The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-23

SAID 20 nave been the means of his in
PRODUCTION TO her notice and regard an,
the story is probably true"
EXtfaVaRant as this may appear, wh'
can say how many thousand young hearts
hive been stirred by its chivalry into
quicker consciousness of the honor ant
courtesy TO woman, which we are PROUD
TO believe is distinguishing mark o
the Southern gentleman and his ances
| tors?
In all his varied and romantic history
Raleigh exhibits lessons of mora
grandeur AS the historian Tyler re.
lates:
10 ms honor. be it said that he hat
never stopped by unworthy means tc
make hlmself a favorite with the popu-
lace. Inose who knew him, and were ir
immediate employment about him, loved
him to the last with a fidelity that deatI
only could destroy; but he was too noble
to court professions OF love by pretences
| with the loftiness of his soul una
bated, he came to stand before his ac-
cusers and offer to The world that most
| sublime of earthly spectacles, a great
man struggling with the tempests of ad-
versity and never forgetting that he is
a great man."
| Even in the article of death, with his
head upon the block. he said to the
! trembling executioner, "What dost thou
lear, man, Strike!" and so passed to his
reward.
1t is not new thing, that great pub
lie memorial should be proposed, to the
man who devoted his fortune to the
effort to settle this region which has
become our beloved State. Many such
p; expressions have been made since his
| name was bestowed upon the spot Sc
lected by our forefathers, and which we
are proud today to salute as our beauti-
| full Capital City, sitting amid her native
oaks, as queen among the fair COM
munities of the Old North State.
| 1t was the lamented Chief Marshal of
| the Centennial of your city, the late Col.
j. M. Keck, who declared:
Let me say that the desire of my
heart is. that when quarter of a mil
| lion citizens of this goodly capital shall
| gather together at the base of the shaft
erected to Sir Walter Raleigh, at the
! celebration of second centennial. that
| the sons and grand-sons of the goodly
company of your celebration may be the
| foremost in the ranks of the distinguish
ed citizens of that day
On that occasion, former Governor of
| the State wrote:
1.-The hero, whose name Raleigh bears,
| was a man of noble presence and COM
| handing genius, one of the most SPLEEN
did figures of time unusually prolific
of all splendid developments of humanity.
SIN the polite wisdom of the statesman
and the skilful daring of the warrior, he
was pre-eminent. The moral element of
the man shone out in the darkness, which
beset his later fortunes. and the calm
and manly dignity with which he bore
adverse fate, conciliated even those
whom his haughtiness in prosperity had
offended. /" When the book of
time shall be opened, it will show that
the city of Raleigh has a history, and
a fame of which North Carolina may well
be proud. May she continue to walk in
her integrity and increase in prosperity
as time rolls on" 80
! 1t is with pleasure that one recalls the
links that appear and reappear in the
golden chain of events that bind your
| fair city of today with its past, and it's
great namesake.
Sixty years ago, at the banquet which
| celebrated the opening of the Raleigh
and CASTOR railroad, we find Governor
| Dudley, the presiding officer of the oc-
eason, closing the festivities with this
GROWING toast
1.-The City of Raleigh! 1t has exceeded
in gallantry even it's renowned name
| sake, Sir Walter Raleigh. He but laid
down his cloak for one lady to walk
over; but its citizens have helped to lay
| down eighty six miles of railroad for the
whole sex to ride over"
| And when now nearly a decade past,
one of your distinguished citizens, (Hon.
Charles NJ Busbee) delivered an address
during the Centennial celebration he
used the following language, which l am
glad to repeat on this occasion, as just
and true of the noble people of our CAPT
tai city:
Raleigh was named in honor of that
chivalrous Englishlnan, who frightened
with his genius and adventure the famous
reign of England's virgin queen. The
city is we'll named. Our people are
chivalrous and brave. steadfast and en-
terprising; they retain that manly vir-
tue, not so prevalent now as in other
days, of supreme devotion to woman, that
knightly courtesv which is of right their
due; they are patriotic loving the soil
upon which they daily tread they have
faith in the future that awaits their
city, and they are enterprising, willing
to invest their fortunes and their labors
in it's advancement. They have inherited
from their fathers the virtues, of which
the valorous statesman of the sixteenth
century, whose name the city perpetuates,
was so signal and exemplar."
Our State takes just pride in the
truth of their sentiments, and she will
be happy to lend her aid to the erection
within these limits of the triumph of art
that shall commemorate the great SOL
der and statesman, aye, and the. real
founder of Anglo-Saxon civilization in
the Western world.
Many hopes and wishes have been Law
ished upon this obiect-as l have re-
minded you-to you has come the hour
for action. and from you the men who
will guide it to full accomplishment. 1t
is time to dream no more, but to act
Where is there more appropriate
spot than your beautiful Nash Square,
named in honor of Abner Nash, the sec
ond Governor of the peoples choice, and
in remembrance of his heroic brother
General Francis Nash. who gave up his