The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-28
MIR. PITTMAN ON JOHN PORTER
AND THE CARY REBELLION
His Lecture Before the Summer School on a Verv
Interesting Epoch in North Carolina
History,

f., North Carolina history, and presented
fine subject in such a new and original
hight that we publish herewith the full
text of the address:
Mr.. Bryce, the English statesman,
was a speaker at the international Con-
ercss of Historical Sciences, held at
Rome in April of this year. He said at
the outset that there had been so little
real teaching of history in the English
universities that he hardly needed to
speak OF it. Within the memory of men
NOW living one university had only one
professor Of history, who was expected to
teach both natural history and human
history combined"
There may be some satisfaction in
knowing that past neglect in this par
ticular is not peculiar to ourselves; but
there is no excuse for further indiffer-
ence. There must be a certain sense Of
shame in knowing that there is no ado
ouate history of North Carolina for the
library and no school history of the State
upon the list of books required to be
taught in our public schools. For this
last there is no excuse. There is at least
one primary history of real excellence,
and one or more school histories IN manu-
NOlIIl Ithty ~ ~ poplHhN' liz IN
school authorities say the word.
1t would be interesting to inquire why
our history has not been written. Ger
be noted-Bancroft bears witness that
mo one of the early colonies possessed
a larger experience than Carolina; the
disputes of a thousand years were crowd
ed into a generation The absence of
aorafnl 1rplrnInarv StuIipS will pynl1jn
in part. Ludicrous and almost sensation
al prominence given to comparatively un-
important matters is further responsible
for the condition. Take, for instance, the
Roanoke Island settlement. In recent
treatment of this event, all sense of his
torical perspective has been ignored. 1t
has been called the foundation of our re-
iigion and the basis of our civilization;
that citizen and official of the State who
holds first place in the affections Of our
people, is credited as saying IN a recent
address, that OR capital was named after
Sir Walter Raleigh because he had done
so much for the State. Yet the facts re-
main, that Raleigh never saw our shores;
there is no mark of his mind or his hand
upon our institutions: and the Roanoke
settlement, which was only an incident of
English exploration and adventure, dis
appeared more than half a century before
the California settlement and never touch
ed the real life of the State at any point;
unless, indeed the Croatans embrace the
lost colony, and wen their influence upon
the State has not been conspicuous.
The stories of Virginia Dare, Flora Nc
Donald and Esther Wake have Il delight
full flavor and enliven some pages of per-
haps otherwise dull history; they are part
of the sentimental, perhaps romantic his
tory: of the State. Let us cherish and
preserve such things for what they are.
But we have had events and movements
IN which 1.-The disputes of ii thousand
years were crowded into a generation
and %convulsions that wrought out results
OF deep and lasting significance. .These
make history. We viii consider one such
today n a discussion of John Porter and
the Cary Rebellion.
Bancroft, discussing the details of our
Charter, says: Nothing was neglected
but the interests OF the English sovereign
and the rights of the colonists."
The King came to his own in 1929 when
Carolina became a royal province.
The colonists came to their own in 1872
when Our Glorious Revolution closed
IN the acknowledgements of American In
dependence, after a long and bitter strug-
gle. That struggle did not begin with
the War of the Revolution. That war
was It's elimination. 1t began with the
first lnfractlOn Of the peoples rights and
their protest against it. The men of the
Revolution were not those of rs only,
but all who through the early days of
our history asserted the doctrines of civil
and religious liberty, and taught men to
mt ba- Nh 0pn n Ter mon nt
the Revolution,-even fathers of the Re
~FoIutlon and fathers of Liberty. And
the enemies of Liberty were not merely
those who cried rebel and traitor to
the men Of 10, but all who, by trick, and
fraud, and contrivance, and management
and force sought to fix upon the early
settlers irons of government contrary to
the genius of a free people; and set them
selves to traduce and degrade those who
opposed their wicked schemes.
CIVIL connections were not unusual III
carolina. Many of them had their rig
I'D England, just as the one we consider
Today was the outgrowth of political
movements in the mother country, which
are necessary to be considered for a clean
understanding OF our subject.
Possibly the greatest political question
mat ever stirred England has been ant
The relation of Church and State
ii"pplly, this is for Us d question of the
past and possesses only a curious inter
e,'. except as it clears the mists from
"''A that Is obscure and p~erplexlng II
history. As early as 2 Hen. V the
"@. penal statute was passed in England
N1t teachers of erroneous opinions
'''.tafy to the faith and blessed deter
.'h4l"ns Of the Holy Church. Under
"'N me diocesan alone might convict O
,.'etLcal tencts; and, the sheriffe wa!
luna eX-otfcio to commit the unhappy
'.'m TO the flames, without waiting fol
INV consent of the crown" The church
" Rome and England successfully en-
'f'i The advantages of discriminatin
CESSATION until the time of Cromwell anC
commonwealth, when, for a perlot
IT, was but slight tolerance for either
''" me restoration Of Charles H., there
Wen founded apprehension of religi
~ persecution. Dread and fear were il