The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-13
Leads all North Carolina Dailes i'm News and Circulation

we done to perpetuate their memories?
In nearly every home in Massachusetts
hangs portrait of John Hancock, or one
Of the Adams. Where is our Cornelius
Harnett or Richard Caswell? They have
Warren falling at Bunker Hill, where is
our engraving of Nash falling on the field
of Germantown?
Like a silhouette the heroic figure of
Hardy Murfree leading his forlorn hope
of North Carolinians to the capture of
Stony Point on the Hudson river stands
out against the sky line of history. But
who has preserved the name of those
brave followers, what engraving pre-
sents their immortal action to our chill
dren, what graphic pen has made The
scene living one to our people?
What has been said or sung or en-
graved as to the North Carolina line,
steady as the old guard of Napoleon at
Eutaw Springs and on many other fields
and at a later date where are our
engrayings of other patriotic sons of North
Carolina who could have been an honor
to any people
1T was Themistocles who declared that
the trophies of Miltiades would not allow
had passed over Jordan, built twelve pill
lars that their childrens children might
ask: What mean these stones that, pos
terity being told the story of Israels
greatness in war and the unity of the
twelve tribes, might bear it in remem-
brance of all ages.
Where are our trophies. the proud
memorials of the great deeds of our
ancestors. whose aspect shall stir tie
charts of aspiring youth to emulate them,
and to repeat our Marathons on future
fields?
'Of recent years we hvae made a small
beginning. crumbling monument TO
Governor Caswel blasted by re stands in
the streets Of Kinston; monument in
the capitol square facing the setting sun
recalls the already fading tradition OF the
125, 600 soldiers VINO belted North Caro-
lima like living wall in the grand days of
1S61-'65; a bronze statue of our great
tribune of the people stands on the Sane
square appropriately facting the East fer
ever hopeful of the progress and pres
perity of the people he loved so well and
served so faithfully, he ever stood pray
ing and hoping for the dawn of brighter
day.
you are rousing this people as they
have never been aroused before to the
needs of education. You propose to edu-
cate them to the last boy and girl. You
propose to give them the increased capac-
ity for earning for enjoyment for useful
ness which comes from education But
what then? Shall you lay before them
histories wherein Massachusetts with
some aid from one or two Virginians con-
quered the British lion-books which
represent no North Carolinian, in which
our revolutionary history is a desert, with
perhaps a reference to the militia at
Guilford, c. H.. and in which our Anti
Revolutionary Story is a mere table of
names?
"Can you excite an interest in ,he study
of North Cardinals history by slch books
as that? Can you inspire any young
Themistoces to emulate the deeds of
Miltiades when the story of those deeds
is left untold?
Il win not touch upon the ground of
the Misrepresentation of the events of
1S61-'65. Public attention has been drawn
to that and probably a true story Of
those eventful years will be laid before
our children But will ii be interesting?
Shall you give them the bare facts ard
barren list of names? Where can better
subjects be found for painter, for sculp
tor, for graphic writing?
Take among so many, a single Incl
dent At Newbern, fleeing army, 300 or
400 soldiers cut off with a pursuing army
in the rear and an unfordable river in
front the men in despair throwing their
arms in the river TO prevent the enemy
from getting them, a single canoe is found
carrying only eighteen men, there is dan
ger of its being swamped in the mad
rush; two young officers, both fresh from
college, neither yet q years of age, in
stead Of saving themselves and pushing off
to safety, take their stand and count off
from time to time eighteen men who pass
beneath their crossed sabres, till boat
load after boat load is ferried across and
with immediate peril of Yankee bullets
and Yankee prison, they resolutely keep
their guard till every man is over and
those two. the last TO enter, float across
to friends and to freedom What pic
ture for a painter, for poet for in
structor. How it would have been en-
blazoned if told in Roman story by Livy
or by Macaulay to match his
How well Horatius did keep the bridge
"In the brave days Of old"
CT by Northern writer's. But what au-
dience in North Carolina this day can
name these two beardless boys who came
Of the race of heroes?
''And this incident is but one of hun
dreds showing that this people of North
Carolina is one which produces heroes and
men fit to command. If We do not suff-
GENTLY honor them it is possible because
such deeds are not rare among us.
When pen or pencil can portray to life
the heroism of the men whom Tyler Ben
nett, Frank Parker and Geo. B. Anderson
were proud to stand beside in that bloody
lane at Sharpsburg; of the men under
Pettigrew, who fell farthest in the front
of the southern line at Gettysburg; the
men, many of them fresh from the plow
and without a thought of heroism or fame.
who like an avengng flame swept down
the broken lines at the salient. retaking
and holding it against fearful odds and
those North Carolinians in the seven dlys
fight around Richmond, who left more than
twice rs many OF their dead and wounded
upon the field as Virginia herself or any
other State; those brave men from our
mountains to the sea who, with no other
motive than their duty, were first at
Bethel and last at Apnomattox, and who
at all times during those four long event
full years proved themselves the Decrs Of