The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-06-14

glorious flag. the flag of the
lag. TO rally round the flag. to follow
the flag. to draw their swords in de-
tense of it and, if need be. TO lay .loVn
their very lives in protecting il. True
to the Old flag is the his hest praise
that can be paid the soldier and we
even speak of the Heavenly Father
as one whose banner over US * love.
We honor the passing of our greatest
statesmen by letting the flag fly at
half mast. and for the hero. no more
honorable shroud can be found than
the folds OF his ccuntry's flag. WON IN
make and present the fiaes. men Of
God bless them, poets and historians
write IN praise of them, heroes bear
them where only heroes dare to ,rrad
and. when their day of active service
Is Over-tattered. torn. stained, riddled
With bullet holes and sabre cuts
loving n loyal hands proudly place
them where they may be seen and
honored by all who love their fathers
and their fatheriand.
The tourist j~ourneying England and
Scotland has his attention arrested
again and again by the display Of
fagSfiags- In museums. halls, abbeyS.
castles, libraries and catnedraiS one is
constantly confronted 10y an array of
banners. some of them mere tattered
fragments many centuries old. some
Of them borne by knights in armor in
the long ago.. some carried by cava-
ilerS and rOundheads. Tho brave fol-
lowers of Prince Rupert and Crom-
we'll, or by the soldiers OF Marlborough
and Wellington or Wallace and Bruce
of them carefully preserved as
object lessons in patriotism to genera
ton after generation Of boys and girls
who owe to hear the story of Halor
and heroic deeds.
Now, why do men ana women thus
love and honor their country's flag
What is it more than q mere piece Of
cloth and why should We speak Of it in
terms of pride and affection: The an
swer is nipple. We honor the flag for
lat it represents. 1t IS the emblem
of our State or Nation-the symbol Of
what is noblest and best, most heroic
and honorable. in human achievement.
for the STARS and Stripes"
means love for native land and ATneri-
can ideals; love for the :iag of the ON
federacy means love for the old South
and the traditions Of our Fathers.
For. though conquered, we adore it!
Love the cold, dead hands hat bore
Weep for those who fell before it!
Yes, tbs wreathed around with glory,
And twill live in sons and story,
Though its folds are in the dust:
For it's fame on brig htest pages,
Penned by poets and by sages.
Shall go sounding down the ages
Furl it's folds though now we must
Loyalty to the flag Of North Caro-
lima means loyalty to what it repre-
sents-the ideals, the achievements
the long and honorable history Of the
Old North State. Under its folds our
bravest and best have gone forth to
battle for freedom and human rights.
On it We have inscribed the dates most
famous in our States history. May
20. 1775, when the patriots Of Meek
lenburg issued the first American dec
laration of independence, and April
IL. 1776, when our representatives as
sembled at Halifax were first to in
struct our delegates to vote for Ameri-
IAN liberty and separation from Great
Britain. It was love for this flag that
led so manv thousand North Carolina
boys to assemble under Lee and Jack
son and Longstreet and Johnston and
Hill and other gallant Confederate
leaders and for four long years wage
a heroic conflict against most fearful
Cd DIS. 1t was in espOnse to the home
ca1l-the call of North Carolina-that
our brave boys. the Guilford Grays, the
Guilford Dixie Boys, the Guilford men.
went forth to endure hunger, cold.
suffering. wounds and death-addins
to the proud record Of their fathers
and alas, that we should have to say
ito the long list Of those who give
their lives a sacrifice for southern
honor and southern rights.
Yes for southern honor and for
southern rights-for in my mind the
contest Of our fathers is not to be
thought of as a Lost Cause nor Is a
struggle for what they Thought was
right"
A little incident in the life Of the
Grays may be interesting to the boys
and girls today. On h 9Th Of May.
1850, just so years ago.. there marched
along West Market street from the
to the beautiful grove OF
Edgeworth Female seminary-territo-
ry now occupied by the several resi-
dences extending from Mr.. BevlTs to
Captain Neil Eilington's-the newly
organized company Of the "Guilford
Grays." Some officers Of the company
were Captain John Sloan. William
Adams. James T. Morehead, John A..
Gilmer. Henry c. Gorrell and j. e.
Logan surgeon. The musicians Of the