The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-05-30
SPOKE FOR STATE.
GOV. AYC0CKAT BKNQUET OF NORTH CARO-
LIMA SOCIETY IN NEW YORK CITY.

| LINN oUCltlY IN NEW YURK CITY.
Tells What North Carolina Is Doing to
Meet the Changed Conditions
Brought About by the War-Au Able
and Eloquent Speech Characteristic
of the Man Who Made It-franchise
Question and Material Prosperity.
Below is the full text of the speech
delivered May Goth in New York City
at the banquet Of the North Carolina
Society by Governor Aycock, of North
Carolina:
Mr.. Toast Master and Gentlemen Of
the North Carolina Society:
| have been invited by YOU to re-
spond TO the toast What is North
Carolina Doing to Meet the Changed
Conditions Brought About by the
War;" | read the other day, with
some amusement, an account OF my
proposed speech in which the editor
was kind enough to give your club the
advice to call me down, for | was
to speak in defence of secession.
have never had any intention Of
speaking on this subject. There are
two subjects upon which | take it
there can be no debate--that the
States had a right to secede in 1861
and have no longer that right This
Union is our Union and there is no
one in North Carolina to dispute this
assertion. In the war between the
United States and Spain, it was both
the sorrow and the pleasure Of North
Carolina to spill the first blood in
evidence Of our devotion to the Union
When Worth Bagley died for the
cause OF the United States we felt
that for all time our fidelity to the
Union had been established. We
shall, therefore, make no apologies
for what has passed in our lives and
no promises for the future. We love
the heroic deeds Of those who have
gone before us and who have demon
5trated the strength Of Southern char
acter. We cannot forget, and will
not, their sufferingS, their trials and
their fidelity. We do not stop to ask
whether they were right or wrong.
We merely enquire how did they bear
themselves when the hour of peril
came, and when we make this enquiry
we are proud of the glorious men who
made the charge at Gettysburg and
laid down their arms at Appomattox.
North Carolina has recently been
the subject of much thonght in the
United States. The newspapers and
magazines have devoted considerable
space to what she has done. Some of
this space has been given tc abuse
and am here tonight to tell you the
things which we have done in order
that You may set us forth before the
: world as we are. No one shall, un-
answered, attack the good State from
whence you came or in whose institu-
tions you learned the lessons of life
, which have made you what you are
Why should anyone attack the Old
North State? 1t was there that the
first American child Of English parent
age was born, named Virginia Dare;
it was in North Carolina that the
first stand was made against British
tyranny when the men of Alamance
taught Governor Tryon that the love
Of liberty was inborn in North Caro-
linians and could not be trampled
upon without resistance; in was in
this good State that the first Declara-
tion OF Independence was written at
Mecklenburg on the Goth day Of May,
1775, and if there be among you those
who doubt that declaration, the reso-
lutions of the 31st of May, 1875, can
not be questioned. 1t was in this
State that the first victory was won
over British arms in the long strug-
D.. gle for freedom. At Moore's Greek,
, in Fender county, the Colonial sol
diers taught the British that they
could gain no foothold in that colony,
and gave peace to our people fol
years and enabled them to swell the
army which was fighting for liberty.
1t was North Carolina that stayed in
= the Union in 1861 until she was com
d pelled TO make choice between fight
ing against her neighbors or against
those who dwelt apart, but when she
: had made choice, as did Robert f
Lee. he of the Hall of Fame" the
} greatest soldier in all the world, we
gave the first soldier to death al
Bethel and laid down more guns a
;, Appomattox than any other Southern
State 1t was North Carolina who
[. sent to the front more men in proper
= tion to her voters than any othel
State on either side, who lost NOR,
: men in killed and wounded and wht
suffered most by reason of their loss
| was in my cradle when the wa
began and nine-tenths of my life ha
been spent in the Union. love th'
l. Union and it's flag; this country is m,
countrv-I am North Carolinial
e. and YOU dwell in New York. but W
t. all are citizens of the United States
glorious country, great flag, the em
blem Of all that we are and hope to b.
our protection in war, our guardian
in peace, our hope at all times. bu
neither you nor others will expect O
me to forget the deeds of those VIII,
served the South. | care not whethe
!, we were right or wrong, though OIL
this point | have convictions; tn
only thing that concerns me is how
did they bear themselves. In mat
|. ters political, in the Interpretation o
the Constitution. we care not so muCl
whether one is right or wrong as W
care how he conducts himself an
how he maintains his convictions
If other test than this were made
= should find myself unable to respec
those who differ from me in politics
n 1t is not in political matters wha
+ one believes, but with what sincerit
:; he believes it that gives us faith i
E him and makes of him 4 hero. d
10 not agree with many Of the views c
President Lincoln and yet 1 believ
him to be a great and good mar
whose death was a calamity to tn
South no less than to the entir
Union. do not agree with the poll
ical principles of President Gran