"Who  were  these  people,"  says  Dr.  Foote,  "and
whence  did  they  come  ?  "  In  what  school  of  politics
and  religion  had  they  been  disciplined  ?  At  what
fountains  had  they  been  drinking  such  inspiration.s,
that  here  in  the  wilderness,  common  people,  in  their
thoughts  of  freedom  and  equalit}',  far  outstripped  the
most  ardent  leaders  in  the  Continental  Congress?
"Whence  came  these  men,  who  spoke  out  their  thoughts,
and  thought  as  they  spoke,  and  both  thought  and
spoke  inextinguishable  principles  of  freedom  of  con-
science and  civil  liberty  ?  That  they  were  poor  and
obscure  but  adds  to  their  interest,  when  it  is  known
that  their  deeds  in  the  Revolution  were  equal  to
their  principles.  Many  a  "lile"  was  given  in  Meck-
lenburg in  consequence  of  that  declaration,  and  much
of  "fortune"    was   sacrificed,    but   their    "honor"


1  came  out  safe,  even  their  great  enemy,  Tarleton,  being
witness.  They  did  not  get  their  ideas  of  liberty  and
I  law  from  Vattel,  or  Puffendorf,  or  the  tomes  of  Eng-
I  lish  law.  From  what  book,  then,  did  they  get  their
knowledge,  their  principles  of  life?  Ahead  of  their
own  State  in  their  political  notions,  as  a  body,  they
never  wavered  through  the  whole  Revolutionary
struggle,  and  their  descendants  possess  now  just
what  these  people  asserted  then,  both  in  religion  and
politics,  in  conscience  and  in  the  State.
To  North  Carolina  belongs  the  imperishable  honor
of  being  the  first  in  declaring  that  Independence
which  is  the  pride  and  glory  of  every  American.
