The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-04-13
PENCIL MARGlNALIA...FO SIN.
DAY READING.

BY II. F. NJ.
'oh woudrrtu! when drvi,s tell the
truth, IS the ret"rt of Anne To the demon
gloucester. Not unfreqlentlv, however.
90 me dark ministers OF Evil lure us with
honest trll1es to betray in deepest conse-
quence. Whether or not Robespierre re-
garded the belief in God us "A trifiing mat
ter, or whether, if so regarding it. he de-
signed to turn that faith to the destruco
ton of his intidel rivals, can never be
known, but, strange and startling as it
may seem. coming from such lips dixie
Baalam's inverted curse, yet there are few
things in any language finer than this
monsters eulogy on the Supreme Being
and the immortality of the soul Moving
on May 1th, 1894 that the Convention de
clare lis recognition of God and immor-
tality, he said: THE idea of a Supreme
Being, and of the Immortality of the soul,
is a continual call to Justice; it is there
fore social and Republican principle.
Who has authorized you to declare that
the Deity does not eXist2 Oh. you who
support in such impasSioned strains so
arid doctrine, what advantage do you
expect to derive from the principle that
blind fatality regulates the affairs of men.
and that the soul is nothing but "A breath
of air impelled towards the tomb. Will
the idea of non entity inspire man with
more pure and elevated sentiments than
that OF Immortality. Will it awaken more
respect for Others or himself. more cour-
age to resist tyranny, greater contempt for
pleasure or death? You who regret a vir-
tuous friend, can you endure the thought
that his NoBLEsT PART has not escaped dis
SOlutlOnf You who weep over the remains
of child or a wife, are you consoled by
the thought that handful of dust is all
hat of hn haln Oh
the unfortunate, who expire under the
strokes of an assassin, is not your last
voice raised to appeal to the JUSTICE of
the Most HighI Innocence on the scaffold,
supported by such thoughts, makes the
tyrant turn pale on his triumpbal car
Could such an ascendant be felt if the
tomb levelled alike the oppressor and his
victim!''
While not exactly in keeping with the
general subject matter of PENCIL. MARGI-
MALTA, | cannot fOrbear a word on the Su-
preme Court vacancy made by the death
of CHIEF JUSTICE WAITE. The boot -licks
of the press, editorial and correspondent
tial, seem to have found therein the occa-
sion for perfect Jubilee of sickening adu-
lation. Every mute, ingiorious county
court lawyer, from Maine to Texas is made
to feel himself the victim OF u White House
cabal and a striking example of neglected
merit, if he experience
The whitening blight
OF Clevelands slight,
IN. B.-This is original
Now, for my part l concur-as nearly
always do-with the bold and brilliant
Wilmington Star in holding that the PARA
MOUNT qualification for this high position
is profound and ample LLoAL LEARNING
AND TALENT. With a Southerner's natural
pride and sympathies, l would prefer
man from the South, if such a man can
be found Equal in all respects to the de-
mands of the situation, nol do doubt for
minute that such men are among us.
Ordinarily, however, they are not to be
| found in the ranks of the politicians. Two
| exceptions, though, occur to me in the
| cases of men who have done their country
signal service in the vexed arena of politi
cal contention. | refer to Senator Morgan,
of Alabama, and John Randolph Tucker,
| of Virginia. Each of them bears name
| CLARUM EFT VENERABLE wherever exalted
| legal talent and attainmentS are hOnOred
as they should be. Why should not one
of these be raised to this high position9 1t
may be urged that the country contains
many names unknown to fame yet of equ-
ally DESERVED reputation In response |
| can Oily Say uIldU Ullo CONSTANT CODD6cClOu
with public affairs, evidenced by the as
sociation of certain great names Herewith,
would indicate naturally that the individ-
uals so associated were best qualified by
familiarity with such matters to pass upon
transactions of National concernment,
| rather than lawyers, even Of more acute
ness, whose thought and experience have
| been more circumscribed by their narrower
sphere of thought and labor SO, then, as
| would, on the one hand exclude the mere
technical lawyer of simple NIsI PRIUs eX-
perience-such as are urged forward by
| their friends(J in almost every county Of
| the South, | would, on the other side, eX-
clude all such men as Carlisle and Bayard
| who are never thOus ht Of AS LAWYERS, eX-
| cept when their licenses become stepping
stones of excuse for their preferment. Not
to know of Mr.. Carlisle as a lawyer of any
repute may be to confess myself unknown,
yet, such is my ignorant state. AS to Sec
rotary Bayard there is bUt one thing that
could postpone him in my preferences for
the PRESIDENCY, above all American citi-
zens and that would be to know that he,
with his meager legal attainments, would
ACCEPT a place on the Federal Supreme
Bench. Quite likely he could have the
place if he so wished. Take a man like
President Cleveland, himself only nom
inal lawyer, and yet relying on his own
opinion as the sum and summit of all rea
son, and we may not Unreasonably ap
prehend an appointment based rather on
political preference than professional apti
tude and emiDence