The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-10-22

them to apply to her commander.
AS the sloop rounds to her anchor
there stands upon the shore Colonel
John Ashe and Col. Hugh Waddell
with two companies OF friends and
gallant women at their backs. By
threats of violence they intimidate
the commander of the sloop and he
promises not to land the stamps
They seize the vessels boat and hoist
ing d mast and flag mount it upon
a cart and march in triumph to Will
mington. Upon their arrival the
town is illuminated. Next day with
Colonel Ashe at their head the peo-
pie 60 in crowds to the Governors
house and demand of him James
Houston, the stamp-master. Upon
refusal to deliver him up forthwith
they set about to burn the house
above his head. Terrified, the Gov
ernor at length complies and Hous-
ton is conducted to the market house
where, in the presence of the assem-
bled people, he is made to take sol
emn oath never to execute the duties
of his office
"'I shall pronounce no eulOgium'
on North Carolina. She needs none.
There she stands. Behold her and
Judge for youeself.' 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, 1776, that the
Provincial Congress in session at
Halifax, instructed her delegates to
the Continental Congress to concur
with the other colonies in a Declara-
ton of Independence. This was more
than Il month before action was
taken 10y Virginia, the home of Wash
ington and Jefferson, the zeal Of
whose people had been inHamed by
the words of living fire that leapt from
the impassiolled lips of Henry With
these facts ofauthentic history known
and admitted of all men, it should Oc-
casion no surprise anywhere to hear
that it was this State, which on the
Goth of May, 1915, at Charlotte, in
the county oi 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 Mar
tin, whose seat of government at
that time for reasons OF safety, was
aboard Il ship in the Cape Fear.
knew that they had severed the
bands which bound them to Great
Britain, for in a proclamation which
he issued in August, 1875, he used
these words: Il have also seen a
most Infamous publication in the
Cape Fear Mercury, importing to be
resolves OF set of people styling
themselves Il committee for the
county of Mecklenburg most traitor
ously declaring the entire dissolution
of the laws, government and consti-
tuition OF this country, and setting
up system of rule and regulation
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 the first voice for dissolving all
connection with Great Britain came
not from the Puritans of New Eng
land, the Dutch of New York, or the
planters, of Virginia, but from the
Scotch Presbyterians of North Car
| DINA
1T was another great day for lib
erty when the patriots of this State,
on the 9th OF February, 1776, gain
ed the signal victory at Moore's
Creek over the Tories, who were seek
ing 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 a zeal and
confidence which stood them in stead
in the darkest hours of the war for
independence. 1t was your ancestors
who in this very county fought the
great fight OF Guilford Court House,
and while suffering a defeat, so Grip
pied CORVALLIS that he was compelled