Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1926-10-14
CAR0LINA'S PART
IN INDEPENDENCE
Spontaneous Acts of Her People
Were Ingredients Out of Which a
Nation Was Constructed
Governor Angus w. Mclean Spoke
at the Sesqui-Centenniai Expo
sition Monday

Following is the address in full of
Governor Angus W. Mclean, deliver
ed Monday, North Carolina Day, at
the Sesqui-C Centennial exposition at
upon the subject.
North Cardinals Part in Indepen-
dence:"
For nearly three years prior to- the
of the event, the peo-
pie of North Carolina had been pre-
pairing themselves by common
thought and action for participation
In that decisive epoch in the history
of peoples which had its beginning in
the Declaration of independence of
July 4, 1776.
"The distinctive geographic and
economic conditions existing in CO.
lonlal North Carolina accentuated the
lndlvldualistic liberty-loving charac-
terlstics of the self-sustaining irhab-
ltants and guaranteed their stubborn
resistance to what they regarded as
excessive government from anv out
,ide source. From the Stamp Act of
1863 uTtil the outbreak of the Revo-
luton. North Carolina reflected her
opposition to British policy and her
championship of the American cause
by all the current forms of demonsta-
tion-meetings of protest and resist
ance, committees of correspondence,
participation in the Continental Con-
gress, committees of safety, non-im-
portant resolves, the revolutionary
exercise of the functions of govern
ment, expulsion of the royal COVER
nor and an enthusiastic rally to the
cause of Boston as the cause Of all
"As early as the year 1913, they
had observed in the differences be-
tween the mother country and the
American colonies portents which
counseled united action in a common
cause. We thus find the general as
sembly of: 1873, appointing in Novem-
ber of that year, a committee of
correspondence. When the port of
Boston was closed by the CROWN in
June, 1774, North Carolina shared
fully in the general resentment; and
we find Parker Ounce sailing from
Wilmington with ship off provisions
while New Bern and the Albemarle
section dispatched another vessel as
a gift to the protesting colonists.
In order to- send delegates to the
Continental Congress the committee
of correspondence in June, 1774, de-
termined upon the American prece-
dent of convention of the people
of the colony. On July 21st, the
people of the Wilmington district
met and appointed committee to
call for an election of delegates by
every county. In a little more than
one month, on August 25, 1774, this
convention was an accomplished fact,
N session at New Bern.
This convention was net only the
first representative body elected by
the people of any colony outside and
independently of the coust tuted au-
thority of the crown, but it was the
first expression Il An7o-;sa of or
ganized defiance and resistance to
oppressive measures imposed by Eng
land.
Its action included provision for
a cimmittee to be elected in each
county, afterwards called the COM
mittee of safety 1t brought forth
the declaration that after January all
important tea and manufactures from
Great Britain should cease. 1t au-
thorized its delegates to the conti-
mental congress to enter into agree
ments with the delegates of other
colonies. 1t authorized it's chairman,
Colonel Harvey, to issue call for
another convention when necessary.
"The next few months furnished
abundant evidence that the conven-
ton had been truly representative of
the popular will and sentiment The
counties promptly organized the
committees of safety which had been
provided for. Ancient Edenton held
Tea Party such as afterwards was
SO celebrated when staged in Boston,
with the exception that the North
Carolinians who engaged in the act
of protest did not attempt, even
slightly, to disguise themselves. At
Wilmington ladies in procession
burned their tea in protest, while the
men of New Hanover and Brunswick
counties busted themselves prophet
cally with the formation of military
companies and their organization into
regiments. In February, 1775, Col.
Harvey issued the call for the elec-
ton of delegates to a second conven-
tion.
meanwhile the Royal Governor
Alexander Martin had seen the trend
of popular sentiment and was moving
to crush it by sending British Off
GERS to organize the Loyalists in the
interior and to procure their arming.
"On April 3, 1775, the general as