The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-07
A NEW BOOK.

| The Lives Of Distinguished North
CaroI:nians'' with illustrations and
speeches, edited and compiled by w. j.
peele, a member Of the Raleigh bar, will
fill long felt want in our State.
The lives of Davie, Macon, Murphey,
CASTOR, Badger, Ruffin, Swain, Bragg,
Graham, Moore, Fender. Pettigrew,
Ramseur, Grimes and Hill, with por-
traits. would be interesting and valua-
BILE, even il written by men less dis
| t:nguished than those whose sketches
are used AS the book stands it is the
product the labor OF twenty-fOur minds
and presents n greater variety of talent
and learning than any book ever pub
lished in this State.
While oil OF the sketches and speeches
have been published before at some
time or other in our history, hardly any
two Of them have been published to-
gether. Very few Of our own people
have read or had the privilege OF read
! ing more than four or FIVE Of them; and
HODOuy uub DtloiC thAo SOhiOA'A"
ton by which everybody can read them
together and compare them all.
In his preface the editor says: at
will not be understood, of course, that
an attempt il made in this volume to
publish the lives OF all our distinguished
dead There are others, perhaps, as
worthy as any which here appear; and
should this book be approved and suf-
fciently sustained by reading people,
another volume may be added at some
future time"
! The table Of contents is its own best
advertisement; glance at it will show
that the book will be entertaining and
instructive to all who take interest in
the history Of the State.
! One Of its best features is that it allows
the subjects to speak for themselves. If
Senator Vance puts too high an estimate
on the abilities of his friend and patron
Governor Swain-a speech Of the latter
is sub-joined, so that the impartial reader
may have aid to form his own conclu-
sions. And the speeches and extracts
themselves are among it's best feature.
Almost at the beginning we find old
Nat Macon (whom jefferson called the
i last of the Romans) lecturing in the
House of Representatives at Washing
ton. in 1920, Pennsylvania Yankee
or expressing n desire to see the Union
dissolved rather than that slavery
should go beyond the Mississippi.
The address of Archibald ID. Murphy
at Chapel Hell in 1927, not only well IL
Illustrates his power as writer and his
culture as n scholar, but is Itself one of
the best chapters OF North Cardinals
history that has yet been written, and
while short, there is enough of it to
make us regret that he did not carry
out his cherished design of writing the
history of our State. -
Judge Gaston's address is regarded as
among the best ever delivered at the
University. tH fa' t$@
General D. 81. Hills speech delivered
in Baltimore on the "Old South" il
among the most readable and instructive
in the book.
The introduction presents some new,
and to our friends across the Potomac,
some startling theories of the causes Of
the war between the States. 1t shows
great labor and research. There is no
apology in this:
ITO publish what our sages and war
riors have taught and fought for rises
therefore to the dignity Of a
duty as tending to correct err
roneous impressions common among
us and still more common among
others, and, as giving a particular ac-
count, rendered by many witnesses of
! men and times to be remembered by
posterity, rightly or wrongly, forever.
This introduction is intended to pre-
sent a birds'-eye view Of the field in
which were cast the lives and labors OF
the subjects of this book. Incidentally.
too. / indicate a theory Of Southern his
tory, which. if not obvious enough upon
its bare statement. or from the facts
here briefly set forth. will one day be
demonstrated to the satisfaction OF the
! seeker after truth. 1t involves an an
| alys:s OF the character. influence. and
interests of the North acting on the
South"
There is no mistaking the authors
feeling for his native Southland which
he praises at the expense of her money
owing brothers TO the North:
THE South. the rural South. in spite
Of many short cOmings. Is the great coll
servator Of our institutions. 1t is the
| distinctiveiy American section OF the
Union. jealous Of all foreign domination
or interference. and standing firm in the
patrior's faith. that we can work out
our own national salvation without the
aid of European capital or distinctively
European ideas Of finance. government.
or society.
Though contaminated by nsdPrn ma
chine notifies and much hankprptl by