Lives of Distinguished North Carolinians, with Illustrations and Speeches

WILLIAM R. DAVIE.
COLLECTED AND COMPILED BY W. J. PEELE, A MEMBER OF THE RALEIGH BAR
DAVIE, MACON, MURPHY, GASTON, BADGER, SWAIN, RUFFIN, BRAGG, GRAHAM, MOORE, PETTIGREW, PENDER, RAMSEUR, GRIMES, HILL
Let us pass not through the earth so fair, Leaving no witness the truth to bear That we've lived and loved and labored here.
RALEIGH 1898
Copyrighted 1897 BY W. J. PEELE PUBLISHED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA PUBLISHING SOCIETY
THE LORD BALTIMORE PRESS THE FRIEDENWALD COMPANY BALTIMORE, MD.
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MAKE IT, TO THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHO ARE ITS SUBJECTS, AND TO ALL NORTH CAROLINIANS WHO SEEK TO EMULATE THE VIRTUES IT RECORDS.

The publication, in a permanent form, of the most valuable sketches and speeches which have been produced in our State will aid materially in laying the foundation for a distinctive literature. In the beginning, character only is essential; art is a development, and will assume its comely form in due season if it springs from virtue. The undeserving are the fearful and the unbelieving, and these are they who are morbidly anxious to graft borrowed ideals of literary culture upon the native stock.
The people are entitled to the sources of history (the knowledge of which, in this State, is confined to a very few), because from among the people must always arise the man who breaks the monopoly which sequesters the facts of public interest for private interpretation.