The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-21
TRIBUTE PAID
old NORTH STATE
BY ITS SONS IN GEORGIA
AT ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
NORTH CAROLINA SOCIETY.

Meeting, Election of Officers and
Smoker Was Held in De Soto Ban
Guet Hall Last Night-Was in Part
Celebration of Signing of Meek
IenberE Declaration of Independ-
ence Practically the Former
Board of officers Were Reelected.
At its annual meeting and a smoker,
held in honor of the signing of the
Mecklenberg Declaration of Independ-
ence, the North Carolina Society gath
cred in the banquet hall of the De Soto
last night.
The first part of the meeting was
devoted to the usual routine matters,
the reports of the committees and Off
GERS, and the discussion of several mat
ters of interest only to the society.
This was followed by the appoint
ment OF Committee on Nominations,
whose report was adopted without
change. and resulted in the choice of
the following officers. the same that
have served in these offices since the
formation of the Society few months
ago:
PRESIDENT. P. Williams.
First Vice Observation-Disclosures Coney.
Second Vice President-T. H. McMil-
Ian.
Secretary-W. ]. Donlan.
Treasurer-A. H. Kelley.
Historian-W. E, Fitch.
Board of Governors-B. F. Billiard,
for one year: E. S. Player and C. l..
Chestnut, for two years, and R. B.
Powell and b. B. Neal for three years.
One Ballot for All.
The Nominating Committee consisted
of Messrs. T. H. Mcmillan, w. D. Eau
cett and Walter E. Coney. Upon mo-
ton, the rules governing the election
of officers were suspended and the bal
lot was cast for the entire ticket by
DR.. w. E. Fitch, acting secretary in
the absence of Mr. w. ]. Donlan.
President Williams made a short ad-
dress in which he thanked the society
for the honor bestowed on him, and
paid tribute to the purposes of the
organization.
The meeting then adjourned in order
that the members might enjoy the
lunch that had been provided, which
was also served in the banquet hall.
| The president sat at the eastern end
of the hall with the chief officers, while
the other members occupied small ia
bles arranged about the room. Just
behind the president was spread the
new flag of the society, a flag of North
| Carolina, bearing in the field the date
| May 20, 1775, the date of the Mecklen
| berg Declaration of independence and
lower down, the date April II, 1916,
the day on which this declaration was
ratified by the Colonial Congress as
! sembled at Halifax. The flag has just
| been acquired by the society and was
displayed for the first time.
! After the refreshments had been dis
posed of the Mecklenberg Declaration
| of Independence was read by Mr. w.
E. Coney and toast was proposed to
it, with the request that the response
be made by Mr.. Williams.
Address by j. p. Williams.
Mr.. Williams, after calling attention
to the fact that the banquet with
which it had been intended this oc-
casion should be marked had been
found inexpedient, and that, therefore,
a number of distinguished visitors from
the Old North State, who had been
invited were not present, said that il
would not be in keeping with the an
niversary of so important an occasion
to pass it by without some reference.
THE Mecklenberg Declaration of
independence was one of the events of
Importance to this country whose value
cannot be overestimated," said Mr..
williams. 1.-THE men who signed this
document suffered long and patiently,
hoping to secure relief by legal meas
ures. They were weak in numbers,
but were sustained by IAN unfaltering
trust in the justice of their cause. They
anticipated by many months the decla-
ration of independence signed by JEFF
ferson and his associates.
Great Principles Never Die.
Men die, nations pass away, but
| great principles, like these enunciated
in this declaration, never die. Emerson
has said the world heard the shots
fired at the battle of Concord, but there
was more potent force in this enuncia-
ton at Mecklenberg, for this declara-
| ton began distinct epoch in the his
tory of man."
Continuing his address the president
said that commercialism is so rampant
to-day that questions are not settled
on the grounds of right or wrong, but
those of pecuniarily advisability. There
was no such question with the men
who signed the first declaration of in
| dependence he said. They displayed
day, for no country can be permanent
ly great that places money above
mankind, or gold above principle. 1t
is duty we owe to our patriotic ia
theirs to uphold the spirit handed down
by them
At the conclusion of the address Mr..
Williams was heartily cheered and a
toast, proposed by DIR. w. f. Fitch,
was drunk to his long life and pros
perity.
Tribute to North Carolina.
The second speaker was Mr.. A. H.
Kelley. He said by way of introduce
ton, that it was always a pleasure
to speak of North Carolina, whether
of its past, present or future, and he
then proceeded to give wealth of de-
tail in regard to it's history, commerce
and manufactures.
He told how the first ships of the
English adventures had reached the
shores of the state, and been visited
by some of the Indians, who inhabited
that particular part of the country;
how the sailors had been induced to
come ashore and visit the headquar-
tiers of the tribe, and he said that it
was on this trip, and from these In
dams, that the English first saw and
became possessed of the Irish potato.
At this point the speaker was inter-
rupted by one of the audience who
wished to explain how the popular
tuber came to receive its name Mr.
Kelley had only begun again when a
second interruption came from a gen
tleman who wished to know if history