The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-19
Nathaniel Macon.
DR.. Kingsbury Has Made Fresh Study of the
Life of That Great Man

DR.. Kingsbury Has Made Fresh Study OF the
Life of That Great Man.
To the Editor: / desire to write briefly
OF Hon. Nathaniel Mapon. Nave made u
fresh study of him, and would state late
conclusions. He remains peculiar, even
erratic, with great pertinacity of con-
viction and will; with marked decision
of character intense honesty, confident
leadership; was profoundly in earnest.
and of pronounced influence both in
North Carolina, his native State, and in
the Federal Congress where he so lo9g
served. He was really one of the lead
ers of thought, and one of the creators
of public measures in this country in
the earlier years of the last century.
There is no error here He had much
more influence out of his State and was
a greater man really than l had sup
posed. He had an aggressive, earnest,
clear mind without great intellectual
power. recent survey of his career his
torically gives him really a higher, more
commanding place in the Congress and
throughout the then Union-insignifican
as to size when compared with the
present conquering and ambitious Ma
tion-than | had given him credit for
possessing. Whether a great mana SUI
perb intellect-or no, he was at one PEI
Rod in the history of legislation and
politics a bold, commanding leader and
factor among his contemporaries, and one
of the foremost statesmen when IN his
prime Possibly he may be entitled to a
front seat among the greatest native,
North Carolinians 1 claim no infallibility
in deciding. 81
I am indebted particularly to an in4
structive, carefully prepared and lucid
address by Mr.. w E. Dodd, before the
American Historical Association deliV-'
cred on December 81 1901, for the best
opportunity and means of more inter-
ested and careful examination of Mr..
Macon's long public career The address
is replete with needed information in
fair study of Macon's record and char
acter as a public official and active
statesman, and he must stand higher
with any candid and just man who is
genuine Democrat-not one of your lat
ter-day floppers and turncoats-and d
lover of historic researches and verities.
That he was intellectually OF the first
rank or as great man as many OF his
contemporaries in the Congress or as
some of the six first named by me | may
never believe, but he was possibly the
equal, or greater even in practical fore
sight, in wisdom, Judgment fidelity and
zeal for what he deemed to be right and
proper, as he was possibly then superior
in devotion to the peoples interests ard
the very foundation principles of gen
uine republican democratic government.
The best, the surest the most reason
able way to arrive at a sound dis
eliminating judgment in estimating
Macon or any public character and rep
resentative man, is by close examina-
ton of his public record. as we'll as his
private life-his daily walk and CONVEX
sation among his fellow-men. Mr.. Macon
is a greater man than / had conceived
him to be after a good deal of reading.
make this statement in the interest of
fairness and uprightness How really
superior he was in his mental capacity
I NAV never be able to know He was
national leader when the government
was young and the population but small
few millions. He advocated some
strange measures, held some singular
views, and gave some extraordinary
votes, as the records show, but he was
firm and honest in all this. A truly
great and just man would have probably
avoided them, l might suppose. Mr.
Dodd, considering Macons views of
slavery in the early part of the nine
teenth century-the first luStrum or de-
cade or so-has this to say. and his
leaning towards the North may be
visible:
''rhe prosperity of the South depended
rya
ment; that Of the East on commerce
which the Southern members so con-
stantly decried and often crippled The
growth of the slave power was to the
East what the advancement of commerce
was to the South-success of rival bent
on controlling the Union in it's own in
tercst The morality of the question
was secondary consideration; though,
as in similar question of recent date,
the speeches of the leaders were filled
with moral and Humanitarian profess
sions. Macon said in committee of the
whole: I still consider this a CONNER
cial question. The laws of nations have
nothing more to do with it than the
laws of the Turks or the Hindoos. If
this is not a commercial question |
would thank the gentlemen to show
what part of the Constitution gives US
any right to legislate on this subject
Macon regretted sincerely the existence
of the dread institution, yet he was as
sincerely determined to maintain it as
a right of the State and check against
the supremacy of the East Both he
and Randolph now maintained that
State could, if it desired, continue the
slave trade independently of the Union.
and they began to see that the equal
growth of the South with the North de-
pended on the expansion OF the slave
power. Here the second part of Macons
lifelong policy, agriculturalism. became
identical with the first. State sover-
. eighty"
One of the greatest most henefciaI