Weldon L. Edwards
Prior to llio War Rolwceii tlio Stairs. Iir
was onr of tlir most activr figures in North
C arolina in tlir figlil against religious «lis-
(-riniinalions and prejudices.
Til
К
mu n!y of Warren lias pro*
dtioed many -ii-i iii^ni -li<-«l sons,
including
оно
of tin1 first United
Stairs senator*, governors, Supreme
(’onrl justices, and oilier outstanding
men in tlie public life of our state,
including llial “noblest Homan of
them all" Nathaniel Macon.
Weldon N. Edwards was a native
of Northampton County where hewn*
born in I "SS, but at an early ago the
family removed to Warren ton where
he was educated at the famous Acad¬
emy then operated then*, and where
he read law tinder John Hall, who
later been me one of the first judges of
otir Supreme Court a« now const i-
lutcd. a* well as Croud Master of
Masons; ami he held other positions
high ill the public service.
Edwards was a kinsman of Nathan¬
iel Maeoii and lie was naturally a
follower of the school of political
thought held by that veteran figure
in the public life of the state He first
entered public life a* a member of
the Commons from Warren Comity
ill IM-1 and was re-elected the follow¬
ing year. In w:> Nathaniel Macon
who had long been a member of Con
gre». and i lie only North Carolinian
to ever serve as Speaker of the House
while a mciiilier from this slate, was
elected to the United State. Senate,
and at the unusually early age of
t weniv eigbi, Edwards
на-
elected to
succeed him as a member of Congress,
lie continued to represent hi- district
for eleven years when lie voluntarily
retired and refused to again stand for
re-election.
Not Permitted to Retire
lie evidently did . ujoy public
life, but hi* abilities were so pro¬
nounced that the |ieoplc of Warren
would not allow him to remain in
retireiuent, for in I
'о.*!
he w as elected
as a member of the Stale Senate and
continued a- a member "f that body
more than a decade. Tbi« was a crit¬
ical period iu the history of the state:
the question of internal improvements
was agitating the people, the western
counties were clamoring for a revision
"f tic Constitution : the Whig party
was rapidly ri-ing to power. In the
Central \. -cuddy during this |*criod
By R. C. LAWRENCE
Edwards became a leading figure and
took a prominent part in directing the
momentous i.sue. brought before that
lm.lv during that period.
The General Assembly by a major¬
ity of a single vote called a Constitu¬
tional Convention to l*e held in
18Й5;
and Nathaniel Macon and Edwards,
a. the two outstanding citizens of
Warren, were elected as delegates.
M aeon, as the foremost stntc-iiinn of
his day. was elected as chairman of
the Convention, while Edwards from
the floor took an important part in it»
deliberations. Religious intolerance
flamed high during the course of the
Convention, illustrating the truth of
Tennyson’s rhyme ;
"Love your cnenty, bless your
haters
Said the greatest of the great.
Christian love among the
churches
Looked the twin of heathen
hate.”
To Edward- fell the honor of offer¬
ing an amendment to the Constitu¬
tion striking out all religious tests
for holding public office; nn aincnd-
mriif which he supported in a speech
of great force and power. Hill the |*eo-
Pi. were not then prepared for so
great a change, and although Judge
William Gaston made his fninoti.
appeal for religions freedom, the most
the liberal leaders were able to accom¬
plish was to substitute ‘'Christian Re¬
ligion” for ‘'Protestant Religion."
This gave relief to the Roman Cath¬
olic. hut Hebrew- and other minority
-ect. were still left without the pale,
and it was not until the Sece-sion
Convention of 1 S»;i that all religious
tost- in connection with holding pub¬
lic office were finally abolished.
Another question of primary im*
|*orlance before the Convention was
the allowance of increased representa¬
tion to the western counties in the
General Assembly; and on this issue
Chief Justice Thomas Huffiu voted
for this amendment; and at the poll-
the people were so sharply divided
that in some of the eastern counties
the amendment did not receive a
single vote in its favor, while in some
of the western counties the vole was
unanimous in its favor.
For ten years after the holding of
this convention. Edwards was a prom¬
inent member of the State Senate
where ho took a leading part in shap¬
ing the legislation which was enacted
during that period, at a time when
sectional feeling wn« liecoiuing in¬
tensified. when tin* Jaekson adminis¬
tration was arousing hitter enmities,
and the annexation of Texas and the
Mexican war were grave issues upon
the field of national politics.
Thereafter Edwards retired, both
from public life and from the practice
of his profession and gave himself
over wholly to agricultural pursuits,
for he was a believer in the framer
of the maxim that he who made two
blade— of grass to grow where only
one grew la-fore, was of more service
to humanity than all the race of
politicians, lie owned n large and
model plantation in Warren and lived
the life ho loved, that of the country
gentleman, until 1$.'*0 when there was
so much bitterness being aroused be¬
tween the sections that he allowed his
name to lie again considered as a mem¬
ber of the State Senate. When elected,
he was chosen as Speaker of that
holy.
Again Called from Retirement
Thereafter he did not participate
in public affairs through the holding
of public office, but in May iStil when
a convention was called to consider
the question of sects* ion. and the
ablest men iu the state were asked to
become it- member-, Edwards was
again called from hi- retirement, and
elected a- a delegate to this conven¬
tion. Such was the esteem in which
he was held by the public men of the
day. that he was elected to preside
over this convention, and his name is
signed to tin- Ordinance of Secession
as 1 resident of the Convention. He
made a model presiding officer, as his
the people were sharply divided, long experience, both iu the State
Neither Edwards, nor Macon, nor ( Continued on page twenty)
