Page Six
THE STATE
November 23, 1935
GOVERNORS OF NORTH CAROLINA
- No. 40— JOHN BRANCH -
- By W. J. Sadler -
HALIFAX County
has every reason to
be proud of one of
her native sons. John
Branch, who served as Gov¬
ernor of North Carolina for
three years, during the pe¬
riod of December 3, IS 17,
to December 7, 1S20.
But this was only one of
Branch’s major attainments
in public life. Prior to his elevation
to the governorship, he had been a
member of both the House and Senate
of the State Assembly, and his abili¬
ties were so well thought of that he
was three times named Speaker of the
Senate, as the presiding officer of that
body was then known.
It was while he was serving his
third term ns Speaker of the Senate
in 1S17. that the legislature, which in
those days elected the Chief Execu¬
tives of the state, named him to that
high office, which he occupied with
much distinction for three one-year
terms.
Received Many Honors
The honors that wore to be heaped
upon Branch «lid not end with hi*
service as Governor. He Inter became
n member of the National House of
Representatives from this state. Secre¬
tary of the Navy in the administra¬
tion of President Andrew Jackson, a
member of the United States Senate,
last Governor of the Territory of Flor¬
ida. and first acting Governor of the
State of Florida.
Branch, a son of Colonel John
Branch, Revolutionary Wnr hero, was
born in the town of Halifax on No¬
vember 4, 1772, and evinced an in¬
terest in politics at an early age. His
career in that field was to become one
of the most notable ever to fall to the
lot of a North Carolinian.
First entering the Assembly in 1S11
a- a member of the State Senate,
Branch served in that body during the
entire p«?riod of the Wnr of 1812 with
Great Britain. It is said that he was
enthusiastic and vigorous in further¬
Jolin Hrjincli. native of Halifax
County, received just about every
honor that his state could give him.
including three terms as Governor
of North Carolina. He also was the
second Tar Heel to serve as Secre¬
tary of the Navy. He was forward-
looking and courageous, and was
looked upon as a man of high intel¬
lect.
for imprisonment for debt,
and Governor Branch
trained his guns upon that
measure, asserting that it
was “a policy as barbarous
ns it is useless, and it is
to me strange that it should
so long have been suffered
to disgrace the code of laws
of a state which might oth¬
erwise boast of its freedom
and humanity.”
ing measures proposed by the state and
national government,** for the success¬
ful prosecution of the second conflict
with the British.
Branch apparently was one of the
most popular men in public life during
the time lie held various offices of
the state government. When he was
named Governor, a resolution was
adopted by the Senate thanking Branch
“for the able and impartial manner in
which lie has discharged the duties of
the chair.”
Governor Branch also was an ardent
advocate of a better system of public
education for the state. In his first
message to the Assembly, he called
attention to a section of the state Con¬
stitution providing for proper educa¬
tional facilities and told members of
the legislature that it was their solemn
duty to live up to this obligation.
Fought for Education
"It surely will not lie denied.” he
said in discussing education, “that it
i* a subject, of all others, in a repub¬
lican government, of the most vital
importance; for it is in this way. and
•his alone, that our republican insti¬
tutions can be perpetuated, or that
radical changes can be affected in the
morals and manners of people.”
Ho continued his fight for the youth
of the state throughout the three years
he served ns Governor, but, like sev¬
eral preceding chief executives, had lit¬
tle luck in the carrying out of his
recommendations.
In those days there were many laws
which were considered exceedingly un¬
just. One of these statutes provided
Many Unjust Laws
Another barbaric statute which irked
Governor Branch was that providing
that a person found guilty of perjury
should have his ears cropped off and
be nailed to a pillory. This he called
"cruel and sanguinary punishment.”
It is said that he made free use of
his pardoning powers in many in¬
stances of conviction under these
stringent ln.ws, but that he could be
severe when the occasion warranted.
During his service as Governor a
young white man of a leading family
was charged with stabbing a Negro
slave to death. Although the youth
was said to have been intoxicated at
the time of the killing, he was con¬
victed and sentenced to be hanged.
Great pressure was brought to bear on
Governor Branch to commute the sen¬
tence or issue a pardon, but this he
rofuse«l to <!o. declaring that human
life in North Carolina, whether that
of the highest born or the most lowly
slave, was sacred and would be pro¬
tected.
Many Fine Achievements
Many notable achievements can bo
credited to Branco’s three administra¬
tions. One of the more important was
the establishment of the State Supreme
Court in its present form. Another
was authorization for the painting of
two large portraits of President Wash¬
ington to be hung in the halls of the
House and Senate, and the carving of
n statue of the same great man to be
placed in the rotunda of the Capitol.
It later was decided, however, to have
only one portrait painted.
