Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-02
A STURDY OLD DEMOCRAT.
Incidents of the Life OF Nathaniel
Macon, the "WIsest Mans That
John Randolph Knew.

A text for the political mOrahst, char
acter both simple and ludicrous and ex-
tremely interesting, old Nathaniel Ma
con, by all odds the greatest man that
North Carolina ever gave to the public
service, is as completely forgotten as his
strange mOdesty could have desired.
Just before he died, in 1887, he directed
that no tombstone should be placed at
his grave. He selected this sterile place
because sit is so barren no one will ever
desire to cultivate it, and he directed
that a pile of stones that had been
thrown from an adjacent field be heaptd
on his grave, because ''they are of no
value and nobody will ever want them"
He even forbade that the place should
be enclosed. His directions are literally
carried out, and the dense forgetfulness
of a third of centuay has gathered
about the recollectiOns of the old hero,
and the region round about, more suita-
bic for the dwelling place of the dead
than Of the living, is The muster ground
for the frivolous politicians who make
fitful independent" movements that are
startling enough TO make old Macon's
ghost uneasy-mOre uneasy for the COM
mOnwealth than when in Congress he
BdOC 1dlC0Cn W HIS Olu lIlCnu, IuC
Constitution of the United States" be-
cause an appropriation was about to be
made for the Delaware and Chesapeake
canal
The records of Congress from 1871 to
1928, without interruption, are full of
the speeches, aud especially of the mega
tive votes of Nathaniel Macon, of North
Carolina. But hardly anywhere else
than in the official records can much
matter about him be found. There has
been only one man, think, who served
a longer time in the National Legislature
than he. There was never one who was
absent from his seat or unmindful of his
duty fewer times than he, and yet it is
like searching the records for the early
life of William Tell to find out with any
fulness of particulars the private life Of
the staunchest old Democrat that Ameri-
ca ever produced. Mr.. Weldon n. Ed
wards published in 1862 a memoir of
Nathaniel Macon in Confederate print
and declamatorY generalities that tell
nothing. Wheeler's History of North
Carolina" gives a desultory sketch of the
old man, and these are all. When Wis
tied the obscure grave in company with
a descendant of Mr.. Macon we laughed
at such peculiarities of his strange char
acter as have been handed down by ira
dition in the family
He enlisted in the revolutionary army
as a private, soldier, and, although he was
very poor, he would never accept any
pay for his services. While in the army
he was without his knowledge elected
member of the State Legislature from
Warren county. From that accident
for it seemed to have been a sort of acct.
dent-dated his extraordinary political
career. In 1891 he was elected to Con
gress and reelected continuously until
1915. Then he was elected United States
Senator, and re. elected, and he resigned
in 1928. In 1924 Virginia cast her vote
for him for Vice President. From 1901
till 1906 he was Speaker of the House of
Representatives. In 1926, 1926 and 1927
he was elected President pro tenn. of the
Senate. During the period of nearly
forty years in Congress he cast more
negative votes than any other ten mem
bers. Mr.. lngersOll, of Pennsylvania,
once said that Mr.. Macon was so persist
emily opposed to the drift of things that
If he were to be drowned he would nat
urally look up stream for his body Once
on taking the chair of the House of Rep
resentatives he made this model of
speech:
"GENTLEdEN-Accept my sincere
thanks for the honor you have conferred
upon me. Permit me to assure YOU that
my utmost endeavors will be exerted to
discharge the duties of the chair with
fidelity, impartiality and industry, and
that rely with confidence on the liberal
and candid support of the House"
This lacOnic style was characteristic of
the man. When war was declared against
Great Britain he sent a copy of the fol
lowing letter to every Postmaster in his
district:
WASHINGTON, June IS, 1912.
''SIR-War was declared against Great
Britain yesterday.
NATHANIEL MACON"
He never asked any one to vote for
him, nor did he ever make a speech in a
political campaign. In fact he had no
campaigns. When his term expired he
went about his agricultural business
precisely as if Congressman was not to
be elected. He was supremacy indiffer-
ent If the people chose him he accept
ed the election precisely as devout man
accepts ''call' of God to preach. His
duty to the people was the first duty in
life-it was his religion, and he did not
consider that he had a right to refuse
them if they elected him, nor to complain
if they should ever fail to elect him.
Government" he used to say, ''is a
necessary evil; the less the better"
Where annual elections end tyranny
begins" He clothed and provided for
his slaves well, and took the same tender
care of his sheep and hogs as of his
daughters.
Old Nat. Macon must have been an
awkward wOOer, but he wooed and mar
ried Miss Hannah Plummer, the sturdy
LONELINESS of whose first name must
have attracted him. Miss Hannah, how
ever, had another lover; and once, when
the two met in her parlor and they all
three calmly talked about the situation,
the generous rivals decided to settle the
difficulty, which Miss Hannah modestly
refused to do, by game of cards. This
game for such a precious stake is the
only gay deed of Mr.. Macon's life He
los Miss Hannah, however, must have
shown her sorrow in an encouraging way,
for the loser boldly stood up and said:
Hannah, have fairly lost you, but
must have you. Whom the other sui
tor won no historian CT North Carolina
tells. The overlooked for future his
torian" perhaps will be able to find out.
Mr.. Macon once lent yoke of oxen
to a neighbor who promised to return
them the next morning. They were not
returned until the next night. Some
time afterwards the borrower of oxen
wished to borrow the same team again.
mo, SIR" replied Mr.. Macon, you
promised before to return them the next
morning, and YOU did not bring them
back until night" The rebuked fellow
had nothing to say, and turned to go
away. 'But you will be very welcome
to my team of horses if they will do"
said Mr. Macon, and the fellow took the
horses and told no more lies.
Old people still remember Mr.. Macon.
In 1885 he presided over the constitu-
tional convention at Raleigh that revised
the State constitution. Before that
time the constitution of North Carolina
contained a provision that made Catho-
lies and Jews ineligible to Office. Chiefly
through Mr. MacOn's efforts it was left
out, and the State became more worthy
of its boosted liberty extended alike to
all classes.
In 1928, seven years before this con-
vention, he had resigned his seat in the