The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-03-09

Party and the Humiliation Of the
State.
"Now, fellow-citiZens, let us go
step further and see why it is that
the Democratic party in North Caro-
lima has made such a humiliating
record of false issues and broken
promises, and descended to such q
low estate that it dare not face the
people upon the great living issues
that affect the welfare of every man,
woman and child of this great COM
monwealth.
There was a time when the DEM
ocratic party was a great party. It
was a great party when it had great
leaders like the late lamented, hon.
ored, and beloved Zebulon Bayard
Vance. Cloud .applause.) When
the party was led by him and lieu
tenants in harmony with his high,
exalted and patriotic views, the par
ty then stood for great policies and
principles looking to the uplift and
progress of the people of the whole
State.
"Our people of this great State
have made great record themselves
and spring from a great ancestry,
to whose proud record we can all
point with pardonable pride. In all
the history of England, recording the
continuous struggles for civil and
religious liberty, there is not chap
ter covering hundred and fifty
years that is so bright and inspiring
as the chapter written by our fathers
and fore-fathers in a further strug-
gle for civil and religious liberty in
the United States and the colonies
before the States; and in all of that
bright record of proud American
history, there is no chapter so
bright as that written by the brave
and noble thoughts, utterances and
deeds of the people Of the Colony of
Carolina and of the people of this
great State of North Carolina.
eft was the patriots at Alamance
who first spilled their blood defying
tyrant governor appointed by a
tyrant English King. The hallowed
blood split in Alamance was follow
ed by the brave and patriotic action
Of the great people of Mecklenburg
in meeting in public assembly and
declaring their independence of the
English crown on May 90, 1775,
more than year before the other
colonies joined in such a declaration
at Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
"The brave deeds of North Caro-
linians at the battle Of Moore's
Creek, Kings Mountain, and at Gull
ford Court House, will ever stand
out as the brightest of stars in that
galaxy of tributes to the heroes of
the Revolution.
"It was clear-headed, brave and
patriotic North Carolinians, after the
British red-coats were forever driv-
en- from American soil, who demand
ed that our Constitution of the States
should be amended so as to protect
forever human rights by proper and
sufficient amendments.
Later, when the great struggle
occurred between the North and the
South over a proper Interpretation
of the rights of the people under
that great instrument, North Caro-
linians, in their broad, conservative
and patriotic wisdom, were the last
to yield to the terrible fact that such
conflict was inevitable. 1t was
not until the die was cast by others
that the people of this State plunged
into the conflict. but when they did
they made a record for patriotic
courage and valor that has never
been excelied in the history of the
world.
.'The first life sacrificed in that
great cause was North Carolinian.
The people of our State, though
struggling to the last faintest hope
to prevent such an unfortunate con-
flict, when once in the conflict, fur
nished more soldiers to uphold the
rights of the South than did any