The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-24

when / went there, all had TO do was
to open my mouth and be famous, and
/ soon learned that the less I opened
my. mouth the better for my fame"
His motto seems to have been, "Ex-
celsior." In 1858 Thomas L. Clingnnan,
long the member Of congres from the
mountain district, having been ap-
pointed by Governor Bragg TO a va
cancy in the United States senate, re-
signed his seat and w. W. Avery, OF
Burke, to whom he had transferred
his mantle. and David Coleman, both
democrats, were candidates for the
succession. Young Vance leaped into
the arena. Coleman retired, and
threw his influence in favor of Avery.
ClingmaHs majority had been about
1000. Avery was an able man and his
family one Of large influence, and even
Vance's intimate frinds eat first, re-
garded his candidacy as but little bet
ter than joke. One of his uncles. at
whose house I CHANGED to spend a
night in the summer of that year. upon
reference being made to his candidacy,
said, "Zeb. is fool for running for
congress. with no more chance Of be-
ing elected than have"
It seems that by that time, at least.
the young aSpirant knew himself and
his powers better than his confident OPP
fore the contest was over they realized
that a new star of the first magnitude
had risen in the mountains, and that
its radiance might dim those whose
brilliancy had been so much admired
Mr.. Avery a thoroughly equipped poll
tician and an able debater often found
the strength of his weighty arguments
avoided by witty repartee or unex-
pected counter-thrust. To strike, or
corner so subtle an Antagonist, was
we'll nigh impossible. For instance. he
charged that Vance represented a
moribund party, that many OF its
leaders were abandoning it ard sons
Of other leaders: "Fo~ instance" he
said, John B. Clay, son of Henry
Clay, and Daniel Wessters $ ns,,''
Vance, at the moment remembering
only Mr.. Webster's daughters, inter
jected, Daniel Webster has no sons:
his children are all daughters" rs 1t
it possible" said Avery. turning on
him in triumph. you do rot remem-
Mexican WARP Vance then remenn-
bered Fletcher. but too we'll, and with
| a sudden impulse to get out of his
corner, somehow, cried out. striking
| his nose with his dexter finger, "No8h
| Webster's son, the spelling-book mans
son!" Where at the boys raised su6h
| yell that Mr.. Avery despaired of Set
scended from the stand. he SAN.
Vance, that was a mean trick" II
| know 1t was Avery, but you had me DO
fast I just had to wriggle out some
how"
|
| In one way or another by election
| day, he had, to use the language OF
| his ardent followers. "Set the noun
| tains on fire. and he confounSled the
| democratic leaders by carrying the t71s-
trict by 1000 majority.
| In 1850 he was again elected to con-
gress, his opponent being Colonel Da-
| v1d Coleman. to whom he returned the
compliment for his defeat for the state
| senate four years before. In the cam
padgn with Coleman. his speeches were
generally on a higher plane, because
he was then a United States congress
| man, and because of the MON antous
issues upon the country. though he
still enlivened the debates with sallies
of wit and anecdotes illustrative OF
his argument, as before.
In common with the other union
| men of the state. while contending thai
| the election of Lincoln in 1860 was ne
cause for secession, Vance had com
mitted himself to oppose the coer.
cion OF a seeded state. if any of Their
should exercise, what he considered tn,
revolutionary right of secession. TIL.
people We're with him and IN February
1851, voted by large majority agains
nold1ng convention to consider til,
question OF secession. But when, il
| April, the clash of arms came, an;
President Lincoln called for TROOPS
from this state in part to restore tn,
authority of the United States i,
South Carolina and other secede,
states. a convention was at once callet
on the historic Goth of May, and a,
ordinance of secession adopted. Vanc
raised the second company organizec
in his district, the Rough and Real,
Guards" of sturdy mountainee, :
and brought them to Raleigh as rhei
captain early in May. The comma n
became part OF the Fourth regimen
OF North CarOlina troops afterwari
designated as the Fourteenth.
He was besought, in 1861 to be a can.
dfdate fer the confederate congress
but positively refused to do so, or ever
to serve if elected. His nomination fol
the governorship was unsought, and 4
was accepted only after assuranc,
from many friends representing botl
the old parties of the state, and who's,
opinion he could not disregard, that
in that office, he could best serve tn,
| confederate cause as Wen as the peo
pie of North Carolina
|
But Vances right to The epithet O.
''The War Governor of the South" II
due as much to the earnest suppor
of the confederate cause, by his stat
through him, as it's executive head, a.
: to what he did for it's people, thei
protection under the law and thei
! general welfare. For nearly thre,
years, from September s, 1862, to tn.
evening he left Raleigh, April u, 1866
to avoid capture by Sherman, he did
all that vigilance, zeal and energ.
could do to have and keep every maj
, to whom Lee, Johnston and other
were entitled, as soldiers, at the front
|, To him it is due, largely, that the Il
regiments and some unattached com
!. mands from North Carolina, were KEEP
.. fuller than those from any othe
state. Notwithstanding that the bodie
. of more North Carolina dead streweS
the battlefields of the country thai
those of any other state; that quit
one-sixth Of the confederate troop
J hailed from this state; that we haI
soldier for nearly every voter; ant
: that one-fifth the confederates surren
D dered by Lee at Appomattox and one