The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-13
Bishop Green.
Nashville Daily American,l

THE RIGHT REVEREND wM. MERCER
GREENE
was found sitting by an open win
dow, the afternoon sunlight and the
balmy spring breezes lighting up his
genial countenance, or gently daily
! ing with the silvery locks that cover.
cd the venerable head. He looked
as fresh as when first seen by the
writer fifteen years ago in official
robes as Chancellor of the University
of the South at Sewanee in this State.
apparently having already attained
| the allotted span of mans life. He
seemed as gentle and mild now as
then, taking as active an interest in
/ temporal affairs, with the same affec.
tionate solicitude for erring man, as
genial, sunshiny. liberal hearted and
| dignifed az ever.
4 Bishop Green---for he has never
acquiesced inthe addition BY his sons
of the letter L to the name---was born
| in 1898. He is the Oldest living Bish-
| op in this country, if not in England
also, and is second to bus one IN semi.
ority Of office-the re. Rev, Bishop
1 Lee, of Delaware--thuugh the latter
/ his junior by nine years in point Of
age. He was contemporary Of
George Washington, so TO speak, for
nineteen months, a fact which con-
| veys to this generation almost a su
pernatural longevity and. ranks him
as one Of the historic personages Of
| the country. He was made Bishop
Of Mississippi in 1850, and is still III
active service, being in fact at this
moment on-the way 10 Mississippi
from his mountain home at Srwanee
upon an official visitationtothe diocese
| Tie venerable Bishop was Professor
of Belles,Lettres at Chapel fill from
1887 to 1S49, being in the latter year
elected to his present high position
when he went to Mississippi and took
up his residence at jackson. Dur.
ing the occupation of the country by
the Federal army his lone was razed
his library aud all t:is worldly possess
sions were swept away, and since
that time he ha;lbeen in a worldly
sense a poor Jan. He removed 10
Columbus anctin 1866 fixed his home
at the little .ehntain village Of Sc.
vance in the Shadow Of the church's
institution 4 rc, and there he hopes
TO bring hi ahnrstc. = close. He
is the third Cbance,lor Of the Univer--.
sity, having bsen preceded by Bish.
ops Eliot an otey. The office Is an
horAy a9c, based upon seniority
y years of T nine southern Bisii.
ops. T.
81 called pom Mrs. Polk today
the venerabs sprelate remarked alter
cordially responding to inquiries af.
ter his health. "apd much to my re- !
gret / found thatlshe was too much
indisposed to receive me. tits a pleas
ure l never fail TO gle myself when
passing through your city. for, | es.
TEEN and honor her greatly, and
was nearer being a bosom friend of
her honored consort, the late Presi.
dent Polk, than any other man. Six
tyseyen years ago he and / were
classmates in Chapel Hill College, in
North Carolina. knew him well :
and saw the native forces of his char
ac,er better than any aud il drew US
into close bonds Of friendship. We
we're of a class Of twelve, and. while
living each one Of us retained q live
ly interest in the course through life {
Of al the Others. Il was famous
class, and il still spoken Of as a pride
to the school. 1t contained, besides
Polk aud my humble self, Gov. Mos
ley, nf Florida, two leading Presby.
tcrian di,ines. two lawyers who have
risen high in their profession. There
was. too, Hamilton e. Jones, the au
thor oI "Cuusin Sallie Diilard." a
'urne Of the courtroom, which has
aIade the rounl Of this country three
Zines.
Polk liked 30 lead Others" con.
'inued the speaker, "he bad the lower
classes completely under bis control.
His supe ior attaiHmeuts were cheer
fully conceded and he was 4 fayorite
with all. Punetualiiy became IL pas.
sioa With him aud continued u gnids
To his actions through all his Iff.. 49,
A favOritc act Of his was IN stand al
the top Of the dpOr stairway Of thu
college building aud harancue hi.
always attentive fellows. Shuuid the
study bell ring he would cease at the
first stroke aud 20 in to'his duiies.-
When at work he locked his door
aud not even his friend Green could
gain admitiance until the ta,k was
lone. Polk was twenty four then and
| was twenty. He had few intimate
friends; be was reticcnt and secre
tive. Attention to tnty was para.
mount to everything in life, aud IL
made him easily Tie frat In oil hi.
classes. Cesar knew not ,ahe mean.
lug Of ambition. believe II reach.
ed its ultimate embodiment in James
Polk o. he stood at that age. lie
would have sooner died within the
college bounds, sir, than have f,ilcdto
he iirst in ever thing. lie came to
Nashville, aud / next saw him sit
ting as
SPEAKER or THE House or EEPEEs
ESTATIyEs
in Washington lie took me 10 hi
carriage and together We called uprn
old Hickory at the White House. Mi
surprise was great on that occasion.
/ expgctedtO iind blunt, severe be |
ing, full Of terrible oaths, and ! found
d polished and courtly man, suaye,
adable and cordial. lie feproached
me Tor taking a chair at some dis.
tance from him, and invited Inc TO a
scat upon the sufa on which be sat.
jackson, sir, was very Chester6eld
10 polish. lie was smoking pipe
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