The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-16
THE NORTH CAROLINA SYNOD,

Carolina its record is a glorious one,
for it was the Scotch-Irish Freshly
| terians OF Mecklenburg VINO declared
| for liberty dnG independence long be-
| fore any other people in America had
seriously entertained the idea OF cut
| ting loose from the mother country.
Their early action would seem to bear
ont Bancroft's statement: THE Rev
olItion of 1875, as far as it was affect
Cd Nv religion was Il Presbyterian
| measure 1t was the natural Strength
| of the principles which the Presby-
| terians of the Old World planted in
her sons, the English Puritans, the
Scotch Covenanters, the French Hug
uenots, the Dutch Colonists and the
| (Scotch-IriSh) PreSbyterlans OF
Ulster" OF the twenty-seven men
who signed the Mecklenburg Declara
ton of independence every one was
PRESBYTERIAN, one d preacher and nine
we're ruling elders. The only minister
in the Continental Congress that
adopted Jeffersons Declaration OF In
dependence was DR.. John W1therspoon.
a lineal descendent of John Knox.
Urging his associates to make no de-
Law in signing that immortal document
Mr.. Witherspoon declared: Enough
these gray hairs must soon descend to
the sepulchre, I would infinitely rather
that they descend thither by the hand
of the exaculioner than desert ut this
crisis the sacred cause of my country"
When news. reached England that the
colonies had declared their independ-,
ence Horace Walpole said in the Eng
lish Parliament: Cousin America
has run off with a Presbyterian par
son." In many places they bore the
brunt of the struggle for independ-
ence." In one battle led by Presby-s
terrain preacher. the wadding gave out,
and the preacher rushed into his
church, nearby, and Bret Harte thus
tells what happened:
They We're left in the lurch
For the want Cf more wadding, ne
ran to the church,
Broke the door, stripped the peWS, ana
dashed out in the road
and threw down his load
AT their feet Then above all the
shouting and shots
Rang his voice: Put Watts into EN-,
boys, give EN- Watts.
And hey did. That is all. Grasses
spring, flowers blow
Pretty much rs they Gid ninety-three
years ago.
You may ,llg anywhere, ana you'll turn
IN ball.
But not always hero like this and
,,lct's all.
We are tod that all six of the col
onels in command TT Kings Mountain
where "the aspect Of the war was
changed ana CORVALLIS left no cnoice
but to retreat" we're Presbyterians.
1t was not only in the War for IN
dependence that the early Presbyter-
ians lead. They were the educational
pioneers of Amorico, and particularly
so of North Carolina. Owing to the
sparsely settled population, schools
were neglected in North Carolina, but
wherever Presbyterian parson set
tied to preach he built school house
and taught the children. Nearly all
the leading preparatory schools In
North Carolina before the war were
conducted by Presbyterians, the Uni
versity of North Carolina for half a
century was chiefly governed by Fres-
byterian presidents and professors,
who made an impression upon many
Of
has descended from father TO son.
Take out the story of what Presby-
te"idrs have done for education III
North Caroline, and what L gap YOU
make in it's educational history! Every
man and every church in the Eom-
monw.alth owes a DEF of obligation
to that educating church which blazed
out the path for our present cduca-
Lionsi tignWav. But 1T is not alone
10 past generations that this State
owes a great debt to Presbyterians
for leading in educating the people.
Though other denominations have
made great strides and now stand
abreast With this body of Calvinists in
cndeavor, the Presbyteri
ans of today are following the good
example of the carly leaders OF their
church. In proportion to member
ship they maintain more strong schools
cf state reputation than any other
religious denomination and have the |
honor of furnishing the president of
two of the States three great inStitu !
tons of learning established by the !
State of North Carolina. Their fore |
most college, Davidson, stands among
the foremost OF Southern Colleges |
and at 10 time in it's history has it
had d president and faculty of higher
scholarship and usefulness than to-
day it stands for thorough scholar
ship. robust manhood and Christian
education that is catholic and that
''vaunteth not itself"
In missionary schools in the noun
tains the PresDyterians are doing q
noble work and it's consecrated preach
ers and teachers i'll that vineyard are
planting vines CT education and reli-
gicn that will cheer and bless thous-