USA > North Carolina > Guilford County > Greensboro > The history of the first North Carolina reunion at Greensboro, N. C., October eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth, nineteen hundred and three > Part 9
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"Carolina! Carolina! Heaven's blessings attend her! While we live we will cherish, protect, and defend her; Though the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her, Our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her."
For these fifty thousand Virginia-Carolinians or Carolina-Virginians, which- ever you may prefer to call them-and I do not believe that any better brand of either Carolinians or Virginians ever drew breath-for these fifty thousand brothers and sisters of ours whom North Carolina has loaned to Virginia, and who, though busy and happy in the State of their adoption, nevertheless turn longing and loving eyes toward the State of their birth, I wish to be spokesman
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in part this afternoon, and especially for that thrice-happy contiugent whose good fortune it is to live in the famous and beautiful city by the James, which is the capital of that commonwealth, and which was and is and ever will be in history and memory the capital also of the short-lived but immortal Confed- eracy.
There is no city in the world whose name thrills the hearts of all true Caro- linians with such tender and heroic memories. When the red wave of war rolled around her forty years ago, and the troops of all the confederated States vied with each other in the defense of their beleaguered capital, there were none whose blood flowed more freely in her behalf than that of the sons of North Carolina; and so to the sons of North Carolina in every succeeding generation the very soil of Richmond will be holy ground by reason of that baptism with North Carolina blood. In her peaceful cemeteries at Oakwood and Hollywood, hundreds of the heroes sleep who at their country's call left these hills and plains, which they loved no less than we, to lay down their lives on the fields of Virginia.
For these reasons North Carolinians can never be indifferent to Richmond; nor can Richmond ever be indifferent to them.
In the Confederate museum, which occupies the war-time residence of President Davis, there is a North Carolina room, along the side of which, in large letters, runs the ringing line which summarizes our record in the war- "First at Bethel, farthest at Gettysburg, last at Appomattox"-and from the walls of which, among the portraits of other men of our stock whom Virginia delights to honor, there looks down the strong and genial face of that transcen- dant North Carolinian, Zebulon B. Vance, the greatest war-governor of any State, North or South, and the man who, on a later occasion, when Virginia lacked a fit champion of her own on the floor of the Federal Senate, became her defender, and stood as fearlessly for the rights of her people as he had ever stood for the rights of his own. Virginia will never forget that service. Dis- tinguished natives and residents of the State have vied with each other in expressing their enthusiastic appreciation of the character and services of our great senator, and of the great people whom he represented. Only yesterday I was reading such a tribute from General Bradley T. Johnson, over whose bier Virginia bowed herself weeping less than a week ago. He says that Governor Vance's purchase of steamers with the State's money during the war. and his organization of a line from Wilmington to Bermuda, kept North Carolina sol- diers the best armed, best clothed, and best equipped of any in the field; and he uses the fact as an illustration of what he calls our extraordinary capacity of knowing what to do, and of doing it. For he declares that the most marked characteristic of the North Carolinian is his executive capacity-his ability to do things. And, he adds, this beats to nothing the ability to talk. He has never distinguished himself much as an orator or as a writer; he has never been a Patrick Henry nor a Jefferson; but in seeing the thing to do, and in doing it, he surpasses all Southern men. The same gallant soldier says that in 1861 the military population of North Carolina was 115,369, and she furnished 125,000 men to the Confederate army, nearly one-third of whom perished during the conflict. And yet, when the end came. both at Appomattox and at Greensboro, she stacked more muskets than any other State of the Confederacy.
These generous words indicate. far more fittingly than anything which it would be proper for me to say, the hearty admiration felt by Richmond for North Carolinians, and, as I need hardly add, the North Carolinians resident there reciprocate the feeling heart and soul. One of the most honored veterans
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in Richmond, and one of my warmest personal friends, while yielding to no man in his admiration of North Carolina's devotion and courage, thinks that per- haps the claims thus put forward by writers from Virginia and Maryland as to North Carolina's part in the war have been a trifle overdrawn, but, after every abatement in the interests of absolute accuracy, it remains a glorious record. And the Virginians rejoice to recognize it.
Another gallant gentleman and Confederate veteran, one of the staff officers of Stonewall Jackson, now my neighbor and intimate personal friend, who could have marched with Deborah's soldiers out of Zebulum according to either the Authorized Version or the Revised, since he can handle with equal ease the marshal's baton and the pen of the writer, but who now has laid aside the sword for good, and is permanently engaged in the peaceful pursuit of editing a religious newspaper, says handsomely in his last issue that the reason there are so many distinguished non-resident natives of the Old North State is that they are in such great demand elsewhere; adding that if North Carolina were to withdraw from Virginia her many sons and daughters, there would be a serious disturbance if not a breakdown of some institutions.
These kindly expressions indicate well the delightful relations existing between the North Carolinians living in Richmond and the people of the fair city of their adoption.
But I hasten to turn these remarks into another channel, lest we appear to be guilty of unseemly self-praise. I was told recently of a native of North Carolina, and of my part of North Carolina, too, who had moved to one of the Gulf States, and naturally enough had been inade governor of the State, and had given the commonwealth a strong, clean, prosperous administration; and who, on standing for re-election, reviewed his services to the State with par- donable pride, describing con amore and in extenso what he had done for her, and dwelling upon it with such evident satisfaction and glowing emphasis as to call forth from an old darkey who was among his hearers, and who was asked what he thought of the governor's speech. the succinct remark, "He sut'nly do recommend hisself". But. Mr. President, if we seem to do the same this after- noon, let it be remembered that this is our time for boasting. if ever such a time comes to such a people as ours-this is North Carolina day. Surely it may be permitted a solid, steady, thorough-going State like ours, which has ever been more renowned for doing things than for talking about them, to call attention, once in a modest way, on the occasion of the first Reunion of her scattered sons and daughters, to what the people have said about them among whom they have lived. Nay, sir; I go further. If Sir Walter Scott was correct in what he said about Roderick Dhu that
"One blast upon his bugle horn Were worth a thousand men";
then, reversing the sentiment, I should say that for three hundred and thirty thousand men of North Carolina birth, living and laboring in other States, even two blasts upon a bugle horn were not a blast too much. Moreover, my point in quoting what Virginians have said about North Carolinians was to show how happy the relations are which exist between these generous and high-minded people of the Old Dominion and the North Carolinians who have gone to dwell among them.
But, besides this bond of sacred sentiment to which I have referred, grow- ing out of their brotherhood in the days that tried men's souls, when shoulder
Honorable J. Bryan Grimes Secretary of State
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to sboulder they marched and fought, and side by side laid down their lives- besides the respect and confidence developed in a common experience of disaster and sorrow, when both proud commonwealths were trampled and phundered -- besides the grateful appreciation and affection kindled in the hearts of Vir- ginians by the chivalrous services rendered their State by North Carolinians, and the equally grateful appreciation and affection kindled in the hearts of North Carolinians by the no-less chivalrous services rendered their State by Virginians-besides this bond of sacred sentiment, there is between us a bond of common business interests, which can probably not be paralleled in the rela- tions existing between any other two States in the Union. Not only do these States lie side by side along a boundary line of some three hundred and fitty miles, like two fair sisters in loving embrace-not only is this the longest single boundary between any two of the original thirteen States, so that more of their territory is in actual juxtaposition and contact than in the case of any other two, but the line itself is an arbitrary one; determined by no natural barrier; and is, therefore, invisible and easily crossed, so that the people of the two States easily mingle. As the New River flows from North Carolina into Vir- ginia and the Dan from Virginia into North Carolina; both, however, crossing and recrossing the line repeatedly, as though liking both States so much that they can not decide which they like best; so the people of the two cross and recross the border, equally at home on either side.
Another thing which has mightily promoted the commercial as well as social intimacy of the two commonwealths is the way in which the railroads have been built.
Great trunk lines, running North and South, and traversing the whole width of both, and sending lateral ramifications this way and that, have bound the two States together in bands of steel. Our North Carolina railways have sought the sea as much or more by the deep-water ports of Virginia than by those of our own State, and have poured our cotton and tobacco and other products, as well as our men and women, into Norfolk and Richmond in a steady and enriching stream. It is the radiating railways of Richmond which have made her so largely the distributing center of North Carolina as well as Virginia.
And in this day of shifting properties and more elaborate organization, with their promise of still larger prosperity, it well becomes both Richmond and North Carolina to recall the debt they owe to the men like Colonel Buford and his co-laborers, who first developed the great system which has ever since been and must continue to be the keystone of the arch so far as systems of transportation between North Carolina and Virginia are concerned.
We feel, then, that North Carolina has contributed no little to the upbuild- ing of Richmond. In short, we feel that in every way our interests are largely identified. As Tarheels born, we can never be weaned from North Carolina; but we are thoroughly naturalized at Richmond. We feel perfectly at home there-and indeed when I meet them on the street I find it as difficult to tell the Richmonder who was born in Virginia from the Richmonder who was born in North Carolina as it would be to tell the Dromio of Ephesus from the Dromiio of Syracuse. They are alike courteous, gentle, and just; manly, straightfor- ward, and true. Richmond's interests are our interests, and. as we think of her splendid natural advantages, her elevated inland situation, with her swelling hills and breezy plateaus, midway between the mountains and the sea, at the head of steamboat navigation, witl. the falls of the James to drive her machin- ery; as we think of her business enterprise, historical interest, social refinement.
F. N. C. R .- VII
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and educational facilities, all residents of Richmond, Tarheel and Tuckahoe alike, exclaim with affectionate pride, in the language of the great apostle, "We are citizens of no mean city''.
Mr. President, it was once said by a gifted son of Maryland that one of the outstanding characteristics of the North Carolinian is that he loves his State, and believes she is the best State that ever was. That is true. Your genuine Tarheel never has any other opinion. And I have this to say for the North Carolinians in Richmond, that there is not one of them who has ever harbored a disloyal or unfilial thought about the old State from which he came; not one of them who has ever tried to pillory the old mother who bore him and nourished him, to hold her up to public derision; not one of them who has spoken with scorn and bitterness of the shortcomings of the good old common- wealth; not one of them who has failed to sympathize with the enormous ditfi- culties and disadvantages with which she has had to contend; not one of them who has ever felt for a moment any loss of love for her on account of a change in his place of residence. Judge Hall, of Georgia, says that when war was declared against Spain the darkies became greatly agitated, because there was talk of putting them to the front to fight the Spaniards. They offered all sorts of excuses for not enlisting. One old negro said to a gentleman who was urging him to take up arms against Spain: "Whut fur, Mars George? I ain't got nuthin' agin them Spaniels. They never dun nuthin' to me. What's the use of us fightin'?"
"Patriotism", replied the gentleman; "yon should fight for love of country".
"Heh", said the darkey; "luv er country; I dun live in town so long I aint got no use fer de country".
If there are any North Carolinians of that stripe, who since moving to town feel that way about their native State, I don't know them; and what is more I don't want to know them. I would prefer the acquaintance of Benedict Arnold.
At the same time, sir, we recognize the needs of our dear old State, and we are in full sympathy with the industrial, educational, and literary awakening which is the great characteristic of our time in North Carolina. As to the new era in our industries, I have no manner of doubt that we are on the threshold of a period of the greatest prosperity ever known in our history, and that our State is destined to be one of the richest in the Union, not only in the sense of possessing abundant wealth, but in the far more important sense of having that wealth well diffused among the people, instead of being congested into one or two plethoric channels.
As to the educational awakening, it is one of the greatest pleasures of this unique occasion to us home-coming Carolinians to meet here again today the men who have been your leaders in that great movement, and who have done so much to roll away the reproach of our illiteracy.
As to your literary activity, proper, let me say that we have welcomed with particular pleasure the appearance of the North Carolina booklets, Mrs. McCor- kle's admirable little volume of Old-Time Stories of the Old North State, for the children, and similar publications. Let this good work go on, till even the people of New England have learned something about the events of the Revo- lution in the South. Chauncey Depew says that the New England Puritan was a bigot and a sectary, fighting to preserve his own religious liberty, and to destroy that of everybody else: believing conscientiously in the political free- dom of himself. and the political suppression of everybody else. Whether that
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be true or not, it looks as if his descendants had Very industriously recorded and magnified their own history, and had with equal in lustry ignored and neg- lected the history of nearly everybody else in this country. They have been so busy magnifying Israel Putnam's bear-trackings and horseback rides and other matters more worthy of the process, that they have had no time to read or write of decisive events like the battles of Moore's Creek, King's Mountain, and Guilford Courthouse. At any rate, Senator Hoar, who is a pretty-well- informed man about some things, declared that he had never heard of Moore's Creek Bridge. Woe to the people whose history is written either by their enemies or by persons who are afflicted with the disease of big I and little U.
Mr. President, we feel today like the little boy to whom the minister said, "Well, Johnnie, I hear you are going to school now". "Yes, sir", was the reply. "And what part of it do you like best ?" asked the good man. "Comin' home", was the prompt and truthful answer. That's the way we feel, sir. The best thing about going away from North Carolina is coming back again.
Governor Aycock, you have welcomed us today in words that will warm our hearts as long as we live. Let me say to you in reply that if the North Caro- linians who do live in North Carolina are as glad to see the North Carolinians who don't live in North Carolina as the North Carolinians who don't live in North Carolina are to see the North Carolinians who do live in North Carolina, then, sir, this should be the happiest occasion in the history of the State. (It is a positive pleasure to roll the good old name from one's tongue over and over.)
My countrymen, in conclusion of these remarks upon the relations existing between North Carolinians and Virginians, I give you the sentiment formulated on the field of Appomattox, in the hour of his anguish, by that illustrious Vir- ginian who had watched for years, with ever-increasing admiration, the stead- fast courage and unsurpassed discipline of the troops from North Carolina. As he waited, heart-broken, for a courier carrying some message concerning the surrender which all now knew to be inevitable, his military ear caught the firm and steady tramp of a brigade marching into action in as good order and with as dauntless courage as though they were on the eve of a sweeping victory instead of the inevitable defeat which every man foresaw. General Lee raised his head and asked sharply, "What brigade is that?" "Cox's North Caro- lina", replied an officer. The great Virginian's eyes filled with tears, and, as the men swung past him, he lifted his hat and said: "God bless old North Carolina ".
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Honorable Benjamin R. Lacy Treasurer of North Carolina
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Entertainments
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ويقدم
The North Carolina State Normal and Industrial College
3.
Entertainments
The charming entertainments provided and given on the evening of the twelfth by the faculties and young ladies of the North Carolina State Normal and Industrial College, and Greensboro Female College, and by the Pythians of the Gate City, from 8 to 9.30 o'clock. and the delightful receptions given by the clubs of the city, and at the vari- ous headquarters from 9.30 to 11.30 o'clock. on the same evening. were largely attended and highly enjoyable.
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Unique Entertainment
One of the most novel and elever entertainments ever given at the State Normal and Industrial College took place in the assembly hall of the college Monday night of Reunion, before an audience which filled the vast auditorium to overflowing. It was an entertainment given by the Normal students complimentary to the visitors in the city. The girls acquitted themselves well, and the audience was responsive and enthusiastic. The show was unique and original.
The program comprised selections concerning North Carolina. her history, her industries and institutions, and her kin. Miss Inez Flow acted the part of " Carolina". She was tastefully adorned in the colors of the State and nation. and looked modest and sweet.
The first item on the program was Roanoke Island. by Miss MeIver. as Mrs. Dare: Miss Lacy. as Sir Walter Raleigh, and three girls as Indians.
This was followed by the "Edenton Tea Party", "The Mecklen- burg Declaration", "Battle of Guilford Courthouse", "the Civil War", and "the Spanish-American War".
The representation of Mecklenburg was exceptionally good. 1 large hornets' nest was built on wheels, and when the curtain went up four pretty girls, playing the parts of hornets, poked their heads out of the holes in the nest.
The marching of the soldiers of the "Battle of Guilford Court- house" was liberally applauded.
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The civil war sollier girls sang "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground", with splendid force and effect.
The second part of the program consisted of representations of the industrial life. and the educational, charitable, and penal institutions of the State.
At the close of the selection, the girls sang. "The Old North State". Every girl who attends the Normal College must learn to sing that patriotic song : that is part of the training.
The following States were represented as owing North Carolina a debt of gratitude: Tennessee. her debtor for three Presidents of the United States: they being Andrew Jackson, Polk, and Johnson; Vir- ginia. South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama. Louisiana, Indiana. Pennsyl- vania. Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Minnesota, Ohio. Illinois, New York. Arkansas. Texas, and Florida. Some of the representations were fine. A coterie of pretty girls sang "Carolina". and made a chorus of "It is too long between drinks". for South Carolina.
Texas was championed by a broncho buster, who had a fierce con- tempt for tenderfeet. Miss May Williams was the Texas. She made the audience roar. She had a swagger and a swing that was smart. The show was good from start to finish. and everybody there enjoyed it.
Eight girls. dressed and blacked as negresses, made cotton bags, and sung and danced like negro minstrels. They were encored.
In representing Carolina, Miss Flow said : "To old and young, to - high and low. Carolina brings a hearty greeting. To you that came from North and South and East and West. O, my beloved children. a joyous welcome home. With a mother's love and longing, my spirit followed you hence. With a mother's love and pride, my heart leaps to greet yours. in this, our first Reunion. My children, great and small. present and absent, are making glorious history in every part of this wide world; but tonight you are only my children. Let us turn at random, then, a few pages of our old picture book."
All the tableaux were splendid. Some genius had conceived them.
The entertainment lasted for a little more than an hour, and was followed by a most charming informal reception, giving an opportunity for meeting friends and spending the rest of the evening delightfully.
Delightful Entertainment and Reception to Visitors at Greensboro Female College
One of the most enjoyable features of the Reunion was the enter- tainment and reception Monday night at Greensboro Female College. Quite a large audience was present, and every one must have enjoyed
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Mrs. Lucy H. Robertson President of Greensboro Female College
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the event. The whole program was very much enjoyed, especially the recitations by Miss Shattuck. After the regular program, Governor Aycock. General Julian S. Carr, Mr. Josephus Daniels. Dr. James Atkins. Dr. C. W. Byrd. and Rev. J. D. Arnold, made a few pleasant and very happy remarks.
Many of the audience remained after the regular program was con- cluded. and enjoyed a pleasant social hour.
The college was handsomely decorated in green and white-the college colors-and with the National and North Carolina- flags.
On Tuesday, October 13. the young ladies of the college went to the Battle Ground in a body, on a special train, and joined in the great basket pienic.
At the Guilford Battle
Ground
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Honorable A. L. Fitzgerald Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada
Tuesday, October Thirteenth
This was the big day of the Reunion and scored the largest attend- ance. There were trains every forty minutes from the city to the Battle Ground, and thousands came by private conveyance from the surrounding country. At the hour fixed for the opening of the exer- cises it was estimated that there were more than twenty thousand people on the grounds of the Battle Park. It was a typical North Carolina audience. Said General Ransom. "the whole face of the earth appears to be covered with home folks and strangers".
Promptly at 10.30 a. m. President MeIver called the great andience to order, and announced the opening invocation by Rev. Dr. W. W. Moore, who said:
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, without whose favor no people can prosper, we render thee our humble and hearty thanks for thy good hand upon our people from the beginning of their history to the present day. We thank thee for the gift of this goodly land to our fathers, and for the gift of our fathers to this land-men who knew the right and, knowing, dared maintain. We thank thee for the freedom which they purchased with their blood and bequeathed to us with their prayers. Impress us profoundly with the fact that we can best commemorate their services by emulating their virtues. God of our fathers, be the God of their succeeding race. May the abundant blessing of the Lord God Almighty abide upon our beloved State and upon all her sons and daughters, at home and abroad, henceforth and forever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and over shall be, world without end. Amen.
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