The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-08-25
Editorial Correspondence,

| Editorial Correspondence
Halifax, N. c., August 24.-It was
| in this town on the 18th day Of
| April 1776, that the first Provincial Con.
| gress in America declared for independ-
| ence. Except the Mecklenburg Declara-
! ton, there had not been anywhere in
| America an instance of public declara-
| ton in favor of complete separation from
| Great Britain. After summing up some Of
| the grievances OF the colonists against
| the mother country this Halifax Congress
| passed this resolution:
Resolved That the delegates of this
| colony in the Continental Congress be en-
| powered to concur with delegates Of other
| colonies in DECLARING INDEPEND-
| ENCE, and forming foreign alliances, re-
| serving to this colony the sole and exclu-
| sive right for forming constitution and
laws for this colony and OF appointing
| from time to time (under the direction Of
| general representation thereby to meet
| the delegates Of the other colonies, for
| such purposes as may be hereafter point
| ed out
That resolution-the first declaration
| for independence by representative body
| of whole colony-made profound i'm
| preston among all the colonies and ac-
| CELEBRATED the movement for independence.
| The twelfth day of April ought to be OBJ
served here every year in commemoration
| of this event, far more important and
| far-reaching than the earlier Meckirn-
| burg Declaration. Charlotte makes May
| Goth a day of renown in commemoration
| of the signing of the Declaration, Hall
| fax permits the 18th Of April to pass un-
| observed. If the good people of this town
| would make a great celebration on the
| 18th day of next April, and have orations
| by such orators as Matthew w. Ransom,
| Thomas w. Mason and others, it
| would emphasize the great deed of Hall
| fax, April 18TH 1916, as nothing else could
do. 1t would be well to invite all the
| old boroughs and districts represented
then to send delegates and enlist the as
| sistance of the State Historical Society
| to make it red-letter day. Why not,
! gentlemen Of Halifax? ''s"-
AS it was at Halifax that the first pub
| lie expression of representative men de-
| manded independence, so 1t may be said
| declare independence of the negro rule
| put on the State in 1868 by the Candy
| constitution. Mismanaged by ignorant ne
| groes and worse white men for ten years,
| the resolute white men of Halifax made
| up their minds that they would no longer
| submit to such insufferable government. 1t
| was the first negro county in the State
| to throw off the yoke of negro rule. The
| other negro counties looked on with Won
| der to see how resolute men could OVER
| come the rule-of immense black MAORI
| other negro counties to find way to
| plough around the Fifteenth amendments
| The next great event at this place was
| the convention in Halifax on November
| 18th, called to frame Constitution,
| Writing of the beginning of parties at
/ that time, Moore says:
| During October, the elections were
| held for members of the Convention that
| was soon to meet for the formation OF a
| new government for North Carolina. Two
| distinct and antagonistic parties were de-
| veloped, which struggled for ascendency
to be determined at the polls on the 10Th
| day of that important month in the State S
| history. Samuel Johnston and his friends
| were anxious for the establishment OF a
| splendid system, which should be possess
| ed of great powers of repression and
| should rest authority largely in the
| hards of the enlightened few, who had
| been for two years past so largely infu-
| entail in shaping the destinies or the in
| FAINT commonwealth Willie Jones, of Hall
| fax, was almost fiercely opposed to any
| such scheme. He was the avowed cham
| pion of the masses, and though an aristo-
| crat in his habits and associations, was
| still theoretically the most radical pOliti-
! clan then of prominence in the State.
| Col. Caswell sympathized with such
/ views but was wary and moderate in ex-
| preston and went not to such lengths as
| were habitual with Jones and General
| Thomas Person"
/
| On the river side of the town. just as
| you descend toward the river, still stands
4 the old colonial church built so long ago
/ that nobody can give the exact date. 1t
was the established church in which
many of the leaders worshipped before
the revolutionary war. There is crown
| over the pulpit and a sounding board.
| The windows are now all out and it is
| going to decay. The clergyman Of the
Church of England in charge OF this
parish was allowed the same salary given
to each incumbent, which was $3.50 per
annum by the province and another hun
dred from the bounty of the London So
ciety for the propagation of the gospel.
There are moss covered monuments here
| that are of interest to the students of
history. The wife of VIM. R. Davie is
buried here.
| Few men have exerted more salutary