The semi-weekly messenger., 1900-03-23
Tha Wrssenger.
HIGHLY MERITORIOUS BUT NOT
FAMOUS.

Inc SIdleIucuL TcpOTleu Dy
senger's special Raleigh correspondent
In Surday'se issue as to the barren
ness Of North Ca-oiina iL. Worldwide
famous men is coubtless true. but itl
Is not ipgular. Many states are with
out men who "were known to the
world over" Virginia is rich in men of
this ssort-washington. Maury and Lee.
These are more generally known amongI
the nations than any others OF the fa-
NOUS men of that very pruductive
state. Even SO great a statesman ana
political genius as Thomas Jefferson
II not perhaps known ID the world
over" We doubt il General Thomas J.
jackson, cStonewalP') the splencidl
military commander, nor General
Joseph Z. Johnston, one of the two OIL
three ablest generals in the war onI
either side, are not SO known probably.
But North Carolina is not without
native born men who became very dis
dnguished, and certainly of English
speaking fame around the world. 1t mas
had three presidents. The first, Gener-
Al Andrew Jackson. is well known in
American history and especially among
Englishmen, for they know of New Or
leans and Packenhams complete de-
feat. President Polk is we'll known
among Americans because Of his con-
nection with the Mexican war. Presi-
dent Andrew Johnson figured consp1c-
uousIy when in the senate and in the
presidential chair. One of the most no
yha
United States senate, and was a very
DISTINGUISHED man when Calhoun and
Webster and Clay gave fame to that
then august body, was a North Caro-
Iinaian-Thomas Hart Benton These
are of the many gifted and prominent
dispersed abroad.
Mr.. Benton wrote massive work OF
great merit-"Thirty Years in the Sen
ate" 1t is an important authority now,
Hon. Hannfs Taylor. Ii. D., ex-minis-
ter to Spain, had produced work OF
distinction in two actavos, on the con-
stitutions, and it has been favorably
noticed by high authorities in England
and is a text book in some famous in
StitutiOn of learning. While North Car
olina is by no means full or rich in
literature it has some books that are
neritorious Not to go into the matter
at length we merely mention Hawks
two volume colonial history of North
Carolina and MacRies Life of Ire
dell" AS to statesmen she has really
had rome able, well furnished, most
useful men. The late Senator Hamlin,
of Maine, whose life is soon to be pub
Tished, in a work of reminiscence pub
Iished a few years since, stated that
Senate: George f. Badger never held
his proper rank, that while not so con-
siderei, generally, he was really one of
the vC"y ablest of Senators, and that
zoo wien the senate had many eminent
men among the number. The late Sen
aior Vance held a foremost place in his
time, md the testimonies at his death
by his brother senators were of an am
pie. s. isfactory kind as to his distin-
guishcI parts and many high quail
ties. md there are others. Nathaniel
MacoI ranked high in his day. So die
William r. King and So did Graham
and Bragg and CASTOR. And still 9TH
yz.rs might be named. But the answer
is they were not known around IN
world Nor were scores of representa-
tive and very conspicuous men in 9TH
er states 1t is not given to people
always to know their own greatest
men. much less to know those of other
. peoples and nations.
The GOOD old state has some men of
decided merit among the younger men
those not more than 90 years old
now. But we admit freely that in
e-enius-marked creative pOwer-North
Carolina has not had much. But she
has not received credit for what she
has had in men of force and influence
and usefulness and distinction. Ever
in the war she has not been willingly
accorded wat she did. But the rec
ortiS are complete, and there are three
main sources that establish all that /:
commended for No people ever LIVED
who were truer TO themselves, mor'
resolute to resist expressions (as thei
whole history shows) and more promp
to report for duty when the clarloI
call was made upon their MANHOOD ant
patriotism. AS the Travelled North Car
Gilman reported by the Raleigh CORE
spondent, said, and with all truth th'
fact is that the North Carolinians are
a singular self-contained and easily sa
fsfied people. The proportion o.
oeople who travel, as compared to th'
mass, is infinitely small, yet it is TO b'
doubted that there can be found any
where a people more simple in thei
tastes and independent and homoge
neous."
What other state, what other people
If they had so conspicuous and patri
otic deed in their annals as th'
HMeclenburg Declaration of lndepend
-ence" would let it go annually without
commemoration and great demonstra
tions?