The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-09-13
vAace,s GREATEST SERVICE.

IL w - His Exampie Of Fidelity 20 . Truss
In . Corrupt Era-N Was wb~n be Ex.
posed and Defined the Trick@ry 81 Ram
son. Cleveland and simmons.
Raleigh News and Observers Souve-
nier Edition.
Everything considered. think II
must be said that Vance stands above
any other man produced by us. He
is the only North carolinian who,
since the war, has en- Dyed what may
properly be termed . national repu-
ton. He Was better known beyond
the United States than any citizen Of
this State has ever been. He WAS,
for example, one of the few Southern
men who have received the distine-
tion OF being made honorary MEM
bers OF the Cobdsu Club. he was
held in high esteem by the learned
men from all parts of Europe who
compose its membership, and his
death was appropriately noted by
them.
A noble tribute WAS paid to Varce
by Mr.. Bryan in his book, "The First
Battle" He said that he was zone
Of the grandest public men given to
this nation. not only by North Caro-
lima, but by the entire country"
That is extraordinary praise, which
the people are better repaired to att
preciate now than when it was uttered
both because they know Mr.. Bryan
better and because reflection upon
the career of Vance has informed
even them. Indeed, the two men
were very much alike in mental and
moral makeup, and the younger Pa
triot spoke of the older with the dis
eernment Of sympathy.
Vance's predominant traits were
his devotion to duty; his modesty,
and his sense Of gratitude-"grati.
tude," as one who loved him said, "to
God and man for the blessings of af-
fection."
have placed his sense of duty
first, because that overshadowed all
his other virtues. This inspired his
loyalty to q trust, which was abso-
lute; and so to his party obligations.
Correlatively, he scorned a party boil
ter, but had an even greater con-
tempt for the man who ought to bolt
but who retained the benefit of his
party's name while giving aid ard
comfort to the enemy. Nevertheless s,
he was charitable to the last degre e
towards those who openly changed
their beliefs when free to do so.
Upon the surface, his most con-
spicuous service to the State would
seem to be, either his conduct of her
affairs during the war, or his rescue
of her people in 1876 from q eondi-
ton which had been worse than war
But those were things which his &C.
MUS and his patriotism readily en-
abled him to do, great as they were.
Far beyond them, it seems to me, was
his stand for principle and party 10y
atty in the memorable contest with
Mr.. Cleveland in 1898. Here his de.
votion to duty shone with effulgenee
On the one hand was held out to him
the prospect of personal ease as-the
result of harmony with the powers
that were, and of almost unlimited
patronage as the reward of betray
al of those who gave him his trust
on the other, the hostility Of ever!
favored interest in the land and al
that they could influence He calm
ly choose the latter alternative, be
cause duty lay there, and straight
way incurred such q torrant of abuse
from one end of the State to the 9th
or, as few men in our history hav
been subjected to.
Those who were near him kno'
;, that he was fully aware of the per
. atty which he should pay for his hor
orable steadfastness; but he neve
faltered, nor did he doubt wbs
would be the verdict of the silen
message.
, His other great deeds, which vel
+ blessed with the reward of immed
ate material benefit to his peop',
II pale into insignifi cance beside tn
1 last act in the drama of his life; an
l though his cause then fell benea1
9r the weight of executive patrenst
e. used against him, it is the llvir
principle of that great movemel
20 which is now sweeping over the lar
le "a revolt against executive usurp'
A. ton and legislative corruption.
to Vance's contest at the turning poi
q. in our aft airs with entrenched pow
r. and its syeophants, will stand as 10,
10 as history lasts, the noblest examE
ID Of public virtue which any of o
Ut people have displayed.
K That will be the lesson which
'a- statue will teach, and with gatheri
rs forces as time passes.
g. e. J. HALE.
ie-
er
,e- Democratic Hypocrisy.
oe' II the Democrats are such firm
r.. levers in the doctrine that COVE
yh. ments derive their lust powers fr
the consent of the governed, why