The statement goes on to say 'that the governor, apprehensive that he might be called to account, became ill of a fright and died in a few days.' "
In an autobiographical sketch of Benjamin Franklin, he says that at a very early age (about fourteen,) he took a strange fancy for poetry, and composed several pieces, among them were two ballads, one called the "Lighthouse Tragedy," which contained an account of the shipwreck of Captain Worthilake and his two daughters, the other was a sailor's song on the capture of the noted pirate called Teach or Blackbeard. When they had been printed, Franklin's brother sent him around the town to sell them. They had a prodigious success, as the first event was then recent, and created much excitement.
Following the sound advice of his father this great philosopher escaped the misfortune of being a poor poet, for the success of these two ballads had greatly elated his young mind, and but little encouragement was needed to set him permanently to verse making.
It is due to the truth of history to say that there was no evidence to implicate Governor Eden in the nefarious transactions of Teach. As to the statement "that he was so apprehensive, an was so frightened, that he died in a few days," is grossly in error, for this was in 1717, and Governor Eden, as appears by the date on his tombstone, died five years afterwards.
Tradition points to Holliday's Island, in the Chowan river, as one of Blackbeard's haunts, and the mouth of Potecasi Creek, where it enters the mouth of the Meherrin river, as the point where he buried his spoils.
The people of this section were, in the revolution, the firm friends of independence, and the determined foes to oppression. The North Carolina Gazette, of February 24th, 1775, contains the proceedings of the Committee of Safety for the town of Edenton, on February 4th, 1775, showing this spirit. The committee were Robert Hardy, (chairman,) Joseph Hewes, Robert Smith, Jasper Charlton, John Rembough, William Bennet, Charles Bonfield, Thomas Jones, and John Green.*
* Colonial Records in Rolls
Office, copied by me.
Even the members of the Episcopal church, who have been charged by some as being opposed to independence, were firm and open against the oppressions of the British Government, and resolved to stand by the Continental Congress.
We present a record from the proceedings of the vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, at Edenton, copied by the kindness of Major Henry A. Gilliam, now of Raleigh:
"We, the undersigned, professing our allegiance to the King, and acknowledging the constitutional executive power of the government, do solemnly profess and declare, that we do absolutely believe that neither the Parliament of Great Britain, nor any member, or constituent branch thereof, have a right to impose taxes upon these colonies to regulate the internal policy thereof; and that all attempts by fraud or force to establish and exercise such claims and powers are violations of the peace and the security of the people, and ought to be resisted to the utmost; and that the people of this province, singly and collectively, are bound by the acts and resolutions of the Continental and Provincial Congress, because in both they are fully represented by persons chosen by themselves. And we do solemnly and sincerely promise and engage, under the sanctions of virtue, honor, and the sacred love of liberty and our country, to maintain and support all the acts and resolutions of the said Continental and Provincial Congress to the utmost of our power and ability.
"In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, this 19th day of June, 1775.
"Richard Hoskens, Wm. Boyd, David Rice, Thomas Benbury,*
* Thomas Benbury was speaker
in 1778 to 1784.
Aaron Hill, Jacob Hunter, Pelatiah Walton, John
Beasely, William Hinton, William Bennet, Thomas Bonner, William Roberts."
These names are doubtless familiar with
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