The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-08-28

accurate recital of the testimony of wit
nesses. His success with jlries appears
from n story he used 70 tell on himself,
in depreciation Of his legal knowledge
that in discussing the merits OF Inc
lawyers by some coultry1nen on lhe
court green of one of the far western
counties, one Of them, partial to nm,
said. If Zeb Vance can My get past
the ledge he is bout as good as any OF
'em."
The popularity of young Vance and his
natural Dent soon 0 him INTO poIltlcS,
and he became Il candidate Of the Wing
party for a seat III the House Of Com
mons Of the State Legislature, III the
summer Of 1854, when he was twenty
four years Of age. His opponent, Il nlau
of double his age and of high standing ii
the county. expected easily 10 distance
his youthful competitor. vt their hrst
discussion, in the court house Ut ASH
vile. the senior. who led OFT. for@etiui
Of the history Of Goliath and bayli,
made sport Of the beafrilcSs youth. who
wanted his seat in the legislature. W hen
Vance rose to reply he assumed an an
of comic difiidenc", and SAID. III Il neSltat-
ing manner: Fellow citizens, l admit
| am young; but it is NOT my faJht. Ny
parents did not consult me as to the
time when | should be born. MI | can
do is 10 promise YOU to try to do better
next time The crowd was captured By
inns ~llfltA ptGtti #ItiIh, anu t'iNNd " -
that deferred his opponent from aIludlnG
70 his yOuthfulneSS again. Vance was
elected. and proved a punctIal and 1alth-
full member OF the legislature. hat BODY
then met in November, and ADJOURNED
over for a few days at Christmas. L
remember that Vance spent part OF the
holidays at Chapel Hill, where | then
lived, and upon my asking aim now ne
was getting on down at lsaIeigh, he re
piled: Pretty Well; but | thought when
/ went there. all | had to do was 10 open
my mouth and be famous, and | soon
learned that the less | opened my mouth
the better for my fame This eX-
pericnce by Il man of his gifts. apparent
even then, may be Of benefit To some
brilliant young member-clect Of oIr Sen
winter. '.Tarry in Jericho till your
boards be grown" was doubtless his ad-
vice to oycr-a&piring young men.
lie re-urne7 nome VIA increased pop
ularity among his constituents and else
where in the State, and III : he was
the Whig-Amorican candidate for the
Senate III the Runcombe Senatorial dis
trict. His opponent was David Coleman.
ESD, 4 former officer iii the United
States navy, a Democrat Of fine ability,
and afterwards Il gallant Confederate
colonel. The Democratic majority in the
district was considerable, but that was
only a stimulus 10 Nance>S zeal and &C
tiyity: and though defeated on election
day (the only time in his life when Il can
didate before the people, his opponent
went in with Il diminished majority. and
the laureIS of the contest We're fairly
divided between them.
His motto seems TO have been. "EN-
celsior." In 1898 Thomas l.. Clingman.
long the member OF Congress from the
mountain district. having been appointed
by Governor Bragg TO Il vacancy IN the
United States Senate. resigned his seat,
and w. w. Avery Of Burke, to whom he
had transferred his mantle, and David
Coleman. both Democrats, We're candl-
dates for the succession. Young Vance
leaped into the arena. Coleman retired.
and threw his influence III favor Of
Avery. Ciingman's majority had been
about 1000. Avery was an able man
and his family II Of large influence.
and eyen Nance's intimate friends. at
first, regarded his candidacy as but little
better than Il joke. One Of his uncles.
at whose house | Glanced to spend a
night IN the summer Of that year, upon
reference being made to his candidacy.
said. "Zeb is a fool for running for Con-
gresS. He is getting Il PRETTY good prac-
tice in the law. and is throwing it all
away running for Congress. with no more
chance of being elected than | have
1t seems that by that time. at least.
the young aspirant knew himself and