9. In religion, the great mass of the people belonged to country churches. These rural congregations, as a general thing, met on one Saturday and the succeeding Sabbath of each month, to attend the preaching of a minister who often served other churches as pastor the remaining Sundays. Beyond the Sunday schools and annual protracted meetings, there were no other religious observances except occasional funerals and prayer meetings at private houses. 10. The balls and horse-races of former days in the eastern counties had, in a large measure, ceased. In the growth of the Methodist and Baptist Churches in that section, such amusements had been so discouraged that festivities of this kind became rare. In the western sections of North Carolina they had never been countenanced by the Presbyterians. 11. The summers became more or less marked by great assemblages in the protracted or "camp-meetings." They were, to the devout, seasons of religious devotion, but to the young and thoughtless, opportunities for courtship and social enjoyment. QUESTIONS. 1. What three classes of society existed in North Carolina in 1842? 2. What action was taken by the Convention of 1835 in regard to free negroes? 3. What is said of this class of our population? 4. How did our people view the question of slavery? 5. What privileges were denied the slaves? Why? 6. What would probably have been the final result in North Carolina? 7. What had the Northern States done with their slaves? How was the South compelled to act? 8. What educational progress was being made? 9. What was the condition of religious matters? 10. What effects were seen from the growth of the churches? 11. What great congregations were found in various places during the summer? CHAPTER L. THE MEXICAN WAR. A. D. 1844 TO 1846. Governor Dudley was opposed by ex-Governor John Branch, of Halifax, as the candidate of the Democratic party in 1838. Governor Branch had been in the Cabinet of General Jackson, and upon his defeat in this contest, retired from public life in North Carolina to receive the appointment of territorial Governor of Florida. In the Gubernatorial contest, two years later, John Motley Morehead, of Guilford, as the nominee of the Whigs, likewise defeated the Democratic leader, Judge Romulus M. Saunders. 2. They were both men of large natural endowments, and have never been surpassed in the vigor of their debates before the people. They were both educated at Chapel Hill, and were types of public Southern men of their day. Judge Saunders made a high reputation as a member of Congress; and Governor Morehead so grew in favor that eloquent Louis D. Henry, who opposed his re- election, was also defeated by a considerable majority.