Page Six
THE STATE
April 18, 1936
GOVERNORS OF NORTH CAROLINA
- No. 61— DANIEL G. FOWLE -
- By Mrs. Max Abernethy -
THERE was nothing' pnrlieiil.irly
spectacular about Governor l ow le*s
administration as chief executive off
Nc»rfli Carolina, hut few men in that
office wore ever held in higher re¬
gard than he was.
until 1SC3 wlun he resigned to become
ELECTED governor of
the State in 1S8S,
Dntiiel G. Fowle was
the son of n Massachusetts
merchant. Samuel U. Fowle
who settbsl in Beaufort
County in 1817. Ili« moth¬
er was Martha It. Marsh, a
native of Washington, X. C.. who mar¬
ried the elder Fowle at the Iteaufoit
County capital whore Governor Fowle
wu born.
Daniel Fowle attended Washington
Academy until M and then was sent
to the “Oaks,” a preparatory school
conduct! by William Bingham. Aft¬
er completing the work at the “Oaks"
he matriculated at Princeton I'niver-
sity, graduating with the rln*s of 1851.
During the next two years Daniel Fowle
road law under the direction of Chief
•Justice
К.
M. Pearson of Richmond
Hill. Finishing the law course he was
admitted to the bar in 1851, opening
a law office in Raleigh the following
year. His total income from his first
year's law practice was only sixty-four
dollars.
Served in the War
While Governor Fowle was known
as a Union man and strongly opposed
to secession so long ns it appeared wise
to do so, when North Carolina seceded
he volunteered in the cause of his
people, becoming n member of the
Raleigh Rifles. His leadership was
recognized at once ami by the end of the
first week in camp he was made n lieu¬
tenant. In a short while he was
promoted major and ordered to report
to Col. William Johnston at Raleigh
to assist in organizing the commissary
department. Several months later ho
obtained leave to resign in order to
organize a regiment for active sen-ice.
He was instrumental in raising several
companies which with others was or¬
ganized as the Thirty-first Regiment,
Major Fowle being again promoted
to lieutenant colonel.
In October, 1863 Colonel Fowle was
elected to the General Assembly from
Wake County and at the end of the
session he was tendered the office of
adjutant-general by Governor Vance,
which position be accepted and held
a candidate for the General Assembly.
He was elected and presided over the
last hour of the Confederate legisla¬
ture, acting as speaker of the house of
representatives.
While a member of the General As¬
sembly Governor Fowle introduced the
now famous habeas corpus resolutions,
taking the position that the suspension
of the habeas corpus gave no right
to arrest except upon warrant issued
upon nn affidavit. This point was
sustained ami is now a well established
principle of law in North Caroliua.
Appointed to a Judgeship
Governor Holden appointed Daniel
Fowlo a provisional judge in 1S66 and
the same year he was elected to the
suporior court bench, which position
he held with honor and dignity, being
THIS SOUTHLAND
.1 stretch of fertile country,
A land of lovely trees;
Of mountain peaks and valleys.
Hut it is more than these.
A place of ships and havens,
Sand dunes and wave lashed
shores;
Of placid lakes and rivers,
Where love rests on the oars.
A course of winding highways,
A lot of roses too;
And balmy nights with full
moons.
And days where skies are blue.
A land of old-time cooking.
Yes, all of these and more —
A host of lovely home folks.
With welcome on each door.
Alex. C. D. Noe.
recognized as one of the best
legal scholars in the state.
Л
Democrat, Mr. Fowle
campaigned for the National
and State tickets in 1880 and
again in 1884. lie was an ex¬
cellent speaker and his ac¬
tivities in tho interest of the
Democratic party in the campaigns of
1SS0 and 1884 no doubt hud much to do
with his nomination as head of the State
ticket in 1888.
Governor Fowle’s administration was
not spectacular but recognized ns safe
and sound. Hie whole political course
was conservative but loyal to*thc prin¬
ciples held by the Democratic party.
Under the Fowle regime the State's
progress was continued along the lines
charted by Governor
Л.
M. Scales, his
immediate predecessor. Tho cause of
education was furthered with the ap¬
pointment of two institute conductors
to carry the message to the peoplo of
the State and to hold teachers' insti¬
tutes. Edwin A. Alderman and Charles
Mclver were named by Governor Fowle
for this work.
An Honorable Record
Governor Fowle was a popular chief
executive. His public record was long
and honorable and at all times above
reproach. Ho was a man of great
ability and brought Jo his life's work
a mind alive to the needs of the people
of the day.
A brilliant speaker, lie was in de¬
mand for addressee in the state dur¬
ing his career as a public officer, nis
eloquence and learning stamped him
as one of the state's distinguished citi¬
zens, and he was. also recognized as
one of the leader* of the legal profes¬
sion in North Carolina. Honorary
degrees were conferred upon him by
Princeton, Wake Forest. Davidson and
the University of North Carolina.
Governor Fowle was tin* first gover¬
nor to occupy the new governor's man¬
sion, the construction of which was
started during Governor Scales's ad¬
ministration. He died in 1891 after a
brief illness and after serving a little
over half of his four-year term.