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

general and a member Of the ~counci
Wnen government was set up in Abe
marie county, On June 2, 1865, wrote
10 the lords prOprietors, saying: The
peOple Will not remove from Virginia
upon harder conditions than they can
hVe there. it being land only that they
came for
many years endeavoring and en-
cOurag1ng the people to select Abe
marie, and that those that live upon
a place are best able to Judge of the
place, therefore, the petition Of the
Generai Assembly that was here con-
Gus consideration.
Ihat these people were not NAL
contents, lawlesS, cOmplainers, ire
sponsible, is evidenced finally, both by
n reasonable request they made and
by the ready received to
their reasonable demands. for on the
first day of May, 1868, the lords pro-
pr1etors delivered to our trusty and
well beloved Samuel Stephens, Esq,
governor of our county of Albenarle,
and OF the Isles and inIets within ten
leagues thereof; and to our trustv and
well beloved councillors and assistants
70 our said governor the great Deeds
In which the quit rents were reduced
TO the Virginia basis and might be
paid in kind.
You will pardon another reference
to h character of the men who set
tied our State. AS a child it made my
blood hot with indignation to read
that they were Indifferent citizens.
There Is 10 better way OF judging a
people than by a study of the laws
they enact. Let US for a moment
study our ancestors in the light of
legislation.
w are not able to say definitely
hen the noAn4o of tho cnlanv horo in
representative assembly first submit
ted laws to the lords prODrietOrs for
their ratification. We at least know
that it was Don after government was
first organized here. for within ten
years we find that on January 10th,
1863, the lords proprietors ratified
nine separate acts previously sub
mitted by the grand general assent bly,
of AIbemarle, in North Carolina.
These acts were again ratified and
passed at an assembly held october
18th, 1715. at the house OF Capt.
in PerQuimans county. Mr.. France
Nixon, after whom this locality is
named transmitted the laws to the
proprietors.'
In closing Governor Winston said:
mo fellow citizens. these men were
the genesis of the present day North
Carolina. Measure them by any Of
the that have obtained in
estimating cOlonists and we are con-
tent. They were the first to firmly
ASK a redress Of wrongs. They were
the first to declare for freedom. They
pursued with vigOr and ability every
known method of men determined to
establish an enduring government.
Their descendants today are the
pureSt Anglo-SaxOns on the globe. The
highest ideals Of personal, mercantile
and professional conduct still obtains
-~ AI~:-
legislation is responsive to the needs
of the people. The source of this
stream must have been pure
At the close of the address of the
day and the singing of the National
Anthem. the Rev. DR.. r. b. Drane, of
Edenton, pronounced the benedictiOn.
The audience then adjourned to the
grave, where, beside the stump Cl an
old oak tree, under which 245 years
ago there met those pioneer law
makers of the State, stood the hand
some granite tablet, erected by the
Daughters Of the Revolution.
gloriously draped in the Stars and
Stripes and the flag Of North Caro-
lima.
After brief exercises, our little
girls. Misses Mahala Meekins, Rose
Smith, Catherine Jones and Virginia
Flora, members of the Junior Society.
Daughters of the Revolution, of EllZ-
abeth City, clads in white and with
streamers Of the Continental colors
floating from their shoulders, pulled
the buff and blue ribbons attached to
the flags and the tablet, with his
sompe inscription:
The First Albemarle Assembly Met
Here
February s, 1865.
Erected by the Sir Walter Raleigh
Chapter,
Daughters of the Revolution,
June IL, 1910"
was unveiled to the public view.
Cheer upon cheer greeted the beau
tifnf and impressive scene and a pa
triotic song arose spontaneously and
was waited across the country side.
Thus closed one of the most memo
rable lays of this section and of
P~asauOtank county