School History of North Carolina Part 18

"Resolved, That the delegates for this colony in the Continental Congress be empowered to concur with the delegates of the other colonies in declaring independence and forming foreign alliances, reserving to this colony the sole and exclusive right of forming a const.i.tution and laws for this colony, and of appointing delegates from time to time (under direction of a general representation thereof) to meet the delegates of the other colonies for such purposes as shall be hereafter pointed out."

And thereupon the Congress did so resolve unanimously.

4. With the exception of the Mecklenburg Declaration of the year before, there had been, up to that time, nowhere in all America a single organized body to venture on such a proposition.

Individuals like Samuel Adams, William Hooper and Christopher Gadsden had been heard advocating it; but every other a.s.sembly was yet protesting its loyalty to the King. It was more than a month before Virginia consented to Patrick Henry's demands, and the other colonies were to follow at intervals after her endors.e.m.e.nt.

5. In the annals of the world there is no prouder record than the entry made on the journals of the Halifax Congress on the 12th day of April, 1776. A great fleet and army were yet upon the soil and within the waters of North Carolina, but this could not deter these resolute patriots from thus taking the lead in a doubtful and perilous departure from all the ties and obligations of the past.

6. It can then be understood how joyously the news was received at this same town of Halifax on July 22d, that the Continental Congress, at Philadelphia, had acceded to the wishes of North Carolina, and had, on the 4th day of the same month, declared the "Independence of America."

7. The "Council of Safety" was at that time in session at Halifax, and by it Thursday, the 1st of August, was set as a day for proclaiming the declaration at the courthouse in Halifax, and the people were invited to attend. On the day appointed, according to the vivid description of an eye-witness, a vast concourse of people a.s.sembled in front of the court house. The provincial troops and the militia were all drawn up in full array. At midday Cornelius Harnett ascended a rostrum that had been erected in front of the courthouse, and even as he opened the scroll upon which was written the immortal words of the declaration, the enthusiasm of the immense crowd broke forth in one loud swell of rejoicing and prayer. When he had finished, all the people shouted with joy, and the cannon sounding from fort to fort, proclaimed the glorious tidings that all the thirteen colonies were now free and independent States.

The soldiers seized Mr. Harnett and bore him on their shoulders through the town. The declaration was ordered to be read in all portions of North Carolina, and, except in one county, the mandate was everywhere obeyed.

8. All the North Carolina troops then in arms, including the two Continental regiments and the militia under General Ashe, were in Charleston. They were spectators of the combat in which the gallant Moultrie, within his fort of palmetto logs, signally defeated the same British fleet under Sir Peter Parker that had been so recently in Cape Fear River.

9. General James Moore marched northward from Charleston with his brigade, but died in Wilmington. His death was a serious loss to North Carolina and the cause of liberty, for in military genius, as in patriotic devotion, he had few equals and no superior in America. Colonel Francis Nash succeeded to his place. General Howe was sent to Savannah, having with him his old command, the Second North Carolina Regiment. Four new regiments were ordered by the Provincial Congress and were soon put in the field.

10. On the same day with the battle in Charleston Harbor, June 28th, 1776, the Cherokee Indians descended from their mountain homes and murdered two hundred western settlers. General Griffith Rutherford collected two thousand men of the militia regiments in his command, and took such swift and ample vengeance that from that time these Indians ceased to trouble the frontier.

They had been incited by British agents to their disastrous work.

QUESTIONS.

1. What is said of the fourth Provincial Congress? Where was it held?

2. In what condition was public sentiment when the Congress met?

3. What was done on the fourth day of the session? Why should the 12th day of April, 1776, ever be remembered? Can you state the substance of this memorable declaration of independence?

4. What is said of the Halifax declaration?

5. Tell something of the boldness of this declaration.

6. What was done by the Continental Congress on May 4th?

7. Describe the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

8. Where were the North Carolina soldiers at that time?

9. What other military movements were mentioned?

10. What occurred on January 28th, 1776?

CHAPTER XXVIII.

ADOPTION OF A STATE CONSt.i.tUTION.

A. D. 1776.

After the public avowal by the people of North Carolina, through their newly organized Congress at Halifax, in April, 1776, of a fixed purpose to secure, by force of arms, absolute independence from the mother country, and of her desire to enter into foreign alliances to accomplish that end, there was no reason for any longer delay in establishing a permanent form of government for the colony. Hitherto, pride of consistency in form at least, to say nothing of a considerate regard for tender consciences, if not for weak nerves, might well have held them back. After the action of the Congress on the 12th of April, however, it was manifest that the day of provisional government was nigh its close, and that the people of North Carolina must abide the arbitrament of war to which they had appealed, whether in future they should be free, self-governing citizens or dependent subjects of a foreign government. The half-way ground and the time for temporary expedients were both left behind in North Carolina on the 12th of April, 1776. There was great division, however, among the wisest and best men in the province as to the true nature of the new system of government which had thus become necessary.

2. Samuel Johnston was a wise and patriotic leader. He was a man of wealth and experience in public affairs, and was devoted to his country, but he thought that new experiments in government were dangerous, and withal was long very much averse to a final separation from Great Britain. He wished to keep up the old system of rule as far as possible; among other reasons, because he doubted the ability of the people to govern themselves. These views were also held by General Allen Jones, of Northampton, and other prominent men.

3. On the other hand, Willie Jones, of Halifax, brother of General Allen Jones, was the leader of a majority of the legislators and the people. He held as the fundamental article of his political creed that the American people were capable of governing themselves, and that all political power belonged to and proceeded from them. Like Jefferson, of Virginia, he advocated religious freedom, separation of Church and State, liberty of the press and choice of rulers by the ma.s.ses at the ballot-box.

4. Between these two champions of opposing theories stood Richard Caswell, a man of excellent discretion and great practical common sense, who, happily tempering the fierce democracy of Jones with the more cautious conservatism of Johnston, possessed, in a rare degree, the confidence of the people of North Carolina of every faction. A Marylander by birth, he came to North Carolina when quite a youth, without fortune or friends, and won his unbounded popularity by long years of unselfish, unstinted devotion to her service.

5. Men of strong convictions, especially when accustomed to shape public sentiment, do not readily yield to opposing views, and it was a happy thing for North Carolina that she possessed such a man as Caswell, whose commanding influence enabled him to control and finally to compose the fierce differences that prevailed in regard to the character of the proposed new government. At his suggestion, the matter was postponed until the winter, when a new Congress would be in session, fresh from the people and in full possession of their views in the premises; and in this way the question at issue as to the character of the new government was remitted directly to the decision of the people,.

6. By formal resolution, adopted on the 9th of August, 1776, the Council of Safety called the attention of the people to the fact that the next Congress would frame a const.i.tution for the State, and urged, for that reason, that the greatest care be taken in the selection of delegates at the ensuing election.

7. The election was held on the 15th day of October, and the Congress met at Halifax on the 12th day of November, and, on motion of Allen Jones, made Richard Caswell its President.

Samuel Johnston, after a hot contest, had failed to be elected, and was consequently not a member. He was in Halifax, however, during the sitting of the Congress, and doubtless exercised but little less influence than he would have done had he been a delegate.

8. On the 17th of December, that most admirable enunciation of human rights, the bill of rights so-called, was adopted, and the next day the const.i.tution was adopted.

9. The new const.i.tution went into operation at once, with Caswell as the first Governor, and the great work of supplying the State with judges, sheriffs, magistrates and other officers began. For several years there had been no courts to administer justice, either civil or criminal, except military tribunals and the various committees of safety. Fortunately, while Governor Caswell, aided by the legislative authorities, was putting in motion the untried machinery of a new government, and evoking civil order from military disorder, our British foes were far away to the northward. At last North Carolinians lived under a government of their own making, administered by officers of their own choosing.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was seen to be the next necessary step after the action of the Halifax Congress? Can you tell what difficulties had previously existed?

2. What views were held by Governor Johnston?

3. What did Willie Jones consider necessary for the people? What was advocated by him?

4. How did Caswell consider these things?

5. What good influence was exerted by his opinion?

6. What did the Council of Safety do?

7. When did the Congress meet? Who was chosen to preside? What was done on December 17th?

8. Who was the first Governor of North Carolina under the const.i.tution? Describe the condition of affairs?

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE WAR CONTINUED.

A. D. 1777 to 1779.

All of the North Carolina Continentals were with General Washington early in the new year 1777. They reached him in a great emergency. His army had just been driven from New York across the State of New Jersey, and such had been his losses by battle and otherwise, that when he reached the Delaware River he could hardly muster five thousand men.