it in
ashes from one end to the other. This violence rapidly made converts to
the revolutionary party, and further lessons were learned from the
experience of their neighbours in North Carolina.

[Sidenote: North Carolina and Virginia.]

That colony was the scene of fierce contests between Whigs and Tories.
As early as May 31, 1775, the patriots of Mecklenburg county had
adopted resolutions pointing toward independence and forwarded them to
their delegates in Congress, who deemed it impolitic, however, to lay
them before that body. Josiah Martin, royal governor of North Carolina,
was obliged to flee on board ship in July. He busied himself with plans
for the complete subjugation of the southern colonies, and corresponded
with the government in London, as well as with his Tory friends ashore.
In pursuance of these plans Sir Henry Clinton, with 2000 men, was
detached in January, 1776, from the army in Boston, and sent to the
North Carolina coast; a fleet under Sir Peter Parker was sent from
Ireland to meet him; and a force of 1600 Tories was gathered to assist
him as soon as he should arrive. But the scheme utterly failed. The
fleet was buffeted by adverse winds and did not arrive; the Tories were
totally defeated on February 27 in a sharp fight at Moore's Creek; and
Clinton, thus deprived of his allies, deemed it most prudent for a while
to keep his troops on shipboard. On the 12th of April the patriots of
North Carolina instructed their delegates in Congress to concur with
other delegates in a declaration of independence. On the 14th of May
Virginia went further, and instructed her delegates to propose such a
declaration. South Carolina, Georgia, and Rhode Island expressed a
willingness to concur in any measures which Congress might think best
calculated to promote the general welfare. In the course of May
town-meetings throughout Massachusetts expressed opinions unanimously in
favour of independence.

Massachusetts had already, as long ago as July, 1775, framed a new
government in which the king was not recognized; and her example had
been followed by New Hampshire in January, 1776, and by South Carolina
in March. Now on the 15th of May Congress adopted a resolution advising
all the other colonies to form new governments, because the king had
"withdrawn his protection" from the American people, and all governments
deriving their powers from him were accordingly set aside as of no
account. This resolution was al