The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-10-18
Tribute to N. Carolina.

Richmond, Who Represented
Gov. Swanson at the Launching
Of the Cruiser North Carolina at
Newport News, Va, Oct. 9Th.
Gov. Swanson OF Virginia, was de-
tanned by press of official duties and
could not be present at the launching
of the cruiser North Carolina at New
port News. Col. j. Aston Cabell of
Richmond, represented the Governor
and State of Virginia, and in respond
ing to the sentiment, "North Caro-
lima, at the banquet which was given
complimentary to Governor Glenn
and party after the launching. Col.
Cabell spoke as follows:
l Isuppose it is understand thac the
Governor OF Virginia was to have re-
sponded to this toast, but was un-
able to be present. | have been re-
quested by him to express to you his
heartfelt regrets. When your accom-
plished chairman informed me of the
condition of affairs, and asked me to
come to you, thought of scene in
the closing chapter Of one of Tom
Pages stories, "Mah Lady,''in which
the minister, standing before the cou-
pie about to be married, asks: "Who
gives this lady to this mani" and
the old darkey said "When he ak dat
question and look at me and think
about all the suffin' we done been
thro' and old Missus and Marse Phil
bof gone, and dere aint nobody to
took up for the poor chile. couldn't
help it, 80 l says, when he AK dat
question, 'Unc Billy"
PROUD OF CAROLINA.
SO when l thought of the Governor
of Virginia being away, especially at
this time, just as this big crowd has
assembled here to witness the cere-
monies of the marriage of a veritable
queen, the battleship North Carolina
to the king of waters, and that there
would be no one to speak for the
"poor chile" for the governor of
North Carolina will have his hands
full in speaking for Virginia, | feel
like "Unc Billy and am here to
speak all unprepared and untitled as
feel myself to be-
do not know that | am wholly un-
fitted to respond for North Carolina.
Some of my ancestors, of whom | am
proudest, were North Carolinians,
and played prominent part in all
the eventful epochs of her early his
tory, and | am proud to say / am u
member of the North Carolina, as
we'll as the Virginia Society of the
Cincinnati. | know her history, and
delight to recall her glorious past,
rich in lofty and heroic examples, ,and
to witness her splendid present, SO
full of courage and industry and wis
dom.
We all must admit that North Car
olina had an excellent start, because
when she began her career she was
'Virginia," and she did so amazing
ly well that we Virginians like to re-
mind her of it, and we are proud to
know that her first permanent settle
ment was made by Virginians. But
she goes back ofthis and tells US that
she boasts of the first English settle
ment in the new world, and that
Virginia Dare, the first child of the
English race born on this continent
was hers. Her first governor, Will
liam Drummond, came to her from
Virginia, and he began from the estart
| to make her q record by becoming a
patriot and a martyr. Every boy
knows that she boasts OF being the
birth place of Daniel Boone, that
prince of pioneers, king OF Indian
lighters and pride of Kentucky. Not
to speak of Flora Mcdonald, that
picturesque and lovely Scotch hero
inc, as we'll as q number of romantic
characters. But when we come to
call over the names of her truly great
men, and to look at her history SO
resplendent with great names and
great deeds, We must admit that no
iafter-dinner speech can do her justice.
As l stood last April by the grave
of Cornelius Harnett,in Wilmington,
and took part in the laying OF the
cornerstone of the monument to be
erected to his memory, and heard the
long roll-call of North Carolina's 8 i'm.
mortals, l felt what the orator said
was true that the very air we breath
ed was fragrant with the incense o.
offerings laid on the altars OF liberty
and constitutional government, that
that hallowed spot was richly rec
with patriotic blood; that the page
of history was luminous with the rec
ords of deeds Of valor done by Nortl
Cardinals sons.
i ALWAYS CONSPICUOUS.
But hers is indeed q wonderful his
tory. 1t is connected with much o
the romance of the career of Sir Wal
ter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth. NJ
less a man than the famous Johr
Locks drew up for her the most elab
crate and comprehensive scheme o
government ever devised for any col
ony. 1t was called the ''Fundament
al Constitution or Grand Model.
From the earliest times she offered {
retreat for the oppressed and unfor
tunate, and her history has been sing
| uldTlS lEtt lIOiu Glt SudiSc vi tlSi &c
cutions. She has ever been promp
to assert her rights and stand up TO
what she believed to be just. The frs
! blood shed in the cause of the Revolu
tion was upon her soil, and was tina
of her sons. First at the battle OF Ala
mance, May 16, 1771, and again a
the battle OF Moore's Creek Bridge
I where Caswell defeated the British
Feb 27, 1776, two months before th
battle of Lexington. Henry Alex
ander White in his recent History {
the United States says that "this wa
the first clear victory won by th
! Americans in the war OF independence,
: 1t was great in its results. Itcause
the failure of the British plan t
Z land q large army in North Carolina.
! In spite of her Jefferson and ht
\ Richie it appears to be proven the
u .I~ ,>~@rrool Tho u,< noo1o + -