The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-05-16
Wilmington Messenger.

| Wilmington Messenger
We are still reading Rev. Jas. A
| Weston's volume as to Marshal Ne,
and Peter S. Ney, the famous teacher
in North Carolina between 1919 and
1916, when he died. In 1847, We
learned many interesting facts con,
corning P. S. Ney from our friend
Victor Clay Barringer, now exJudge
of the International Court Of Alexan
dria. Some years after we wrote o.
the great teacher. From time to time
we have had something to say of Peter
Ney. We have regarded him from
what we have learned from several
men who knew him as a remarkable
character, but have been in doubt as tc
who he was. There were reasons
known to us for supposing him to be
the great Marshal, the greatest soldier
France ever had, we think. of native
birth. But there were difficulties in
the way as the Marshal was universally
reported in all biographies and histo-
ries as having been shot to death. We
have now very decided conviction as
to the identity of Peter S. Ney.
We are not in the least surprised
that such very able jurists as Chief
Justice Pearson and Judge Archibald
D. Murphey, both of whom knew Ney
we'll, believed that he was Marshal
Michel Ney. We have no doubt what
ever that Peter Ney, the schoolmaster,
was Michel Ney, the Marshal OF
France.
You can not read Mr.. Weston's
book with candid mind, open to
truth, without being very highly i'm
pressed as to the great abilities, the
most noble and engaging character,
the tenderness and loveableness of his
nature, the wisdom, common-sense
and masterful qualities of the school
teacher, who, from the evidence Of
we'll educated, we'll born, religious
people who were his pupils, was pa,
excellence the greatest teacher this
State or the South ever had. Peter
Ney was indeed very great man
that much is established beyond ali
fair questioning. That he had been
a distinguished soldier it is not hard to
accept. That for thirty years he sor-
rowed and suffered as few men have
ever done is patent to him who reads
and understands. That he said again
and again, even on his death-bed that
he was Marshal Ney is established.
That his lite was inexplicable, very
great mystery, unless he was the Mar
shall is very plain so US. That he
fought all the battles the Marshal
fought we can not doubt. That he
was worthy of the confidence, admira-
ton and affection of the hundreds Of
North CaroliEians who knew him is
made amply clear.
We are not essaying to make any
argument or to show reasons for our
own conclusion. You must read the
book. 1t is verify as interesting as
one of Scott's most charming Scotch
novels or his best English stories or
"Quentin Durward," capital pro-
duction, and it is every whit as true as
the best biographies in our language.
We do not criticise Mr.. Weston S
very entertaining sketch of the Mar
shall, his studied depreciation of the
great Napoleon or any faults of style
or taste-these might detain US for a
little while; but we wish to express
our gratitude for the thoroughness OF
his work; the exceeding fullness of tes-
timony; the unaagging interest which
surrounds and pervades the discussion
throughout. There is no dullness in
the book. 1t is read with as much in
terest as we felt when we read Hugo's
great masterpiece, one of the chief glo'
ries of all literature tiles Misera-
bles' Dumas's "The Three Mus
queteers" and "Twenty Years Alter. y
Whatever other conclusion the critics
and others may come to, we have ar
rived at a conviction about which
there hangs no cloud of doubt-that
beyond all question Peter S. Ney was
Napoleon's great Marshal and friend
We are not conscious now Of any doubt
whatever, but the evidence to us is SC
! complete, SO full, SO overwhelming thai
we have as much confidence in the
identity as we have of the existence oi
Napoleon himself after studying Arch
bishop Whateley's ingenious argument
to disprove the Emperor's existence
employing Hume's argument against
miracles-a redueho ad absuyanm.
We shall die believing that Marsha
Ney died at the home of our old frienC
Osborne Foard, in Rowan county, anc
was buried at Third Creek church
We simply add here that for many
years we have had very grave doubt:
as to the shooting Of Marshal Ney as
recorded, and especially since abou
eight years ago. We have no longe1
a lingering doubt. AS Peter Ney sale
again and again--the Marshal wa
never shot. He died in North Caro-
lima.
The Discovery Saved His Lite.
Mr. G. Caillouette, druggist, BeaversviIle
I'll saws. 'sTo Or KINGS Now DiS