Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-07-22
cor RnrroNs HTsToRY.

PhlloSopElc IN his temperament and wise IN his
conduct, governed in all actions Ivy reason and
Judgment, and deeply imbued with the Bible ina
yes, this Yfituuus and patriotic man (whom Mr..
jefferson called ssthe last of he Romans D had
long fixed the term of his political existence at the
age which the Psalmist assigns for the limit Of
manly life: he days ofour years are thfeescore
years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be
fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and
row, for 1t is soon cut of, and we fly away" He
touched that age in 1928, aud, true to NIL his pur
poses, he was true to his resolve in this, and exc
cuted il with the quietude and indifference of an
ordinary Transaction. He was in.the middle of
third Senatorial term, AMI in the full possession OF
all faculties OF mind and body; but his time foia
retirement had come-the time fixed by himself,
but fixed upon conviction and for we'll considered
reasons, and inexorable to him If fixed by fate.
To tie friends who urged him TO remain to The end
of his term, and who insisted that his mind was as
good as ever, he would answer that 1t was goCu
enough yet to let him know tnat he ought 10 gut
Office before his mind quit him, andthat ne did not
mean 10 risk the IaLeof the Archbishop oil Grena-
da. He resigned his Senatorial honoIs us he had
worn them, meekly, unos'entatiously, IN letter
of thanks and gratitude TO the General Assembly
OF his state, and gave Il Tepose at home that
val of thought and quietude which every wise man
would wish to place between the turmoil OF life
and the stiffness of eternity. He had nine years of
this tranquil enjoyment, and died without pain or
suffering, June 18th, 1887, characteristic IN death
as in life. It was eight O'Clock in the morning
when he feltthat the supreme hour had come had
h nSelf full dressed with his habltual neatneSS'
walked in the room and lay upon the bed, byturns
converslng kindly witt those who were about linn,
ard showing by his conduct that he was ready and
waiting but huITying nothing. 1t was the death
OF Socrates, all but the Eemock, and i'll that fall
faith OF whichthe Grecian sage had only glm'
mering. He direcred his own grave on the point
of sterile ridge, (where nobody would wish 10
plough,) and covered with pile OF rough flint
stone, (Which nobody would wish 10 build wlth,)
deeming this sterilitya the uselessness oil this
rock the best security for that undSturbed rePose
ofthe bones which is still desirable TO those VINO
are Indifferent to monuments.
In almost all strongly marked charactetS w te
is usually some incident or sign IN early lie
which shows that character and reveals 10 the
close observer the type of lie future mln. so 1t
was with Mr.. MACON. His frmness, his patriotism,
his self denial, his devotion to-duty and disregard
Of Office and emolument; his mo! esty, integrity,
SelG-conlrol, and subsection OF conduct to the
convictions If reason and the dictates OF virtue,
all so steadily eSemplhed in long lille, were all
shown from the early age of eigl teen, in the nini
atIe representation of individual action, and only
confirmed IN the subsequent public exhibitions OF
long, beautiful, and exalted career. He was of
that age, and student at Function College. at
the time of the Declaration OF American lndS PEN
dence A small volunteer corps was then onthe
Delaware. He quit his books, joined it, Sc we'd
term, returned to Princeton, and resumed his
studies. Inthe year 1913 the Southern Stats
and poSs bly, involving the issue OF the war
British fleets and armies appeared there, strongly
supported by the friends OF the British cause; and
the conquest OF the South was fully commented
upon. Help was needed in these States; and Mr..
Macon, quitting college. returned to his native
county in North Carolina, joined militia COM
pany as private, and marched TO south Carolina,
then the theatre of tie enemy's operations. He
had his share in all the hardSlips and disasters OF
til at trying times was att the fail of Fort MOultrie
ctrru ndR nf 1Sfa n
the I. pd winter retreat across the upper part OF
North Carolina. He WINS N the camp on tie lett
bank ofthe Yadkin when esudden flooding ofthat
river, in the brief interval between the crossing
of the Americans and the coming up oil the British,
arrested the pursuit of CORVALLIS, and enabled
Greene to allow some rest to his weared and eS-
hauSted men. In this camp, destitute OF every
thing and with gloomy prospects ahead, sumls Gus
came to Mr.. Macon from the Governor OF North
Carolina requiring him to attend meeting oil The
General Assembly, of which he had been elected
a member, without his knowledge, by :he people
of his county. He refused to go; aud the iEci
Dent being talked of through the camp came 10 The
knowledge of the general. Greene was man
himself and able to know man. He felt at once
that, if this report true, this young soldier was
no common character, and determined 10 verify the
fact. He sent for the young man, inquired OF him,
heard the truth, and then asked for The reason of
this unexpected conduct-ths preference for
suffering camp over a comfUrtn. lie seat in tie
General Assembly? Mr.. Macon answered him, in
his quaint end sentenious way, that he had seen
the faces of the British many times, but had never
seen their backs, and meant 10 stay in the army
till he did Greene instantly the material the
yonDg man was made OF, and the handle by which
he was worked. That material was patriotism;
that handle sense of duty; and laying hold of
tits handle he quickly worked tn young soldier
into difere 1t conclusion from the one that he
had arrived at. He told him he could do more
good as member of the General Assembly than
as a soldier; that in the army he was butone man,
aud III the General Assembly he might obtain
many, with the supplies they needed, by SLOWING
tue restitution snd suffering which he had seen
III the camp, and that 1t was his duty 10 60. This
view of dirty and usefulness was decisive. MIR.
Macon obeyed the Governors summons and by
his representations contributed 10 obtain The sup
plies which enabled Greene TO turn back and face
Corvallis, fight him, ipple him, drive him
further back than he had advanced, (for Wilm. Rg-
ton is south. Of Camden,) disable him from remain
ing III the South, (of which, up TO the battle of
Guilord, he believed himself 10, be mastery and
sending him 10 Yorktown, where he was captured,
and the war ended.
The philosopher history has net yet laid hold
of the battle of Guilford, its consequences and
efforts. That battle made the pture at York
town. The events are told in every history; their
connection and dependence in none. II broke up
the plan Of CORVALLIS inthe South, and changed
the plan of Washington in the North. CORVALLIS
was to Subdne the Southern S ates, and was doing
it until Greene turneC upon him at GuilfOrd.-
Washington was occupied with Sir Henry Clinton,
then i'll New Yo1k, with $4,000 British troops. He
had formed the heEoic design to capture Clinton
and lis army (the French fleet co-operatlng) in
that city, and thereby put an end to the war. All
mis- preparations wete going on for that grand con-
summation when he got the news OF tile battle of
GuiIford The retrent of CORVALLIS 10 ~ ilmington,
his inability to keep the field in the South, aud
his return norlliward through the lower partof
Virginia. He saw his adve-tage-aII easier prey
and the same result, irsucces full. CORVALLIS
or Clinton, or either ofthem captured, wouldpu
an end to the war. Washington changed ms
plan, deceived Clinton, moved rap:Iiy upon the
weaker gensIa, captured him aud his 1000 men,
and ended the war. The battle of GuIford put
that capture into Washington's hands, and thus
Gullford and Yorkton became connected; and The
philosophy ofhistory shows neutrality-suspicious., and
the lesser event was father TO the greater. The
State of North Carolina gave General Greene 525,-
0Q0 acres Of land for that days work, now worth
million ofdoIlaIs; but the daytself has not yet