The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-13

her delegates to the Continental Congress
to concur with the other colonies in a
Declaration of independence This was
more than a month before action was
taken by Virginia, the home of Washing.
ton and Jefferson, the zeal of whose people
had been inflamed by the words ''of living
fire that lept from the imprisoned lips
Of Henry With these facts of authentic
history, known and admitted of all men
it should occasion no surprise anywhere to
hear that it was this State, which on the
goth of May, ITS, at Charlotte, in the
County of Mecklenburg, issued the first
Declaration 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 govern.
ment at that time for reasons of safety.
was aboard ship in the Cape Fear, knew
that they had several the bands which
bound them to Great Britain, for in a
proclamation which he issued in August.
1875 he used these words: IT have also
seem most infamous publication in the
Cape Fear Mercury, importing to be re-
solve sol set of people styling them
selves a Committee for the County of
Mecklenburg, most traitorously declaring
the entire dissolution of the laws, govern
ment. and constitution of this country.
and setting up system of rule and regu-
lation repugnant to the laws and subver-
sive of His Majesty's government"
1t can occasion no surprise then when
we are told by Mr.. Bancroft that 1.-The
first voice for dissolving all connection
with Great Britain came not from the
Puritans of New England, the Dutch of
New York. or the planters of Virginia,
but from the Scotch Presbyterians of
North Carolina
It was another great day for liberty
when the patriots of this State on the
eth of February, 1776, gained the signal
victory at Moore's Creek over the Tories
who were seeking to unite their forces
with those of Sir Henry Clinton. The
result of that early victory for American
arms broke the backbone of Toryism and
gave to the patriots zeal and confidence
which stood them in stead in the darkest
hours of the war for independence. 1t was
your ancestors again who, in conjunction
with their neighbors, won the great vic
tory at Kings Mountain 1t was your
ancestors who in this very county fought
the great fight of Guilford Court House
and while suffering defeat, 50 crippled
CORVALLIS that he was compelled to yield
his sword to Washington at Yorktown.
When she had won her independence,
North Carolina set such store by it that
she declined to join the American Union
until the sovereignty OF the State and
- C Iho
provided for by the proposal of the first
ten amendments to the Constitution of
the United States. But once in the Union
this State loved it. The government was
one of our own formation and our people
have ever been willing to yield obedience
to the laws of their own enactment. Even
when the people thought the Constitution
had been violated and their rights in
fringed. their love for the Union was so
great that with singular unanimity they
determined to remain in it and secure, if
possible, under the Stars and Stripes that
protection to which they felt themselves
entitled But when the other Southern
States went out of the Union, and we
were brought face to face with the ne
cessity of taking sides, then our people
in convention assembled without a single
dissenting vote went out of the Union
and sought at every cost to 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
Conledcracy. Having made up her min
to fight for independence, she sent to
the front more soldiers than there were
voters within her borders. She lost more
men in killed and wounded than any other
Southern State: charged farthest at Get
| tycburg; laid down the greatest number
of guns at AppomattoX and quit the fight
with as deep regret as any of her sisters.
! care not on which side one fought in
| that great contest: the achievements Of
North Carolina soldiers were too great