The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-01-26
THE RIGHT MAN.
w. r. HENRY FOR CONSUL
GENERAL TO RIO.
Some Claims Which Entitle Him
to Recognition by Mr.. Cleve-
land.
(ScOtland Neck Democrat

federal appointment as consul general
to Rio-the place now held by Oliver
H. Dockery. In view of his many
valuable services to the Democratic
party, the importance of the appoint
ment he seeks and the merit he bears
before the people Of North Carolina
and the country generally, i, is proper
to bring to the notice of the public at
this time some things which strengthen
Mr.. Henry's claims on the incoming
administration; and the Democrat
takes pleasure in offering its indorse-
ment to one Of North Cardinals most
gifted sons.
Mr.. Henry has had quite remark
able career for one so young.
His grand father was born in Ire
land and his grand mother in Scot
land, and to his Scotch-Irish descent
may we'll be attributed much Of fine
and versatile talent. To his excellent
preparation in the lower schools he
added fine training at the State
University. For three years Mr..
Henry was a student of medicine but
finally turned his attention to the
study of the law. In 1880 he was
licensed by the Supreme Court of
North Carolina to practice law and
his course has been one of marked
progress and distinction ever since. He
was for time associated in the prac-
tice of the low with the late Governor
Fowle.
Mr.. Henry was the leading coun
sci in the celebrated case Of Cross and
White in the Superior Court in Wake
county, and it is still fresh in the minds
of the people of North Carolina how
skillfully he managed the case. He
carried it from the Superior to the
Supreme Court of the State and thence
to the Supreme Court Of the United
States and when he argued the case
In person before that great tribunal
one of the ablest and most profound
constitutional lawyers of the nation
said that his argument would have
done credit to any lawyer in America.
His argument was highly compli-
mented by the press of the country;
and he had won this distinction as an
able and learned lawyer when he was
little past his thirtieth birth day. He
now enjoys the distinguished honor
of being one Of the few lawyers Of the
State who are members of the Supreme
Court bar of the United States, and
he is perhaps the youngest member Of
that bar in America.
But it is his service to the Demo-
cratic party as an able and faithful
and fearless defender OF its principles
that chiefly entities Mr.. Henry to
claims upon the administration. His
great learning, versatile talents and
matches eloquence have been felt in
every political campaign in North
Carolina for the last twelve years. His
voice has pronounced with no uncer-
tain sound the stupendous frauds and
unblushing iniquities of the Republican
party during its whole record through
the days OF reconstruction and the
stretch Of a quarter of a century that
has followed.
But perhaps-indeed, certainly
Mr.. Henry's greatest work was done
in the late campaign; and much of the
glory Of the sweeping victory which
the Democratic party in North Caro-
lima gained over the combined forces
of the Republican and Third parties
is due to Mr.. Henry's able canvass. In
almost every county in the State,
certainly from the Blue Ridge to the
sea-shore, he preached with telling
effect the doctrines of democracy. And
his arguments against tariff iniquity
were the strongest that have ever been
heard in North Carolina. Where he
spoke the press and the people were
loud in their praises of his great
speeches; and it was often said that
he rivalled in his burning eloquence
his distinguished kinsman, the great
Patrick Henry of Virginia.
On the 9th of September he de-
livered here in Scotland Neck the
greatest speech that the writer had
ever heard; and such was the enthu-
siasm which it created that Mr. Henry
was invited by the Democratic Club
of Scotland Neck to repeat the same
speech, and he returned on the 29th OF
October following and spoke to vast
throng, said to have been the largest
audience that greeted any speaker in
the State during the whole campaign
except the audience that greeted Hon.
A. E. Stevenson at Winston. Mr..
Henry was accorded an ovation here
Of which any man in the country might
we'll be proud, and his being asked to
repeat his speech at the same place
was unprecedented in political cam
paigns in North Carolina.
A scholar of marked attachments,
a lawyer Of unquestioned ability; one
of the finest orators in the country;
man of untarnished character;
patriot of purest type; statesman Of
growing power; Hercules tor Demo
cracy; and favorite son Of the "Old
North State" Mr.. Henry merits rec
OpnitiOn at the hands of the admins