The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-14
WILMINGTON N. C.
SOME ~RECoLLECTIONs.

NANAG "SA1 49,
knew who were of marked ability n
distinction. They well represented the
intellectually of that period. We do
not refer now to Badger ana Bragg n
r. B.. Gillian n A. W. Venable and
other foremost men Of that time. We
have written Of them in the past. We
merely glance at some few others OF
that period who impressed US. First
there was John Kerr. 80 well known to
the people of North Carolina before
and after the great wal. He was born
in Virginia, but his father was a North
Carolinian, n perhaps his mother
also. r ev. John Kerr was a Baptist
minister Of very commanding talents.
He was one of the greatest pulpit ora
tors ever born in America. and in his
prime without any rival among Bap-
fist preachers. The late Rev. DR.. Jeter
of Richmond, Va, once wrote in his re-
ligious p Of h a city. the Herald.
that after hearing tire best and most
eloquent preachers of Great Britain and
the United States he put John Kerr, the
elder, first. The late General Thomas
l.. Clingman. Of remarkable abilities,
told US in 1875 that ne once stood up
for three hours listening to a sermon
from Mr.. Kerr. and that he would have
been glad il he had kept on. General
Clingman was an E~piscopalian. The
son, Judge John Kerr, vas a speaker
Of very remarkable eloquence and pas
sion, and at his best m superb oratory
had but few equals In North Carolina.
For nearly a half century we have
s~teadfastly held that tie most eloquent
short speech (about forty minutes long)
we eve heard was his speech in the
Oxford court house at night three
weeks after he had been defeated for
governor. This was in 1852. The Sec
ond best short speech was from Judge
Fowle at Raleigh. in 1876. the night af-
ter the nomination o. Zeb Vance fol-
governor. Vance spoke at some length,
his speech, and Tell below his own
high standard. Fowle was grandly i'm
passioned. fervid. eloquent. His periods
fiashed and burned with an uncommon
ardor. Judge Kerr was a h.gh-toned,
admirable gentleman. ali in
corruptible judge. of line literary taste.
and rhetorical excellence. using choice
Ell elisha man of imposing and hand
presence in his best wears. with
L face then strikingly like the picture
Of Edgar A. Poe about 1S45-a man of
noble impulses. of large soul
and sincere, earnest III his friendships, |
magnetic in his temperament. worthy
rs it used to seem to US. When we were
young, and enjoyed often his compan-
onship and friendship. to bear the
lame given by John Bunyan. the gen.
us among all Baptists. to one OF his
in his immortal pilgrims
'rogress"-Great Heart.
We referred above Incidentally to
Thomas L. Clingman, ex-reDresentative,
x-United States senator. eX~-Confeder-
tie brigadier general-a man Of supe-
ior mind. of scientific attachments in
ONE directions, a scholar. a lecturer. a
and writer. and able in all
# these observation-disclosures in
he federal congress. efficient n fear
ess in war, a man OF real force, and
It one time Of very considerable inf1u-
nee in state politics. In conversation
when he was in the humor ne was
most entertaining. We sat with him
.wo hours in 1S75-he reclining on a
Iofa-and heard him all that time with
leep attention as he told us of his
rip to Europe and mis- experience and
observation while in the mouse n SEN
tie at Washington. One remark only
10 we stop to mention. OF all men. he
Daniel Webster doomed up above all
,thers. steadily growing more massive
superior as he receded from the
he heard and knew him. And yet
ne said he heard a western a uistin-
in both houses say, after lis
-ening to a set speech from Webster.
And that is the great Webster. I'll be
Id if he were to come to my
try and deliver that speech lie would
the house" General Chngman
said that it was the most animated of
all the speeches he heard from the
SOdAAhC DoAAACAs oS as
used to call him. He was cold, solemn,
sonorous. Intellectually very
We heard HIM ONCE make d
talk and it was without a ray Of
and was unimpressive.
Another fine North Carollnaian we
1new in the days alluded to was Hay
wood w. Guion, a modest. quiet schol-
lrly gentleman: a strong. well furnished
awyer. a successful and ingenious au-
thor at one time. whose only book has
merit. and deserves a wider tame. We
it with real interest. 1t is some
hing scientific.
1T the time indicated Chief Justice
aichard NJ. Pearson vas Iuon the
powers that were" then. and had no
little influence mong the lawyers.
ranked high amorg the chief JUS
lc45 OF this state and was only second,
Ne suppose. to Chief Justice Thomas
7urs-., of Orange, VINO. BY he way.