The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08
Sketch Of Hon. Henry N. Shaw
His Career as Physician Statesman and as Warrior in
in Civil War.
By COL. D. WORTHINGTON.

TEN of North Carolina in this imperfect
sketch of the life and character of one
of North Cardinals most distinguished
sons. All who are to the manner born
in the assimilation of ideas, habits, GUS
toms ana traditions discover with high
qualification the progress that has been
made in the development of a system
that has been seriously embarrassed
from the beginning, and which in many
respects, despite unsatisfactory sur
roundings, has furnished an equipment
to the youths of the present age that is
educationally adequate; i'm another and
higher point of view it's deficiency is
plainly observed. Other people, other
realms are boastful of more advanced
citizenship. because they have embodied
IN the curriculum of the schools, a prac-
tical knowledge of their public men, the
great epochs, they have illustrated and
every page of literature in which their
deeds are recorded. We see there a
complete delineation of the policy of the
people upon the question of preserving
unfailing memorials that are ever recur-
ring Incentives to the moral and intellec-
they erect their domestic shrines. and
require no purer Offering than heart and
brain filled to repletion with the virtues
of their ancestors. When we can APP
proximate or equal this accomplishment,
its attainment will form an era in the
history of the State, which will be dwelt
upon with pride by all who love, and
venerate whatever is elevating and in
spring in the lives of the truly great of
an almost forgotten age. Unhapply the
system has found itself constrained by
embarrassments of every kind, frequent
~ by divergent and irreconcilable
views expressed by the new school of
politicians. With these Instructions out
Of the way, the ambitious youth may find
more congenial employment than by their
enforced instruction of the Pater famil-
las upon the matters of technique, and
that there are other ways of measuring
capacity and resource, height and depth
than by the angles of incidence and
reflection. They will cherish and cult
vate in their receptive intellects the dis
tinguished character of men who live
again in these tender memorials.
The Stole was not simply casting the
Finish what / have begun He had
permitted himself to look forward not to
expiring institutions and degenerate
races of men, but to a virtuous posterity,
that should surround itself with all the
blessings of "a higher civilization. The
lives of these men-products of past gem
erations-resplendent with events and
experiences which have called into ac-
ton SO many and so various passions of
human life, and which have given to
native sagacity so many victories over
practised politicians, will require the
profound. luminous and philosophical
conceptions of a Bancroft Moore or
Wheeler.
This history is not to be written in
day. The contemporaries of such men
and such events, are not the hands to
render their faithful portraiture. Time
must first do its office, must silence the
passions, remove the actors, collate the
issues and canonize to honor, patriotism
and glory, all that is venerable, all that
is sacred. In after ages the historic
genius of North Carolina shall produce
the biographers of men far removed
from the contests of the day, who will
know how to value these great epochs,
and how to acquire an Immortality for
their own names by painting with
masters hand the undying events of
their lives. My purpose is to rescue as
far as practicable from oblivion men who
must not-cannot die-to snatch from
the crucible of time-ere the flames shall
consume the parchments on which hu-
man lives are written, and present them
in a congruous- intelligent record, so that
our youths who stand upon the outer
verge of the 10Th century may
renew in their own lives and characters
whatever was worthy of emulation in
these Titans of an ever glorious past
Many of these men have left their foot
prints upon the sands, let us gather
these into a common receptacle, for our
common veal. The mould has long
since gathered upon their memories as
well as upon their graves. Let us with
the little mallet and chisel of the old
sexton chip away the ichen. that we
may read anew the story of their strug-
giles and triumphs. Many of them have
been plucked like mripe fruit, e'er the
vintage was prepared, and we have
felt less acutely the quickening sense Of
a grateful recollection, than did "Old
Mortality" when surrounded by con-
viyial friends he raised the cup reyerent-
ly to his lips and said: May the bless
ing of our Master be with you and upon
you. My days are like the ears Of the
yellow harvest and your hours are yet in
the green, but the sickle falls as oft
upon the green as upon the dry, and
we know not when the Master calleth
If / should return to this village and
find We all gone to your long home,
will raise stone of memorial that your
name shall not perish from among the
people" Let us inurn our dead in our
own Parthenon; for every virtue they
possessed, every victory they achieved,
every aspiration that lured them to
loftier heights, are our priceless posses
sions and the cherished heirlooms of our
Fifty years ago the old Edenton Dis
trict appeared as a bride adorned for her
husband. There were no civil broils to
wreck her peace; no Aaron's rod to swal-
low up discord Her fertile BOSOM when
teazed with the plow, heaved with over
abundant harvests; her honor was jeal-
ously guarded by alert sentinels who
stood with unsheathed sword at the
gateway of the temples. What son so
vnoraorf 10 tho apd 90 ruaI1fs of his old