The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-26
" The Democracy is immortal
A LAST INTERVIEW WITH SENA-
TOR VANCE.
What he Said on his Deathbed OF the
Party he Loved so Well and Served
so LOng--Inquiries Of his North
Carolina Friends.
shpyjlle Citizen. J

LAsheville Citizcn.I
During nv visit to Washington last
week | had the melancholy pleasure
Of long personal conversation with
Senator Vance. As | now feel that
the utterances to me were perhaps the
last that fell from his lips to any
person outside his own immediate
family, think they should be recorded,
and handed down to prosterlty as the
words Of North Carolina s greatest son,
when his feet were actually layed by
the waters of that dark river across
which his noble spirit was waited only |
a few hours later.
1t was late Wednesday afternoon, |
when | reached the Senator ) residence
on Massachusetts avenue. 1t was a
dark, dull, rainy, cherries day, and
there was a hush in the street that I'M
pressed me as hurried along. The
Senator was sleeping when ! arIved,
but Mrs, Vance welcomed me TO the
sitting room. Her face showed the
anxiety she had suffered, and the
catastrophe she feared. She gave
minute description OF the senator
trip South, and the changes in his con
dtion during his stay. How The
balmy sunshine OF Tampa had revived
him, and how, for few days, he
seemed almost his old self again. How
sudden recurrence Of the intense
pains in his chest and stomach led her
10 think that something else was nee
cssary TO relieve what they both at
that time thought To be lnte1costal
rheumatism. How they fastened to
Suwanee Springs, in the hope that
The hot sulphur baths would bring the
relief so essential TO the Senator's
comfort. OF the food in the river at
the time Of their arrival, which over
flowed the pools, making the takl'.' OF
the baths almost impossible. Oil tic i
Journey to Jacksonville, and dow: ="
st. Augustine, with little improve
ment and less of hope. How, at st.
the Senator'S limbs gave way, 50 hat
ne was unable to walk OF the CON
clusion of physicians that former dr.
noses of his condition had npt been
correct; that it was enlargement "i :he
liver which caused his sultcrn2 ";d
not intercostal rheumatism. bi thc
Journey to Washington and Tie agrtc-
ment of the physicians thtfc mat
enlargement of the liver Ms nc
trouble.
During all this recital there was
apparent a nervous anxiety which
showed me, before words conveyed
the impression that hope had almost
gone from the heart of the Senator 5
devoted wife, and my own was heavy
when | mounted the stairs TO where
the sick man lay.
ii voice was clear and full, how
ever, when he greeted me. He lay
at full length in the bed, with his head
and shoulders upon bank of pillows.
His hand grasped mine with firm
pressure, but as my eyes caught the
expression of his CountenanCe, the
thought forced itself on my mind,
HE will never leave this bed. The
fire of strong intelligence was IN his
eye, the ring of conscious mastery OF
all his mental faculties was IN his voice,
but over it all came the instructive
conclusion that he was III the valley OF
the shadow of death.
He enquired minutely concerning
friends in Asheville, and as to the
effects of the recent cold weather upon
the fruit in North Carolina, and
expressed the hope that his Com
broom" orchard had escaped by reason
of its altitude, saying that the season
was fully two weeks later up there
than at any point Immediately East OF
the ridge.
The Senator then turned his face
full upon me and asked, . How is the
Democracy in North Carolina -
replied that political matters were
more or less unsettled with US, waiting
for the final action of Congress upon
questions now being discussed.
The Senator lay perfectly still for a
lew moments, ard | could see that his
mind was at work preparing words for
his thoughts. Presently, raising both
hands, and his eyes to mine at the
same moment, he said:
The Democratic party is immortal.
have not recently arrived at this con-
clusion. but since | have been lying
here on my back | have thought pro-
foundry of many things. and among
them this idea of my earlier manhood
has become 4 steadtast conviction.
For thirty wears of my life | fought. as
Wing. the Democratic party. and
sometimes when it was Overwhelmingly
defeated / thought it could rise no
more. but from its wrecks and disasters
it would come more nightly than ever
before and sweep away all opposition.
The word Democrat stands for human
liberty and human freedom and can
not die. The people believe in it, and
when freedom is menaced and liberty
ieopardized. at one blast of that magic
name men will come from the
mountains and from the valleys and
place the Democratic party in power.
In the ancient days the little gladi-
ator. with his simple shield and short
sword would step into the arena before
the assembled thousands. The fierce
and raging lion would be turned in
upon him. BY his skill the mighty
brute would be slain. Another mon
ster would be turned in to meet the
same fate. Another aud another
would follow only TO go down beneath
the apparently puny strength of the
gladiator, until the people would cry
he is god, the supernatural is with
him." In some sort this represents
the idea the American people have OF
Democracy There is attached to the