The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-07-30

son, John Jay, Hamilton, Clay, CAL
houn, Mcclellan and Host of 9th
ers Were Famous Before Forty.
New York World
Each generation believes in its own
miracles. The vast majority Of men
have neither the time nor the inclina
ton to seek precedents for history
their own time is making. A gener-
alton is microcosm Within 1t can
be found an old story told in new
way.
Men carelessly accept the new yer
sion as proof Of the amazing versatility
of the human race. They fail to grasp
the full significance of the old saying
that '.history repeats ITSELF
1t is the egotism that pertains to
any given generation that causes SO
many Americans a. this crisis tolhrow
up their hands in astonishnen, at the
nomination Of William Jennings Bry
ar for President. ole is only
thirty six.' they cry. "Is it not mar
vellous?"
Let them turn for a moment TO the
scroll upon which time has written
the names of men who have changed
the destinies of nations. They will
fnd thereo sufficient cause for amaze
ment.
They will discover that in the past
the genius of young men has been a
potent factor in making the history Of
/ the human race the grand and NOV
ing tale L. is.
YOUNG MEMS ACHIEVEMENTS
Men under the age Of thirtysix
have founded dynasties, have remod-
elled the geography of the known world
have made and unmade kings and
peoples, have formulated principles of
government that have changed the as
spect Of the race itself.
Alexander was a boy conqueror.
Napoleon was boy conQneror. JEFF
fer5on was boy statesman. Ohm Jay
WAS a boy statesman. Mcclellan was
boy General and a candidate for
| President
These men ripened early. They
placed their names on the scroll of
fame because their opportunities came
10 them early in their careers, and
they were sufficiently prepared to
SEIZE the time when it was ripe. Call
it genius or call it destiny, as you will,
the fact remains that youth has never
been, PEI, Sc, a bar to great achieve
ments.
Let US take bird eye view Of hu-
man history and note thereon the gl-
gantic figure that young men throw
against the background Of the .umul
tuous past.
1t is not necessary to go lar aheld
TO prove that youth has been mighty
in its influence upon the deStlnes of
the race. Read the incomplete record
here submitted Of men under thirty
six whose inference has hee:s power
full in its effect upon the American
people.
AN EARLY BOY ORATOR.
How great a t''-bt oi gratitude Free
dom owes To + f:k Henry a boy or
alor whose fea:-. = .ngue was worth an
army to the ppressed colonl>ts of
America.
Henry was only twenty-nine years
of age when he entered the Virginia
House Of Burgesses, and became at a
bound the leader in that body OF
those who protested against England S
tyranny. His resolutions declaring
the Stamp act unconstitutional were
offered in May, 1865, before Henry
had reached his thlrtieth year.
Thomas Jefferson was a boy when he
drafted the declaration of independ-
ence, in many respects the grandest
document ever penned by the hand of
man. Jefferson was born in I745, and
was only thifty-three years of age in
177o, the year in which he put into
immortal words The protest Of the fu-
| ture against the past.
The State of New York owes its CON
sl!tution to boy statesmen. John Jay
was only thirtytw years Of age when
he drew up the instrument upon which
the Empire State was 70 erect a great
mmonwealth.
Al th;rty five John Jay was United
States Minister TO Spain. BY this
time in his career nobody dared to
accuse him 0? the crime Of "prec0c-
ity.'
ACHIEVED FAME WHILE YOUNG.
Our early history is made up in
large part of the achievements o
young men. Alexander Hamilton
was secretary Of the United State:
Treasury at the age Of thirty-two. The
man TO whom he owed his deatt
Aaron Burr, was United States Sena
tor from New York at the age 0
thirtysix.
Henry Clay matured early. Hi
eloQuence had made him famous in hi
? early twenties. Clay was elected
I United States Senator from kentuck
\ before be was thirty.
John {. Calhoun was Secretary @
:, War IN President Monroe's Cabine
r at the age Of ,hirtysix.
i George 3. Mcclellan, candidate 70
a President OF the United States in IS6
:, was born thirty eight years before HI
nomination for that office. He ha
is been famous for several years before h
e became d Presidential candidate.
/, Philip II. Sheridan was only thirt
n years Of age at the outbreak Of the wa
n Before the war was ended Sher
y dan dad won fame that was worlC