The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-09-01
Wilmington Messenger.

w MtSStUSclD
If the late Senator Nathaniel Macon IS
really the greatest man yet born In North
Carolina the Messenger will not object.
1t has high admiration for his unmis-
takably noble qualities 1t sets forth Wha'
it understood those qualities to pc. II -
not always easy to determine Win eAac'.
itude who is really the greatest man VI
a State, unless there be one VINO to"eis
in grandeur and nobility and genius aoose
all his fellows. II asked VINO Is 'he
greatest of all Virginians. the answer VI
ninetv-fve out of the hundred would be
Washington. and SO would EUROPE anu 'ne
North answer. But we hold and believe
that Robert f. Lee was greater man.
Ga with other men in other sections or
States. You will find this variation Oh
oni,ion in England as to the statesmen
Of the last century.
Now Mr. Macon could not make a
speech. He was no orator ike brutus.
He was not a particularly striking writer.
His sense of humor was very common
Mace. See Wheeler's anecdote of him in
1896, when the electoral college met in
Raleigh. He was man or judgment, OF
wisdom. of power, OF truth. he held
many important offices, but he has left
but few memorials. we suppose, to attest
his high intellectually and his superiority
in greatness to all North CarOlinians who
were his contemporaries or who lived after
he did.
Vioe-President and ex-senator Hannibal
Hamlin. of Maine, in his excellent book
of "reminiscences published about two
years before his death, and perhaps not
ten years ago. writing OF Senator George
Badger, said he deserved to rank
with the greatest Senators with whom he
(Hamlin) had served in the Senate. In
less than six years after he entered the
Senate he was the acknowledged leader
of the Wings in that body. We make
that statement distinctly and can estab-
lish it if denied. When he retired a
Democratic Senate passed resolutions OF
regret that this great Wing leader was
compelled to retire by reason OF the ex-
igencies of party. Senator Ransom caused
the resolution to be exhumed and given TIC
tho newspapers. But we are not fighting
an effort to establish Macon's supremacy
II he is entitled to the first place really
Their we say in spirit of fairness and
business, by all means let him have his
rightful place, for he was a manly, up
right, faithful genuine North Carolniar
worthy of generous and rightful apprecia-
ton We find this in an exchange we for
get which:
.Appletons Cyclopedia says: He was
the intimate friend Of Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison and John Randolph. o.
Roanoke, said OF him in his will: He is
the wisest, the purest and the best man
! ever knew
The Raleigh News and Observer, whicf
holds, we suppose, that Macon is our
greatest man up to now, gives this sum-
mary Of Appreciation
MIR. Macon lived in a day when speeches
were not generally preserved and he was
a man not given to much speaking. Mr.
Vance lived in a day of stenographers
and spoke often and on many themes. For
every line presered of Macon's speeches
we have have a thousand of Vance's, but
great as Vance was we do not believe he
approached Macon in national leadership
The facts show that while Vance was