
upon the dying child in her arms
while the currents of its life ran dry il
her aching breast Brave women o
our land, what tongue can tell you
devotion. There was no soldiers arm
you did not nerve; there was NJ
soldiers couch Of suffering you dit
| not pillow with YOUR gentle hands