The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-08-28
GRAFTON ON VANCE.
Delivered Yesterday at the dwelling by
Richard H. Battle L. L. y.
The Speaker Had Been Private Secretary Governor Vance
During the War and Spoke From Heart Full
of Love For the Great War Governor.

It was about one O'Clock when the |
Chief Marshal, Col. Thos s. Kenan, intro !
duced Richard H. Battle. Ii. D., the or
ator Of the Vance Monument Unveiling t
exercises. Mr.. Battle said:
Ladies and Gentlemen: I
North Carolina honors herself today
by presenting to the world, and the ages
to come, this manifestation Of her love
for the son who SO loved her; and we,
his brothers and sisters. because Chill
dren of Il common mother. honor our
selves by being here TO manifest oar
love and admiration Of him Who was
| ever true to that mother and to us.
North Carolina has always been
patriotic, and glad to honor the best
| representatives Of our national virtue,
and the country's greatest achievements
1t is true, she failed to discriminate
among her own sons, her heroes III the
war of the revolution. and her states
men showed themselves wise in counsel
| during the chaotic times when conSti-
tutionS were being devised and stable
governments evolved for the State and
nation. and TO mark one or more OF them
as worthicr than the rest by erecting
While she could boast her C;tswell her
Ashes. her Davie. her Nashes. her
Moores and Waddells. her Dayidsons
and Grahams. her Folks. her Macon.
and others scarcely less distinguished in
her early history. and her CASTOR. her
Badgers. her Branch. her Mangum. her
| Graham. her Morehead. her Dobbln.
her Bragg, and other great and faithful
sons. in the more recent past. to none
Of them would she assign the first place
and hold him up for the special admra-.
tiOn of world and of the ages by 4
costly statue bearing his likeness. And
| this was not because she was unwilling
to incur the expense Of such Il monu
ment. for she was ahead Of her sister
States in testifyin:s her admiration and
love for America'S greatest product. the
| Father of His Country, ana she sent IA
order across the seas to Antonio Ca
nova, the leading sculptor OF his time.
and at Il cost OF $4,000. erected Il
splendid statue Of the peerless Wash
ington in the rOtunda Of her first State
House; and as an inspiration to her
legislature she also hung y portrait Of
him. heroic in size. upon the wall Of the
capitol was burnt, ana the marble
statue was crumbet by the fire. patriotic
citizens, though unable to save it. bore
the large picture on their shoulders from
the blazing ruins, and it now adorns the
wall Of THIS beautiful capitol. North
Carolina was not satisfied to be without
Il permanent likeness Of Washington, and
after this capitol was completed she
| Ell rctou NOnter statue III bronze, 1T Tue
south front. to meet the eyes of all who
walk her principal street. There may
it stand. or larger and more imposing
one in its place. as long as virtue and
patriotism shall live IN the world
And now. nearly 4 century and Il quar-
ter after she adopted Il constitution as
a sovereign state. North Carolina has
discovered that one of her own sons.
nouriShed at her breast, was. for reas-
ons satisfactory 10 her, worthy Of sim
liar honor, and to be distinguished from
her other and good sons by like teSti-
monials in his memory. To-day we can
sc. on the walls Of the House of Rep
rescntatives 4 large portrait III oil. oppo-
site to that OF Washington. and this
noble statue at the east front of her
capitol corresponding in position to
Washington. on the south, both repre-
Sentng the figure. the face and the pose
of North Cardinals best beloved son.
Zebulon Baird Vance.
The question arises: why was he thus
selected-why this discrimination in his
favor over his brethren Of great and
admitted talents. virtue and public ser
vices? The pleasant duty assigned to
me today is to give an answer to this
! Question
If is to be remembered that the pOr-
trait of Governor Vance was hung in
the capitol by the votes Of legislators,
2 the majority Of whom We're not Of his
l political faith, three years after his
: death. and this statue Is erected by 4
s unanimous vote Of the General Assem-
q biy. political friend and political enemy
: uniting in the tribute, five years after
: he had passed away. SO this decision
; by the State that he was to be SO marked
was reached after due deliberatiOn, and
I with ample opportunity to the people tc
: criticiSe or dissent. For nearly forty
t years his was Il public life. lived in the
S glare of noon-day. or subjected to the
t searchli-hts of political foes. If, then
y IIincoln's apholiSm. that lone cannot foo
n all the people all the time be true. this
: mactically unanimous verdict of the
!, ntOple of North Carolina that Vance
:, | was most worthy Of this distinction must
: he accepted true and righteous yer
Z dict.
Il will be pardoned for a personal aliu
. sion in saving that | was selected to aG
i dress you on this interesting occasion
e rather than an orator like Ransom. Wad
|. dell. Jarvis. Bennett. Robbins. or other
l. eloquent men associated with him il
public life. because it was known tC
those having the selection in charge thai
was more Intimately acquainted witt
Vance than any Of them, and that
probably knew best the thoughts OF
his heart and the motives of his con
7 duct Such l believe to be the fact
J We were cOntemnOraries at Chapel Hill
g and members of the same literary society
" he entering as 4 law student and taking
partial course with the senior class