The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-07-10

OF transformation which has done, and
is doing cruel wrong and injustice to
their fathers. and is delaying the patri-
otto purpose of thorough reconciliation
which all profess to desire.
nj act which occurred on this
spot, and which is especially borne in
remembrance today, like nearly all
the other acts that look place in North
Carolina before n during the Revo-
luton, has never received considera-
ton at the hands of the historians of
the country, because the historians of
the country did not live in North Car
DINA, and were too busy relating the
exploits of the people of their own
states 20 record events occurring else
where, especially if those events took
precedence by reason of date or I'M
p~ortance. Thirty days before the Lib
erty Point bugle-blast was blown. the
M~ecklenburg Declaration was made.
The M~ecklenburg men said: we de-
clare ourselves to be a free and indie
pendent people," the Liberty Point
men said: Get your guns, we are
gong to fight and both of them so
spoke more than a ear before the Attn
of July, 1776, when the united colonies
made the national declaration.
Both were open notorious acts, and
were published, but Doth have been
StNNN VI NN4llCu Ny &c SOllS VII sd V
they never heard of it before"-which
recalls the old story Of the nan who
after hearing for the first time the sto-
ny OF the CrucifiXion. went out and
knocked down the first Jew he met as
being one of the guilty. and upon being
tod that the event had occurred eigh-
teen hundred years before, said: y
never heard Of it till last night" The
historians of the United States have MOI
heard up to this hour of the only omen.
armed resistance to the Stamr Act thai
occurred in America, ten -oars before
these events, and on this same historic
Cape Fear river. To me, the act of the
Liberty Point men seems so astonishing
IN its audacity as to be almost amusing.
1t was n direct challenge to arms of the
British Empire. issued by a andfu of
men IN the backWoodS of North Caro-
lna, who were surrounded by a large
element of brave loyalists living right
at their doors, and who were thus in
wiling, not only the wrath of the King.
but a civil war among neighbors. The
d~eHberat1on with which it was done,
and the liked determination and heroic
courage it displayed lift it into the
region Of the sublime, and it is emf
nently due to the memory r the men
engaged in it hat their names should
be perpetuated in monumental marble,
as l understand 1T is the purpose of
the ladies Liberty Point Monument As
ISOLATION to do. l wish you God speed
IN the work, ladies, and trust tina ere
long a shaft will be erected on this
spot which VIII tell to future genera
tons that here a great deed was per
formed by Our fOre-fathers, and that
their children are proud of it. and
would preserve the remembrance of it
forever. 1t is by such monuments that
historic events are chiefly preserved
among a people. for they are not only
substitutes for books, bat are object
lessons for the masses. that teach with
tenfOld power the lessons Of patriotism
and self-sacrificing devotion by which
alone their liberties were secured, and
by which alone they a be preserved.
The absence of such monuments in our
state has long been a reDroach to US.
and has been q chief cause of the ignOr-
ance, and consequent Indifference to the
of the great men and the great
events which made our early history
glorious. This whole upper Cape Fear
region. from the lower Baden county
line to the upper edge of Chatham, was
the theatre of thrillin~ events during
the revolution, which would furnish
material for a dozen VOlumeS of poetry
and Ia How many people know
that a large proportion of Marlon's
men, who made the name of their lead
er known throughout the world, went
from Columbus, Bladen, and Brunswick
counties in this state. or that after dis
aster overlook him he recruited his
command in Bladen county,? There are
a thousand similar incidents connected
with the Revolutionary history of our
state. and particularly with the Cape
Fear section of it. which reflect honor
upon u forefatherS but which are
unknown, even to most of our own peo-
pie. These things were all elements in
the great movement which resulted in
the accomplishment of American indie
pendence, and would therefore. be
legitimate subjects of discussion on
this occasion: but it is not my purpose
to dwell uDO them.
In this connection, however. | think
ii eminentIy proper to pay a passing
tribute to the memory of a North Car
Gilman, who did a splendid service to
History of the Invasion of the Caro-
Lnas, by the British army under
LORD CORVALLIS in 17SO-S1."
1t IS a to the patriotic de-
votion. the patient industry, and the
literary ability of Judge Schenck, and
a complete "vindication of the honor
and PATRIOTISM of the people of his
state. which, he said (and proved had
been robbed of the honor due her for
repell1ng the British invasion in
17S0-S1: that the credit of her
noble deeds had been ascribed to 9th
ers: that the citizenship of her heroes
had been claimed by other states, and
that the truth in regard to these stir
ring events had, either Intentionally or
by gross negligence, been greatly and
wrongfully perverted to the injury of
her good name" Peace TO his ashes,
and may God raise up more like him
to tell the true story of our fore-fathers.
instead Of criticlZing their inferior
civilization" as some do.
And now my friends. the temptation
is strong to indulge IN some reflections
upon certain transformations which
have taken place in the government es-
tablished by our fathers. and the dan
gers that seem to threaten it from two
opposite forces; but in view of the elab-
crate programme for this occasion,
which has been published. and which /
am unwilling to further interrupt. and