The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-10-01
LONG AND LASTING APPEAL.
Why Doesn't North Carolina Awake to
Matters Of This Kind +?
HoroAE SHLTToANORTH CARoLIHIAN
Mr.. Cars Proposition Unnoticed-
Why not an Enjoy to Gov. Caswell,
the First N. G. Governor?

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. Is
North Carolinians who come to
Washington and see Statuary hall at
the Capital are apt to remark the
presence there of the marble effgies
Of SO many illustrious men, repre-
senting States of the Union, and to
note with regret the absence of the
efagy of any great North Carolinian.
True, the stature of William Allen,
Of Ohio, a son of the Old North
State, has recently been placed
there; but he represents the State of
his adoption and not the State of
his nativity. That loving, intelli-
gent and generous son of the soil,
Julian s. Carr, has proposed to erect
at his own cost 8 statue to one of
North Cardinals grand characters,
but sufficient interest in the matter
has not been manifested to induce
him to prosecute the noble under
taking. It would seem as if in the
broad bounds of the State that has
produced SO many notable actors in
American history there is no wish to
commemorate its glorious past-no
high feeling of pride in the achiev-
ments of its heroes, sages and states
men, for there is no public response
to Mr.. Carr's splendid proposition.
In some States the Legislature would
have thanked him by resolution, the
historical societies would in addition
have offered their services to find
the fitting man for the honor and
obtain a genuine portrait and an
adequate description of his physi cal
frame and all possible information
respecting his life, character and
services for the guidance of the
sculptor. Not line of all this, not
a hint from any official guarantee,
not step looking to concert of ac-
tion-only the press has assisted as
best it could in agitating until agita-
ton has seemed a farce, and in MAX
ing numerous suggestions with re-
gard to who should be eternized in
speaking marble. The net result is
discouraging. But the press, at
least, as leader of public sentiment
and stimulator of patriotism can not
afford to let the thing drop. 1 ap-
peal once more to the active minds
of the State, forward in all good and
useful work to meet at the approach
ing exposition at Raleigh and sec
ond Mr.. Carr by approving his plan
and supplementing it by providing
for another statue. The State is en-
titled to two statues. In this con-
nection, without presuming to fore
stall action, I would suggest that
the best names to unite upon and
the names possibly the best suited
for the purpose are those of Cover
nor Richard Caswell and Nathaniel
Macon. The former was the first
Governor of the State of North Car
DINA, her civil leader in the three
darkest years of her Revolutionary
history, her great inancier, one of
her ablest generals, that one of her
Revolutionary characters who seem
ed called on to fill post after post as
danger in a particular quarter arose
and who in calmness, wisdom and
courage was equal to every emer-
gency. He would have been a sign
er of the Declaration of Independ-
ence on the 9TH of July, 177G, if it
had not been necessary the previous
autumn to recall him from Congress
to take charge of the States disor-
dered agencies. The first Governor,
he was also president of the conven-
ton that framed the first constitu-
ton of the State. But why emu
merate all he did when he was al
ways at the front of affairs. He
died at a post of high honor. The
most vigorous and many-sided man
of his period in the State, the vol
ume of his public services is per-
haps, with all honor to the memory
of his contemporaries, greater than
that of any other.
Mr.. Macon I have heretofore urged
because he was and is the States
best known man in the sense of long
and honorable connection with pub
lie life at Washington. The only
trouble, caused by his excessive
modesty, would be to procure a
likeness of the American Cats, and
even if this could be overcome ac-
cording to q distinguished member
of his family.
These men speak of a past about
which there is or can be little dis
pute. They speak for a State, like
strong in reatitude and
which requires no trum-
pet blow to tell it's story. They
were men of the people, leaders in
action and counsel, but no creature
evsr dared to apply to them the de-
name of demagogue and no
true man ever could have dreamed
that it was applicable.