The news & observer., 1897-02-21
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To the Editor News and Observer

press. 1t is an address, delivered u,
Henry w Miller to the people of Nor
Carolina in 1858, for the benefit Of II ,
Mt Vernon Ladies' Association"
Why such "A paper should have remain
ed unpublished for nearly forty years we
do not understand, nor do we know why
the present was chosen as the time for
ta publication.
1t offers no apology; it requires mono.
1t is commended to the youth Of the
State; no one can afford not to read it,
Meeting with an untimely death in
the MONDAY of manhood, just as his na-
tive land was about to be plunged into
gloom which rendered us to a large
extent different people from what we had
been. Henry Miller is less known to tht
younger generations Of North Carolina
than many men of far less merit
Born in Goochland county, Virginia
in 1918, he came to Raleigh when about
( twelve years of age, graduated with
honors at the State University in 1884
and soon afterwards entered upon the
practice of law.
! Endowed by nature with a vigorous
mind in a vigorous body, he was a most
laborOus student.
With a mind well stored with facts,
and keen perception of truth, he grasp
ed every question that presented itself
with energy and ygor.
! He was fond Of arts. and devoted
much Of his time to the study Of litera-
ture. In early life he was frequent
contributor to the press. and all of his
productions are said to have possessed un-
| usual force. But it was as an orator that
Henry Miller is best known. Whether
| in debate at the bar or on the hustings,
or, as in the present instance, making II
literary address, North Carolina has rare
ly produced his equal and never his SUI
perior.
A ready command Of language and
vivid Imagination, combined with the
emotional temperament Of never
fiinching, undaunted patriot; a pleasing
manner and rich musical voice, were all
so happily mixed in him that he thrilled
mis- hearers, and often held them spell
bound By his eloquence.
When a student at Chapel Hill he
wrote to William Writ, whose life of
Isefulness was then drawing TO its close
asking advice in regard to the study Of
law.
From Miller's subsequent career we
can easily imagine that he accepted the
reply to his letter as a guide to his pro-
fessional studies.
The following extracts are from Mr.
Writ letter..
IF your spirit be as stout and pure as
your letter indicates, you require little
advice beyond which you will find il
the walls of your University A brave
and pure spirit is more than half the
attic, not only in preparing for life, but
all conflicts. Take it for granted that
there is no excellence without great la
bor No mere aspirations for eminence,
however ardent, will do the business.
Wishing and signing, and imagining and
dreaming of greatness will never make
you great. If you would get to the noun
tain's top. on which the temple of fame
stands, it will not do to stand still, look
ing, admiring, and wishing you were
there. You must grid up your loins. and
90 to work with all the indomitable en-
ergy of Hannibal scaling the Alps. La
borious study and diligent observation
Of the world, are both indispensable to
the attainment of eminence. By the
former, you must make yourself master
of all that is known of science and let
ters; by the latter YOU must know man,
at large and particularly the character
and genius of your own countrymen.
You must cultivate assiduously the
habits of reading, thinking and observ-
ing"
'Tf you have access to Franklin's
works. read them carefully, particularly
his third volume, and you will know
what l mean by the habits of observing
and thinking We cannot all be Frank
lins, it is true; but, by initiating his
mental habits and universal industry, we
may reach an eminence we should never
otherwise attain. Nor would he have
been the Franklin he was, if he had per-
mitted himself to be discouraged by the
reflection that we cannot all be New
tons.
You ask for instructions adapted to
Improvement in eloquence. This is
subject for treatise, not for a letter.
Cicero, however, has summed up the
whole art in a few words: it is-'apte--
distincte-ornate-d speak to
purpose-to speak clearly and distinctly
to speak gracefully. To be able to
speak to the purpose, you must under
stand your subject and all that belongs
to it,-and then your thoughts and
methods must be clear in themselves,
and clearly and distinctly enunciated:-
and lastly, your voice, style, delivery
and gesture, must be graceful and inn
pressive."
1t is matter of wonder, and perhaps
Of regret, to his friends that a man of
Miller's ability should possess such re-
firing modesty; nor can it be denied that
he was ''too proud of the right to pur-
sue the expedient."
During his entire career as an orator,
statesman and patriot, he never but once
became candidate for public office.
Only a few months before his death
he was elected to the State legislature,
but before the legislature assembled he
had been numbered with out illustrious
dead.
Miller believed in the Union and be-
held with fear and trembling the gath
ering clouds Of go and '61.
at is not for us to say" he wrote,
Il