The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24


Senior Glass Of 1899:
On behalf of the Trustees of the Uni
versity of North Carolina | accept this
work of art which so well represents and
reproduces the lineaments Of he great
North Carolinian, the memory Of whom
moro than that Of any other son of our
beloved State land this can be said with
ont disnara cement to others fingers with
the peopIe whonlshe loved and served and
who loved honored and idoiZed him.
And in thus accepting it, ! beg ON behalf
Of the trustees to thank you; the class
Of 1899. for the happy and patriotic
thouphtfulneSs which suggested 50 he
coming a gift to your Alma Mater, AMI
Won. sir. addressing Julian ). Carr jr)
for the very graceful and eloquent adj
dress with which you have presented IT,
and to send our acknowledgements -
Mr.. Randall for the labor he so lovingly
bestowed upon it and for the correctness
of eve and the deftness of hand and
chisel which guided by the innate gc-
MUS of the true artist, have enabled
him so faithfully to reproduce the inn
age Of Governor Vance. Alexander.
standing at the tomb of Achilles, cried
ont 20 fortunate youth, in that thou
hadst a Homer for thy Eulogist,' 20
fortunate juvcne, Qui Homerum praeco-
mem habuerasn)
Ladies and gentlemen, trustees AMI
students. is it ont Of place or too much
for me TO say that our beloved Vance,
though in his grave, is fortunate IN
having as his sculptor 50 accomplish ID
an artist as Mr.. Randall, native and
to the manner born. and whose FIRST
breath was from the air Of the same
mountains where Vance was inspired
and among which he was nurtured aud
grew strong?
II is not expected nor would it be aD-
propriate in the performance of the duty
assigned to me. to discuss at any length
the life. character and virtues Of Cover
nor Vance. or to recount the services
which he rendered TO the State during
his long and useful public life, and
shall therefore content myself and thus
| hone. make but slight draft upon your
patience. with calling your attention to
what may be considered to have been
his most prominent characteristics as
n fubIic man and which We're. in my
opinion. the secret of the great hold he
had upon the heart strings of the people
his rugged honesty and independence, his
intense love of North Carolina, his iidel-
ifv 10 the interests and welfare Of the
reonle. his close communion with mis-
constituents and lis answering bel at
in the virtue integrity and wisdom of
the great mass Of the people. ard, in
> word. his trust in the popular heart
These were the qualities that endcared
him 70 the people and caused them to
trust him without question to lay their
hands confdingly in his and. without
fear or tremor, 70 follow WhitherSoever
he led. no matter how great the dark
ness or how wild the tempest or how
rugged tho read.
As 10 his honesty. it was incorrupti-
HE. ayarice had absolutely no place in
his moral constitution and neither the
Establishments Of wealth nor the attrib-
utes Of high official position and power
could tempt him to swerve from the
nlain maths which his conscience and
love Of truth marked out for him. Liv-
inc and moving for nearly half CEN
tury IN the fierce glare Of the Light that
critics and enemies Sild enyious con-
temporaries are accustomed TO turn
upon successful politicians and states
mon. no charge Of personal or Official
wrong-doing was ever preferred or sug-
eested against him. Ills escutcheon
from his earliest entrance upon the pub
lie arena down to the day when MS
spear was broken and his warfare end
ed. was rs bright and spotless rs an
untarnished mirror. And when, IN THAR
ever-memorable campaign of 1876 IN
which he contested with the knightly
Settle for the uppermost place IN the
esteem and affections Of the people, ne
held M his hands with dramatic ac-
ton and cried These hands are clean.
il was not because any imputatim OF
personal or official corruption had been
made against him, but it was the con-
iident and triumphant challenge that an
honest steward of the people made 20
the world and to his enemies to ma,
If they could one single instance OF
wrong-doing in his career which had betH
full OF opportunities for enrichment 70
which ordinary men might ave yielded,
md the wild enthusiasm winch gfeettu
that thrilling challenge from the sea 10
the mountains and the November ne
cloim of "WeH done thou good and
faithful servant" sho%ed that the PEG,
Mo saw no stain upon those uptuned
hands.
As 10 his independence, he had no
heliey ed capable Of reaching right con-
clusions when they had the opportunity
to calmly and dispassionately mediate
and pass Judgment upon question, ana
no clique or ring, no threats or promises
from political or corporate power, no
frowns or smiles Of majesty, no slam
ming i'm his face Of White House doors,
could make him aEate one jot or little
of his we'll considered opinions or stay
his arm or tongue or Pen in has cham
pionship Of the peoples rights. Beng
close to the people, he communPd close
IL with them, learned and sympathlzed
with their needs and fearlessly contend
cd for their relief He fulfilled the ideal
OF the true statesman as portrayed by
Edmund Burke when he said;
at ought 10 be the happiness ana
glory of a representative to live in the
strictest union. the closest correspond
once and the most unreserved communi-
cation with his constituents. Their
wishes ought to have great weight with
him; their opinions high respect Their
business unremitted attention IT Is his
duty TO sacrifice his repose, his pleas
IRE. his satisfaction 70 theirs and above