School History of North Carolina Part 25

1788.

6. General Was.h.i.+ngton was chosen as President of the Convention, and in 1788 the result of their deliberations was submitted for the ratification of the several States. It was provided by the Convention framing the Const.i.tution that nine States should ratify the new Const.i.tution before it should go into operation, and that it should then be binding only upon those thus acceding to it.

7. A Convention for North Carolina was called and met at Hillsboro, July 21st, 1788, to consider the proposed Const.i.tution. Samuel Johnston, who had been Moderator of several Provincial Congresses, and who had also succeeded Governor Caswell as Chief-Magistrate of the State, was chosen to preside.

He and Judge James Iredell, Colonel Davie and Archibald Maclaine were earnest advocates of instant and unconditional ratification on the part of North Carolina.

8. Willie Jones, of Halifax, who had so long controlled much of the legislation and government of the State, was the leader of those who opposed such action. They favored the addition of numerous amendments before committing the fortunes of North Carolina to such control. They insisted that without further specification, the powers reserved to the several States would not be sufficiently guarded; and the Convention, by a great majority, took the same view of the matter. The result was that while declining to ratify absolutely the Const.i.tution as it then stood, the hope was held out that upon the adoption of proper amendments it would be ratified.

9. There was great excitement in the State upon North Carolina's thus failing to join the new government. Political animosities ran high, and renewed efforts were made to overcome the popular objections. The people became restless at the position they were occupying, being thus, with New York and Rhode Island, strangers to the great compact of their sister States.

1789.

10. The new government of the United States went into operation in the Spring of 1789, and General Was.h.i.+ngton took the oaths of office on March 4th as the first President of the Republic. In November the Legislature and a new Convention both met at Fayetteville, and on the 21st the Const.i.tution of the United States was speedily ratified, and North Carolina was enrolled as a member of the new confederacy, which was to astonish all nations by the vigor of its rule and the splendor and rapidity of its growth as a nation. Before this, however, the first ten amendments to the Const.i.tution had been proposed to the Legislatures of the several States for ratification, thereby allaying the apprehensions that had been felt at Hillsboro the year before.

1790.

11. Two important matters were also settled at this period. The Convention at Hillsboro limited the seat of the State government to some point in Wake county. The capital had been migrating from town to town for nearly the whole period of North Carolina's existence. The Legislature also pa.s.sed a bill creating the University of North Carolina, and the terms of the Halifax Const.i.tution, as to popular education, were thus first put into some shape of accomplishment. Both of these measures were highly needed.

[NOTE--The State Convention of 1788 was commissioned to select a place for the seat of government, which had been migratory since the earliest days of the Carolina colony. The place selected for the capital was the farm of Isaac Hunter, at Wake Court House, or some other place within ten miles of that locality, to be determined by the General a.s.sembly.]

QUESTIONS.

1. What question was exciting the people of North Carolina at this period? What was thought of the Confederation?

2. How were the people of the State divided upon this great question?

3. What other party was formed? What were they called, and what powers did they propose to give to the general government?

4. What convention was to meet in 1787?

5. Who were chosen to represent North Carolina in that body?

6. Who was chosen President of the Convention? How was the new Const.i.tution to be submitted to the people?

7. What convention met in Hillsboro in 1788? How did some of the prominent members view the question?

8. What different opinion was held by other leading men? What did the Convention do with the Const.i.tution?

9. What was the effect on the State? What other States also failed to ratify?

10. When did the new government go into operation? Who was chosen first President of the United States? When and where did North Carolina ratify the Const.i.tution and become a member of the united government?

11. What two important matters were settled at this period?

CHAPTER x.x.xIX.

FRANCE AND AMERICA.

A. D. 1790 TO 1794.

1. When North Carolina had thus taken her place in the Federal Union, and the whole system of State and National polity became perfected in America, many hearts beat with grat.i.tude to G.o.d for the promises of a glorious future. The magnificent realm won by the blood of heroes was at last guarded by a system of laws so wise and effective that peace and prosperity were soon to make it one of the greatest of civilized lands.

2. This example of freedom achieved in the wilds of America was speedily felt in Europe. General Was.h.i.+ngton had been in the discharge of his duties as President about a month, when the States-General of France met in the famous convention which was to pull down the ancient French monarchy and engulf all Europe in seas of blood. The overtaxed and excitable Frenchmen were maddened by the contrast afforded in their sufferings and the blessings achieved by their late allies on the other side of the Atlantic.

3. Governor Caswell, while in the discharge of his duties as a member of the State Senate, died at Fayetteville, in the month of December, 1789. He was shortly followed in death by William Hooper and Archibald Maclaine. Willie Jones had retired from public life; and thus, four most conspicuous leaders almost simultaneously disappeared from public life.

4. Colonel William R. Davie, of Halifax, John Haywood, of the same county, and Alfred Moore, of Brunswick, were greatly influential, and were worthy successors of the older servants of the public who had been thus removed from the arena of their former usefulness. Governor Johnston having been elected United States Senator, was succeeded as Governor by Alexander Martin.

1792.

5. It was during this second term of Governor Martin's rule that Raleigh was selected for the State capital. A large tract of land at Wake Court House had been bought of Colonel Joel Lane, and upon it a city was laid off and the public buildings erected.

Before that time, since Governor Tryon's palace at New Bern had been burned, the main question to be determined by every General a.s.sembly was what town should be selected for the holding of the next session.

6. Fayetteville, Hillsboro, New Bern and Tarboro were sure to get up an excitement and contest as to which of them should be next favored with the presence of the State officers and the General a.s.sembly. The Governor and his a.s.sistants had been dwelling wherever it best suited them, and the public records had thus been continually migrating over the State.

7. There was little church organization in America until after the Revolution. There was not a single Bishop of the Episcopal Church in all America before the Revolution, and not until 1789 was an effort made to supply such a prelate for the Church in North Carolina. The Rev. Charles Pettigrew was then elected Bishop of the Diocese by a Convention at Tarboro, but he died before consecration.

8. The Baptists had united their churches in this State and southern Virginia, in 1765, in a body which was called the "Kehukee a.s.sociation." In 1770 the Presbyterians had formed the Presbytery of Orange; and in 1788 they set off the Synode of the Carolinas. The Quakers and Moravians were flouris.h.i.+ng in certain sections, but as yet the Methodist missionaries had effected but little in the way of planting churches in North Carolina.

9. Richard Dobbs Spaight, in 1792, became Governor, and was the first native North Carolinian to fill that distinguished office.

He possessed much ability and was familiar with the conduct of public affairs. He found that great excitement and division existed among the people as to the French Revolution. Because aid had been sent from that country to the struggling American colonists, many men insisted that it was the duty of America to take sides with France in the war then raging in Europe.

1794.

10. General Was.h.i.+ngton and other wise men resisted this dangerous opinion, and held that America should take no part in the affairs of foreign nations. The great struggle went on, with Napoleon Bonaparte rapidly growing more formidable to the allied kings.

11. The French had acquired a thirst for freedom from America, but they in turn exerted an influence upon the religious creeds of our people. French books and modes of thought and French fas.h.i.+ons became popular, and the country debating clubs were heard repeating the doubts and sneers of Voltaire, Diderot and other French infidels.

12. The world's creeds were on trial. Kings and priests were as keenly criticised as in the sixteenth century, but out of all the turmoil and bloodshed a larger measure of liberty was to be won.

Const.i.tutional kings and purified churches were the outgrowth and result of the most prodigious uproar yet witnessed among civilized nations.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the feeling in North Carolina after the State had joined the Union?

2. How were the effects of American freedom felt in Europe?

3. What great leaders disappeared from North Carolina's councils at this time?

4. What then were fast rising to influence? Who became Governor?

5. When was Raleigh selected as the capital? Why was locating the capital of great good to the State? Go to the map and point out the city of Raleigh.

6. What contest would generally arise at meetings of the a.s.sembly?