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

American history were prolific offs great
young men. Later on, our halls Of
Congress, our army and our navy
brought to the front men whose genius
made lis impress in defiance OF the
narrow idea that no man is fitted for
great achievements until he has passed
middle lie.
During the civil war the Conieder-
acy and the Union, under the stress
of an awful crisis, begot youthful he
roes, generals, statesmen, diplomatisls,
whose names will live in history. Well
may the youngest of the great nations
be proud of its young men.
Lei us glance at the history of thc
race as we find it recorded of older
peoples than our own. OK Of the
mists and darkness tina, enyelop the
nations Of two thousand years ago
arises the figure of a youth who con
qnered the world with the might of
his genius; who wept for new worlds
to conquer, and, finding them not, lay
dow IN WEAKNESS to die at the age
of thir:ythree.
Alexander ILL.,, King OF Macedon,
was we'll called "rhe Great" Read
the story of his gigantic achieve
ments.
This son of Philip, and pupil of Ars-
totle, succeeded to the throne at the
age of twenty. He subjuga,cd Thrace
and lllyriA at twenty-one, conquered
and destroyed Thebes and subdued OPP
preston in Greece.
He was twenty-five when he started
on his Eastern expedition. In that
year he gained the victory of Grama-
Gus, and year later won the battle
Of lssus. At the age of twenty-four
Alexander captured Tyre, and GAIA,
occupied Egypt and founded Alexan-
drIa
The following year he overthrow the
Persian Empire at Arbela. Before his
death, at the age of thlrty-three, the
Boy King of Macedon was ruler of
the world.
GREAT YOUNG MEN OF OLD.
Pompey had seen much military
service before he was thirty, and on
reaching his thlrtie,h year found him
self IN command Of the legions operat
ing against the Marians in Spain. He
was Consul with Crassus when he was
thlrtysiX.
Caius Marius was Tribune at the
age Of ,hirty-six. Years later he was
driven from Rome, but returned and
prescribed the aristocrats.
Tlberius Ssmyronius Gracious was
grand young man. He was only
thirty at the time of his death, but
he had won Immortality. He was born
in I65 B. &. He was elected Tribune
Of the peope in 133.
The land of the Romans Sas being
absorbed by the rich, and the peasan-
try were being driven into the cities to
swell the ranks Of the unemployed.
Gracious attempted to restore the
land to the farmers, and died a martyr
to his cause.
Marcus 1ulius Cicero was thirty
SIX when he made his immortal speech
accusing Verres.
Rienzi, "the Tribune ofthe People, "
was young man when he won his
claim to fame. He was born in Rome
1878. He was thirty-three years Of
age when he led the revolution in
Rome that overthrew the power of the
aris.ocracy and made him Tribune of
the People.
Gustavus Adolphus wSs only thirty
eight at the time OF his death. He was
King Of Sweden at the aye Of seven
teen. He concluded peace with Den
mark in 1918, when he was nineteen,
and four years later, at Stollbowa, com
PEELED Russia to cede Kexholm, kare-
len and Ongermanland.
William the Silent was appointed
commander of the army in the Neither
lands when he was only twenty-five
years Of age.
Napoleon Bonaparte's record is al
most as marvellous As that Of Alexan-
der the Great.
Napoleon was born in 1869. AT
the age Of twenty-five years he was an
adventurer, practically, in a city that
he could not claim as molher. He
was twenty-5ix when he aided in sup
pressing the revolt Of the sections in
Paris. A year later he was in com
mand 0! the army in tidy. He was
First Consul a, the age of thirty, and
was made Consul for lie when he was
th'ty-th,ee.
BY Abe time he was as old as VII.
liam ], Bryan is at this moment Napo-
leon vas the only man in Continental
Europe. He had proved himself gian,
among pigmles, Titan who claimed
the earth as his empire by the divine
right Of genius. He had again proved
to a 6rgelful world tina, the grea,
leaders oi men DEFY youth as often as
they defy old age.
THE GREAT PITT.
William Pitt, one Of the creates
Of EnglIshman, Was born in 1859 ant
died in 1906. He was elected tc
Parliament when he was twenty one
At the age Of twen,y-three he becam:
Chancellor of the Exchequer and lead
er Of the House Of Commons.
Pitt was Prime Minister OF EnglaD
a, twenty four. The English statesmen
who opposed Pitt taun,ed him Of be
ing boy. He proved concluslvely
however, that he was not only a man
but great man. He was able /,
stand the strain Of elevation al an ear
ly age.
Richard Brinsley Sheridan was Eng
lands Secretary Of the Treasury at tn