The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-20

G%reenville, N. c., April 17.-Cnly a
few DAYS ago in one of u State pa
pers, was the following:
THIS DATE IN HISTORY.
April 5.
177e-Georgia instructed her dele
gates for independence"
THAI was an eye opener and u
thoughts at once ran back to an artl-
Gle in our last. Sundays paper by
Prof. r. D. w. Common. on North
Cardinals New Holiday" which gave
some account of the making the date
of April 18th a State Holiday, by the
the date has been placed by leglsla-
tive enactment on the State flag, and
on State seal, along with that OF May
20, 1775, and it is but proper that
this next step should have been taken
and that April 18th should become a
legal holiday as May goth has been
for some years."
Further he says, The Halifax Res
olution of April II, 1875, was the first
declaration in favor of independence
by any American colony, and prop
erly c%onsidered, that date is the
proudest date in North Carolina his
tory"
That these statements were true
and a been heralded throughout the
| length and breadth Of our State,
placed upon our State flag, and was
a proud boast Of North Carolina, had
never been doubted by this writer,
and that Georgia item above was a
sumner to him. He Immediately con-
suited Moore's North Carolina history
and found near a page on the matter
along the same lines, declaring that
with the exception Of the "Mecklen-
burg Declaration there a not been
in all America an instance Of a pub
lie expression Of the least desire for
separation from Britain" In volume
X, Colonial Records, in Col Saunders
Predatory Notes, we n This was
the first authoritative, explicit decla-
ration, by more than a month, by
any colony in favor Of full, final sepa-
ration from Britain
Then we began to look about to see
| what other historians might have said
about the matter of independence.
In Thompson's school history, he
says, writing of the formation of new
government: South Carolina, had
gone further; in March it had organ
lied a complete independent govern
ment by adopting a constitution and
installing the executive, legislative,
and judicial officers" Mrs. Lee cor
roborates this, but places the date in
February, and further says Thus
this little colony was the first to pro-
claim herself a State Independent of
all other governments" Alexander
stephens history says: "In January,
1916, Massachusetts instructed her
delegates to vote for independence.
South Carolina gave similar instruc-
lions to her delegates in March. Geor-
gia n North Carolina did the same
in April Thus it would seem that
North Carolina was fourth instead of
first. But perhaps Mr.. Stephens did
not know? anyway these are worth
Halifax could not have her big cele-
bration this year Let the matter be
looked into.
AS to the first Declaration, Neck
lenburg stands uncontradicted. as to
North Cardinals devotion TO the
cause Of liberty ana the sacrifices it
made, there is no question; but should
it claim too much? Already some Of
its claims have aroused j~eafousies and
it is Well that they be founded on UNI
dlsputable testimony.
But Ven though it may be a mat
ter of dispute it is good to find that
the doings Of other States than Mas
sachusetts, and Virginia. The old
Boston Tee Party. and the Patrick
Henry explosions have sos long filled
the minds of Il school children thai
it is time to change medicine and let
it be knoWn that there was patriotism
and liberty loving people in other
States But let is. Keep North Caro-
lima history straight. The truth is
good enough for North Carolina. And
in the words Of the immortal Schley,
There is glory enough for ALL e..