Signers of the Constitution
There were three off them from North Car¬
olina, anil all three were men who were
outstandingly prominent in the affairs of
the state.
THE Federal Cone» il ul ion was no»
popular in North Carolina, and
more than one North Carolinian
who could have immortalized his name
by signing that document refused to
have any connection with it. The
first convention called to consider the
instrument refused to ratify it by a
decisive majority; and it was not until
all the other States except Rhode
Island had ratified it that North
Carolina did so. and even then it was
with reluctance, and only with a tacit
understanding with the national
leaders that certain amendments would
be adopted. This understanding was
carried out by the immediate adop¬
tion of the first ten amendments, con¬
stituting the so-called “Bill of Rights”
of that document.
The three names which have become
immortal by being affixed to this
famous document are those of Dr.
Hugh Williamson of Chowan; Gov¬
ernor Richard Dobbs Spaight of
Craven; and William Blount, also of
Craven.
The Most Distinguished
I rank Dr. Williamson as the most
distinguished of the three signers,
as he was the most versatile man our
State has over produced, and he was an
outstanding figure in several pro¬
fessions. Ho was a native of Pennsyl¬
vania, and a graduate of the Uni¬
versity of that State. He was or¬
dained :i' a minister of the Presby¬
terian church, but after preaching
two years, ho abandoned the pulpit
and was elected as professor of mathe¬
matics in his alma mater, the Uni¬
versity of Pennsylvania. After hold¬
ing this position some four years, he
abandoned his professorship and went
to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he
studied medicine and surgery.
Ho was making the grand tour of
Europe when news reached him of
the signing of the American Decla¬
ration of Independence, and he de¬
cided to return to this country im¬
mediately. When the vessel on which
he bad sailed was nearing the mouth
of the Delaware, it was captured by
a British cruiser, but Dr. Williamson
and several others were so fortunate
as to make their escape in an open
By It. C. LAWRENCE
boat am! to reach the shore in
safety.
During the Revolution he was ap¬
pointed by General Richard Caswell
as Surgeon General of his North Caro¬
lina troops, and in this capacity ho
was present at the disastrous battle
of Camden Courthouse, where Gen¬
eral Gates was heavily defeated. Dr.
Williamson remained near the battle¬
field some three months in attendance
upon those wounded in the battle.
His first service on the political
field was as a representative from
Chowan in the House of Commons in
1782. Although lie had seen bur. little
public service, yet his reputation ns
a man of distinguished attainments
was so great, that he was elected the
same year by the General Assembly ns
a member of the Continental Con¬
gress, in which body he served until
1785. He was again elected as a
member of the Congress in 17S7 and
served another term of two years.
These services were in addition to his
election as a member of the Phila¬
delphia Convention which framed the
Federal Constitution. In 1790 for a
third time he became a member of
Congress and served an additional
two years. President Thomas Joffor-
eon said of him : “He was a very use¬
ful member, with an acute mind and
a high degree of erudition.”
Dr. Williamson now devoted him¬
self to literary pursuits, and in 1812
brought out his two-volume “History
of North Carolina," the best history
of our State vet published for the
period it covers, and still an authori¬
tative work.
Governor Spaight
Governor Richard Dolihs Spaighl
was horn at New Bern in 1758, ami
was educated at the University of
Glasgow, in Scotland. Before he was
twenty-one he served as a volunteer
aide upon the staff of General Cas¬
well and, like Dr. Williamson, was
with that General at the fatal field
of Camden Courthouse.
Almost as soon as Spaight attained
his majority, he began his public
career which was to last throughout
his life. He frequently represented
both the borough town of New Bern
and the county of Craven in the
House of Commons, of which lie be¬
came Speaker in 1785. He was then
elected ns a member of the Conti¬
nental Congress, and a delegate to the
Convention which framed the Federal
Constitution. He was also a member
of the Hillsboro Convention which
refused to ratify that document.
Notwithstanding the unpopularity
of his cause as a supporter of the
Federal Union, Spaight's personal
popularity was such that he was
elected Governor, being the first
native North Carolinian to occupy
that office. While serving in this
capacity he became involved in an
unfortunate political controversy
with John Stanly, a distinguished
member of the New Bern Bar, and
in accordance with the so-called code
of honor then existing, the two men
fought a duel in which Governor
Spaight was mortally wounded.
Spaight's son of the same name also
served as Governor, furnishing the
only instance in our history where
father and son have occupied the
highest office in our Commonwealth.
William Blount
William Blount was twice a mem¬
ber of the Continental Congress -
fiist in 1782 and again in 1786.
Governor Richard Caswell had been
elected as a delegate to the Convention
which had been called to frame the
Federal Constitution, but as he was
in poor health, the General Assembly
conferred upon him the extraordinary
power of naming someone to take his
place in the event he could not at¬
tend. Governor Caswell did not attend,
and named Blount in liis stead. There
is grave doubt whether it was Cas¬
well’» health which caused him to
remain away from the Philadelphia
Convention. While he was a states¬
man without a peer, ho was also a
consummate politician, and knowing
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