The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-22
he LOVED EVERYTHING IN THE
STATE.

z. B. Vance is the most unique char
acter that has ever lived in North Caro-
lima history. In our Pantheon OF great
characters he stands apart. His was an all
round, well balanced, even, poised, sym
metrical, lovable character. To say that
it was without fault, would be to belle
our common nature. But the faults of
his lovely makeup were like sun spots,
scarcely visible to the naked eye. Look
ing down the long vista of great names
and comparing them with Vance, we find
CASTOR his superior as an intellectual
prodigy, a profound statesman, labo-
rious student, an accomplished scholar,
an able lawyer. Badger was his superior
as an acute dialectician, and in the ver
satility of his attainments. As pro-
fessional anecdotist, but differing in
kind, Ham Jones was his equal if not
his superior. Jack Stanly, of Newbern.
was his superior in caustic, sharp and
cruel repartee. Bartlett Yancey, of Cas-
well, was his superior in whitening. and
fierce invective. VIM. A. Graham was his
was his superior in style and courtliness;
w. w. Cherry, Of BERTHE, in ready wit and
copious phraseOlogy.
But in his cornucopia of varied and
numerous gifts Zeb Vance was the SUI
perior of them all. He was "our cyn
Geb." He was "our great tribune" He
was "our great War Governor" He was
our loved leader in the times that tried
mems souls. He gave one of his eyes to
his loved State, and then congratulated
himself that thereafter he would have
an EYE single to her service" His
head, his heart. his strength. his man
~ -
DINA, with an affluence of affection that
no other son of hers had given. In all
the grand attributes of manhood he was
the equal of most and the superior of
many.
He was Castor. without his august
frigidity. Badger, without his tom
foolery." Ham Jones, without his infirm-
ity of habits. Jack Stanly without his
asperity. Bartlett Yancey, without his
tempestuous impetuosity. Graham, with
out his frigd imperturbability. Cherry,
without his diminutive personality.
Turning from this glance at his COM
parative intellectual anatomy, the en-
quiry arises: what made our great Tri-
bune. the loved and honored character
that he was, so loved and admired when
living and SO mourned when dead?
Why? Why is it that he is the Con-
fucins of North Carolina mythology :?
Mainly, it was his simple, child-like faith
and love for North Carolina. Every
thing in North Carolina was lovely in
his eyes except it's tincture of Republic
canism. We can never forget his denun-
citation of that stencil in his nostrils,
when he climaxed his philippe by an
expansive snort from his nasal organ,
and then. after a short rest. uttered
the word-skunk. 1t was nasal oratory
that "Horatio might have enved and
Cicero not despised." There was no dem
agogery in Vance's love for North Caro-
lima, no pretence, no ostentation.
In the many times we have hung de-
lighted on his lips. we can recall but
one in which he gave vent to his State
love before popular audience. After
telling, with tones and simplicity that
moved all hearts how he loved the dear
old State, he said he was like an old
North Carolina negro who came before a
committee of the Senate, to testify as to
the exodus of the negroes to Kansas. He
said the old man looked old, and weary,
poor and foot-sore. The old man de-
scribed to the Senators the beauties of
Kansas, its roads and fields and fine
buildings. He was making his way back
to North Carolina. Senator Vance
asked him, why he came back to- North
Carolina, if Kansas was so beautiful. He