The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-16

t~office." L shall pronounce no eulog-
ium" on Mort Carolina. She needs
none. There she stands. Behold he>
land judge for yourselves" Mark YOU,
this was more than ten years before
THE Declaration of Independence; more
than nine years before the battle of
Lexington and nearly eight before the
boston Tea Party You will not fail
TO remember that it was on the 18th
day Of April. 11I6, that the Provincial
Congress in Session at Halifax in
Istructed her delegates to the Cont
mental Congress to concur with the
Iother c~OlonieF in q Declaration of In
Dependence fhis was more than a
month before action was taken by
Virginia, the home of Washington and
Jefferson, the zeal Of whose people
had been infiamed by the words of
living fire that leaDt from the impas-
stoned lips of Henry" With these
facts Of authentic history. known and
ADMITTED of all men, it should occasion
mo surprise anywhere to hear that it
was this state, which on the 10th of
MAY. 40 at Charlotte. in the County
Iof Mecklenburg. issued the first Dec
.llaratIOn of Independence. Men may
doubt that the patriots of Mecklenburg
USED the very words which have been
handed down to US. but certain it is
THAT Governor Martin. whose seat of
government at that time for reasons
IOf safety, was aboard a ship in the
ICape Fear. knew that they had sever
led the bands which bound them to
IGreat Britain, for in d proclamation
(which he ISSUED in August. 1775. he
fused theSeWOrdS : I have also seen
Ia most Infamous publication in the
lCape Fear Mercury, importing to oe
resolves of p set of people styling
themselves a committee for the County
lof Mecklenburg, most traitOrOusly de-
lciaring the entire dissolution of the
llaWS, government. and constitution of
this country. and setting up Il system
lOf rule and regulation r~epugnant to
1.-THE laws and SubversiVe OF His Ma
jeSty'S government"
1t can occasion no surprise then
when we are TOLD by Mr.. Bancroft that
the first voice for d~issolving all con-
~nection with Great Britain came not
from the PuritanS of New England,
1.-The Dutch of New York or the planters
Iof Virginia. but from the Scotch Pres
IbyterianS of North Carolina
1t was another great day for liberty
when the patriots of this state on the
i2Ith Of February, 1I15. gained the sig
NAL victory at MOOre'S Creek over the
Tories who We're seeking to unite their
forces with those of Sir Henry Clin-
ton. The result of that early victory
for American arms broke the back
bone OF TOryism and gave to the pat
riots a zeal and confidence which stood
Them in stead in the darkest hours
lof the war for INDEPENDENCE. 1t was
lyOur ancestors again Who in c%Onjunc-
itiOn with their neighbOrs, won the
Igreat victory at Kings Mountain. 1t
WAS your ancestors who in this very
country fought the great fight of
lGuilfOrd court house and while suf-
Ifering 4 defeat. so crippled CORVALLIS
that he was compelled to yield his
IsWord to Washington at Yorktown.
When she had won her independence.
North Carolina set such store by it
that she declined to JON the Ameri-
lean Union until the sovereignty of the
Estate and the liberty of the individual
had been provided for by the pro-
lpOsal of the first ten amendments to
the constitution of the United States.
but once in the Union this state loved
it. The government was n or our
lOwn formation and our people have
lever been willing to yield obedience to
1.-THE laws'Of their own enactment. Even
when the people thought the consti-
tuition had been violated and their
rights i%nfringed. their o for the
Cnion was 80 great that with singu-
Hair unanimity thew determined to re-
Imain in it and secure. If possible, I'M
Ider the Stars and StriDes that pro-
lCIll' ~ Will III lNAN -
lentitled. But when the other Southern
Estates went out of the Union. and we
were brought face to face with the
necessity of taking sides. then our
peOpIe in convention assembled with
Iout n single dissenting vote went out
lof the Union and sought at every cost
Ito secure again that independence
which our fathers had won. Late in
going out. this state offered the first
life on the altar of the Southern Con
lf~ederacy. Having made up her mind
Ito fight for Independence. she sent to
1.-THE front more soldiers than there
lwere voters within her borders. She
Host more men in killed and wounded
THAN any other Southern state: charg-
led farthest at Gettysburg: laid down
the greatest number of guns at APP
ipOmatOx and quit the fight with as
ldeep regret as any of her sisters. |
lCara not on which sid n fought in
THAT great contest: tn" achievements
lof North Carolina soldiers We're TOO
great to excite bitterness in any
breast that loves heroic sacrifice and
daring deeds. Her men Won for hu-
imanity a still higher place for stub
lbOrn courage than had heretofore
tbeen gained. They went into the
flight reluctantly because of their deep
Hove for the Union which their faith
Iers had cemented with their blood.
n went To the front well tlbJned.
lwell fed. in high spirits. certain of
success. Tho left at the n In tat
tiers and rags. foot sore and hungry.
but their tears watered the ground
where the greatest leader of soldiers.
the highest tvpe Of Christian manhood.
the purest and truest and the best Of
linen. General Robert =. Lee. surren-
Edered his sword. They ca"'a back to
the state weary Worn and SorrOWful,
They found the population depleted.
Their farms had gone to ruin. their
licences were down. their bitches We're
filled. their stock We're slaughtered. in
too many instances their houses We're
burned. But they did not sit down
lin the deSOl1tiOn of their despair.
with a courage worthy Of the great
lwen Who fought during the Revolu-
ItiOn. they turne their faces to the
morning. put their trust in God and
IreSnlutelv determined to build again
ltei~ homes and 80 honor to their
lmother fCr whom they had suffered
$50 much. And right we'll have they