The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-21
THE LIFE And TIMES OF MACON
Pen Picture of the Great North Caronan. Glimpses OF
Men and Things Century Ago
BY WILLIAM E, D0DD,
PART III.

To the Editor: If Jefferson never ap-
peared at public political gathering nor
ever made Il political speech as was seen
in the article Of last Sunday he never he
less did not fail to organize alrl lead to
success the greatest ard NOst enthusiasts
tic following of any, alan known to our
history, unless Abraham Lincoln be cx-
cepted OF one of these followers it is
the purpose OF this article to speak and
just the che that Jefferson himself rec
ognlzed as rejecting most perfectly his
own mage NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Macon,
of,,,Crth Carolina.
old Nat. Macon" as North Carolina
lovingly designates its truest and Per
hapS greatest son was one of the nren
who stood the Federaiist storm i'm this
State that followed the news of the
French insults to our ambassadors in
iI9S-the news concern ng the N Y. Il.
a9air. He was one of the few men that
remained firm in his adhesion to the
policy of the chairman of the Senate III
1893, a member of the phalanx which
Adams said in a letter to John Steele. of
Salisbury. 1888 had to be broken or the
country would be lost, one of the men
that even Washington had wished to see
dofeated ard still one of the few who at
Eh@t time understood the spirit of the
sation- understood it more by instinct.
perhaps,t than by political insight as in
.IeffersonS ease. These men, extremists
radicals, anarchists. as they were called.
used TO meet--in fact they boarded-in
the old Francis Union Hotel, - South
Fourth ST. Philadeli hia. and talk over
their plans. They were the prescribed
Of our early Republican court, as Girls
I'll Ill. Nl,fn.
letter of Jefferson's to the Federalist
Governor Wise of Virginia Of Feb. II,
i19S and published in the Americ an His
sorlcal Review last year shows What KIND
of men they were and the means that
We're being used to defeat the policy of the
Federal Administration. Macon was one
of the faithful as jefferson termed his
followers, one of the enemies of all gov
eminent" as the elder Adams designated
thenl-the phalan- that had TO be over
thrown.
NIacUu's was altogether Il striking fig
ure, rather tall, well built: Scotch
Irish looking man. only little larger: his
features were also homely yet unlike
jefferson those of the former fun and
tlorid showing less of the angular fewer
of the lines, those of the latt.1r rather
thin. angular and strangely marked
features of the student. philosopher. MAN
of the world even. Macon'S eyes were not
those that conquer and command men,
like Jefferson's or BmrrS. but big, blue
sympathetic eyes all the same: his fore
head was broader than the average and
fairly high with the hair brushed back
until there was none to brush. 1t was
altogether an intelligent face and one
that commanded respect; there was no
lurking shrewdness nor extraordinary
penetra tiOn. on the contrary straight for
wardness was the predominant trait. 1t
was the plain every day fact with which
Macon could deal and give advice about
and in Il way that won perfect confidence
His manners were just such as one must
have looked for after seeing the man:
plain. unaffected, rather negligent II he
niceties of social intercourse. but ar
hitrary with himself and others concern
ing cardinal things; he was calm !
dig Allied uEd,r all circumstances and
lhilosophic. men of his deficiency in edu- |
cation. in the trend of his thought and
manner of delivery. His dress was. says
benton. always the same-inest navy
blue tcxture-and cut in the fashion Of
tTT6: he never allowed it to show signs
of wear blrt exchanged for a new SUIT
=
nifty of member of Congress, nothing
tlrread-hare about him, he believed in the
genuine the substantial too much for
that: he wore IL fur hat. broad
brimmed. black and mot allowed to be-
come dusty or dingy with age: boots
that came to the knees and then Mapped
over displaying IL broad red leather top
after the fashion OF the Revolution.
with the pants neatly tucked in: leather
wears longer than cloth" he said. his
linen was of the best make and scrupul-
Ously clean, we are tOld-never llntldy nor
hesmeared with snuff according To the
fashion of that day. If You VIII INA
Gine him now ON horse back, with stout
riding whip in his hand Il dozen hounds
Nelpiug at the horses heels yopl have
81 fairly correct notion of Nathanel Ma
con, of Warren county, North Carollna
Speaker of the House Of Representatives
from 1901 to 1907 distinctly Southern
figure of the Revolutionary type. TOO.
1t was habit of public men then to
think and talk about the struggle that
followed 1776. Jefferson died exciaimlng:
s'W-nrn the committee; be on tine alert
in reference to the great part he had play
ed in the early Revolution and Macon
never forgot the cut Of clothes. the style
of boots of 1116 and would have no
other.
Such men were those the South sent
20 Congress theD-quitc Il contrast to
some who go in our day, / fear-a con-
trast to men who impress You with their
extraordinary acuteness, alertness-to
men who win in all the schemes of the
day politically, and who know how to
play off one county against another and
bargain with huckster politicians. Such
is what travellers who visit Washington
report. The times have changed and new
men represent Il new people.
Nathaniel Macon was born in Warren
then Butte county. North Carolina. in
1857. says one author. 1883. says another
and a third claims it was in 173S the
Interesting evela- took, plaEe. "A con- !
temporary and neighbor nf Macon's in |
n sketch written for the newspapers OF
that day and published in the Raleigh
Standard July -. 1881. gives all three
dates as correct-at least refers now to
one. now to another. as the date he ac |
cents. Another equally unknown quantity |
is Macon's career in the Revolutionary
x,-o,.. Soma have claimed he served aS mi !