The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-28


test. l merely gave my matured opinion
right or wrong. l recall that some two
or three years ago l wrote of the four
greatest native North Carolinians under
fifty years of age as 1 regarded them. 1
saw no Endorsement of my view. but
read very fippant, discourteous refer
ence TO myself from an editor l had once
praised when in his callow youth, and
from whom | received very cordial letter
OF thanks at the time. No two men with
eyes and brains think or see precisely
alike. / might name the six greatest
poets, as | hold in that afhuent, most
productive nineteenth century in men OF
genius and power, and l would not ex-
pect an editor or a teacher or any man
or woman in North Carolina to agree
with what was said. To Judge of poetry
person must have taste, sympathy, Gull
ture, genuine love or metrical language
and the melodies of verse, as well as OF
profound thought He must have literary
insight and much familiarity with the
great works of the world. both ancient
and modern. So each qualified critic will
select for himself, and the variety of Sc
lection will be pronounced. Who will
y
in our country? Who agrees as to the six
highest representatives in letters?
TO estimate men one should know men.
Many qualities enter into human great
ness. Six men may deserve high rank
and still be wholly unlike in their make
up. AS | look at it, really great man
is an uncommon product of any age or
country. never saw any people who
even Appropriated greatness in true
and high sense save perhaps four or five
men. and two of them were Webster and
Clay. both of whom L heard speak.
OF the six native North Carolinians
Lamed by me | am somewhat in doubt
IS to one, but he probably will bear the
test as Well as any one | could substi-
tute. The others were so finely intel
lectual as to forbid doubt on my own
part. | had in mind high, supreme in
tellectual qualities more than morals If
the strictly moral or religious qualities
are to determine, the three greatest men
since Homer sang and enraptured the
world for all time by his supreme crea-
tons would have to be omitted in the
count. | mean Caesar, Shakespeare and
Napoleon. Among the greatest modern
authors some of the most antocratic in
genius would have to go to the limbo of
rejected genius-Goethe, Byron, Fielding
and others, including nearly every great
contemporary of Shakespeares in 1.-The
spacious times of great Elizabeth Mar
lowe, Webster, Ben Jonson, Chapman,
Bacon and the other great galaxy of i'm
mortal genius.
1t would not have been diff
cult to find other men of superior
Parts. | do not doubt that almost every
man who read what | said would have
changed the list almost altogether There
are many prominent, meritorious, able
natives of our State who bear command
ing names. In addition TO the two named
by the editor of the News and Observer
Graham and Macon-there are Judge
Murphey, Governor Thomas Bragg, Sena-
tor w. p. Mangum, Chief Justice Pear
son, Chief Justice Leonard Henderson (of
whom Pearson said in one of his latest
opinions that he had ''the most reflective
mind of any man who ever sat upon the
Supreme Court bench of our State with
one exception" Judge John Taylor, be-
lieve it was) Archibald Henderson. Bartlett
Yancey Chief Justice Smith, and several
others. But l gave the names that most
impressed me measuring UP higher in
the intellectual scale than the others
There are President James X. Polk, Presi-
dent Johnson. Senator William R. King
enc time President of the Senate; Lieu
tenant General Laonidas Polk, Meredith
=. Gentry. Rev. Dr. Lovick PIERCE, Rev
Hezckiah G.. Leigh, and could add several
others of the sons abroad who won dis
tinction and became influential Men must
select for themselves. OF those 1 named
l saw but three-Badger, Pettigrew and
Vance. | knew the first and last named
personally, and heard them all speak
The six | chose were the six who fixed
deep in my mind that they were of a
higher grade of brain power than any
others, and still l may be altogether
away from it. ! claim candor and sin
cerity, however far from satisfying others
with their favorites
The editor of the News and Observer is
amazed al my selections and says:
But it is strange that the names of
Nathaniel Macon and William A. Ora
ham do not appear in any list, however
small. of the States greatest men. None
OF the men named outranlcd them in
those qualities that give enduring fame"
If he is right then | am wrong Per-
haps he is not we'll up in his knowledge /
of my particular six. l have known men, /
in the past, of education and sense who
did not believe that Mr.. Macon was really |.
a man of intellectual force. although a
true patriot, a brave, honest, useful man.
OF very remarkable judgment and in
tegrity. think more highly OF him sure /
ly than these did / know of John RAN I
dolphs high praise, but brilliant as the /
ViTginian was and as gifted, he was never I
credited with distinguished sanity of /
judgment or of remarkable wisdom and /
of safe mental poise. Mr.. Benton held .
n high opinion of Macon, as he shows in /
his large volume of extraordinary inter-
est, Thirty Years in the U. S. Senate"
Mr. Macon has left nothing in either
writing or speaking that would give him
much repute for mental superiority now
I believe / have very sincere admiration
of the man as he was but / would never
agree to put him in the class with the
six very able men / named. others may.
If they so see il, put him at the head.
If so the standard will be lowered in my
Judgment. But in this l am quite willing
for all men to have and to hold their
opinions. 1t is a free country as yet, and
there is freedom to think and to print