The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-07


4ror,andously and scandalously behind the
s,eaat North. but partially civilized, and
bae not vet learned either how to read
and spell or how to work with profit. 1t
! dreadful old, State to be born in,
and if so unfortunate to be so born,
then get away so soon as possible, and
forget your beginnings where you were
born, and who were your forbears. Be
ashamed of the old State as unworthy
of your birth, your favors or your faith.
When an old Tar Heel" who is unfort-
unately native here and to the manner
born" glances at the speeches, and scans
the statistics, and then sees the tre-
mendous Qualification of education and
money getting-the now one test of per-
sonal worth, usefulness and character, he
hangs his head, and exclaims why did
he not too leave his native North Carolina
and go to Massachusetts, or Iowa or New
York and take to Northern ways and
ideas and manners and prejudices and
iEgrained dislkes of the South? When
one Is assured over and over again how
poor, ignorant, unworthy, destitute, be-
indebtedness a State this old State is, and
how great and prosperous and highly CIV
ihzed Northern States generally, including
Iowa, he must wonder how it Is that any
one who can get away prefers to remain
in such blasted, poverty-smitten, ignor-
ant, uneivilized old thing of a State as
our own, and why any man with hoe
and grain of sense does not make
for Iowa. There is seemingly nothing IN
North Carolina to commend 1t to men
in the North and nothing worthy and
sufficient to prevent all North Carolinans
from enngrating at once even II they nave
to walk, and to carry their hoes on
their shoulders. North Carolina Is a hard
old State to dwell in. That Is clearly
the proper deduction to be drawn from
educational enthusiasts, and the manlpu-
lators of figures. But Is the dear old
mother really so seedy, so contempt
Bile. so unworthy? Are her sons and
daughters really so very inferior to the
sons and daughters of boastful Massachu-
sets and far-away Iowa?
I see no statistics as to religion and
crime when the spouters spout their
fervid denunciations, and North Carolina
is put to the rack. / have not the sta
tistics at hand, but my impression is that
North Carolina can show as low a record
&C crime among its whites as Massa-
impression is that there are more mem
bers of Christian churches in North Caro-
Ina than there are in Massachusetts, or
Iowa in proportion to white population.
If in error I would be pleased to have
it corrected. smaller number of Grim
inals, educated and others, and larger
number of protesting Christians should be
a good offset to the illlterate statistics,
and the superior profits of the man with
the hoe in Iowa. Moral character, a
religious life, a sincere acceptance OF the
Bible as the inerrant Word of Jehovah,
and fixed belief in the Christian Religion,
III Jesus Christ az the Son OF God, go
very far in Tedeeming a people from swift
and scornful criticism and injustice. The
truth is, / am proud Of my dear old native
State In spite of all her faults, shortcom-
ings. sins OF omission and hardness in
many Things. Before 1860, she was not
behind in education other Southern
States. and not behind some IN the North,
She has borne a superb record for honor,
conservatism, patriotism, love OF liberty,
the chastity of her women, self-sacrifice
and devotion to sound principles OF gov
eminent Look at her record IN the
greatest of all modern wars. Voting
112.500 whites, and sending to the armies
of the Confederacy 10000 fighters, losing
over Al 900 in the mighty conflict. How
can a State be so inferior, so degraded as
the writings" proclaim her TO be when
she bore herself so grandly in the first
conflict in III; at Mecklenburg May goth
1-75: in the first war for independence
with England; in. the last war for lnde
pendenee with the North-1S6l-1S65-a nc
since2 Tt would seem that a State which
produced General Davidson, General W
r. Davie. General Nash, General james
Graham. in the Revolution, and others
merit; that gave to the country suci
able. upright, noble men as Judge a. IL
Murphey. Judge William CASTOR, Judg'
aud Secretary of Navy and U. 5. Senate
George E. Badger, Governor, Secretary o
NAVY and u. S. Senator William A Ora
ham. Senator Willie P. Mangum, Senate
w H. Haywood, Governor and y. :
Senator Thomas Bragg, Governor ana
6 Senator e. b. Vance, Z. ). Senate
Thomas Hart Benton, President AndreN
Johnson. and James K. Polk, Generals W
n Fender. General Leonidas Polk, Gen
eral Blaxton Bragg, General }. Johnsto
pettigrew. General Ramseur, General BOZ
Johnston. General Junius Daniel, an
Yanv Others of splendid courage am
merit. Chief Justice Henderson. Archlbal
henderson. Judges Nash, Battle, j.. :
navis and others, and Chief Justice
smith and Merrimon, Hon. George DAVIS
of president Davis's Cabinet; Secretar
Of NAVY ]. C. Dobbin, Judge Robert
Gillian. Hon. John H. Bryan, Governo
Tames Iredell. Louis d. Henry, Governo
Charles Manly, President d L. swan
Rev DIR. Francis L. Hawks, Bishops DaVl
PAYNE. Fitzgerald Rev. DR.. Lowe
pierce Rev. Hezekiah G. Leigh, Rev, Jon
Kcrr Rev. DR.. Manly, and others ca
rot no SO inferior in its race of men.
know of the beauty, grace, retiheflieh
intelligence and purity of It's womel
Tluly. | am so much of an "old fogy :
so antiquated. seedy and ignorant tlat
love the dear old State, and would s -.
her praises to the end. In the sehi'
and decrepitude of old age. | stu cry o.
lustily-God bless the dear old Motner an
may Heavens blessings attend her
am. indeed glad in my soul that VIZ
born in this scorned and derided Con
nonwealth, and in the little capital TOW
Raleigh, and in Wake county. / am II
deed glad that l was born and nourlsh'
-