The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-05

North Carolina History.
tlyics and agriculture, when studied
af all in the public schools. are usually
studied apart from history. But are
they not necessary to the understands
ing or history? Even il they are
studied both before and after the
study of State History, they should
ALSO De studied along with and as a
Fart or State History. In North Caro-
una a beginners course in agriculture
Is required in the fifth and sixth
grades. The History Of North Caro-
INA Is taught also in the sixth grade.
"Hhie clFli is put in the
seventh grade. This seems to me an
admirable arrangement provided the
significance Of agriculture and the
signiilcance of good government are
made plain in the State History.
AS North Carolina is experimenting
with the commission form Of govern
r1ent for cities the whole subject of
civlcs might Well be introduced by
caillng attention to this new and
promising development in the science
OF self-government. Civics should be
taught at least in a human rather
than IN a formal way so that the pupil
may in~tslligently think himself
through the leading offices of State.
county and town. There should be a
state government, a county govern
1nent and a city government organized
from time to time amOng the pupils.
y boy who has played governor, or
Legislator, or county commissioner, or
mayor, or policeman Will have learned
that the duties of democratic citizen
ship need more emphasis tina the
rights. He Will also be enabled to
read his States history with an in
sight and sympathy impossible before.
Literature.
The history Of literature in North
Carolina has never been written. but
enough is known TO warrant the his
tOrian in calling attention to our ma
tive writer's as Interpreters and mould
ers of our history. Two North Caro-
linians at least have touched the in
tellect and heart of t, : nation in a
unique way. Hinton Rowan Helpers
book, The Impending Crisis GS57)
remains the ablest discussion of the
economic weakness Of slavery that has
yet been written. The tone is bitter
but the State cannot afford to omit
this man from the roll of it's national
thinkers. New England wives" says
Helper, "have written the most popu-
lar anti-slavery literature of the day.
Against this I have nothing to say; it
is we'll enough for women to give the
f!ctions of slavery; men should give
the facts The effect Of 9TH I'M
pending Crisis" on the thought of the
nation was hardly less than the effect
of "Uncle Toms Cabin" on the emo
tions Of the nation.
What Helper, of Mocksville. did for
the economic argument against slav-
cry O. Henry, of Greensboro, did for
the four millions of New York. The
one appealed to the head the other
tc the heart. But both appeals were
national and the service of both men
should be capitalized in our history
for future generations.
l have reference, however, chiefly
to North Carolina writer's who have
found their inspiration in their native
soil, writers who "a celebrated the
scenery or perpetuated the traditions
of their own State. Such writer's are
history-makers and history interpre-
ters. The "Old North State" by Gas
ton. is the best-known State song in
America. It's music : ] words have
done more to bind North Carolinians
together in a community of interest
and idealiSm than any other single
poem in our literature. 1t should not
only be memorized in every school but
studied as an Interpretation Of the
State spirit at the time when it was
written. 1t is not a inal interpreted
ton, but it will stimulate others to
attempt a better.
Mrs. Tiernan's Land of the Sky'
1S76) introduced Western North
Carolina to the outside world. 1t did
for the region around Asheviiie a ser
vice comparable to that done by
Irving's RIP Van Wrinkle" and 1.-The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow for the
neighborhood Of Tarrytown-on-the-
Hudson. If Burton Egbert Stevenson,
in his Poems of American History"
roOSA finds 2 place for w.
Writings poem on "Alamance' and
William G.. Elam's poem on The
Mecklenburg Declaration" ought not
the historians Of North Carolina to
find a place for them? If these and
similar poems belong to American his
tory. do they not belong also to North
Carolina history? If the pup. learns
nothing more from them than that lit
erature has from the beginning been