The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-14
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.


Europe has always retained the ser
vices of old and eminent men, In poll
tics. in craftsmanship, in war. in legis-
Iative cabinets and halls. in letters, in
journalism. in universities n colleges.
and in the clergy the old, able men
have always been TO the front. There
as no lead line over there. In the Unit
ed States the disposition even in the
sacred ministry is to clamor for a
dead line to be drawn as early as so
years. n yet the ablest, best known.
best equipped. most masterful preach
ers and theologians in our a to day
are men of from sixty to eighty. 1t
has always been so to a considerable
extent. The ablest living southern d.
vines such as Rev. DR.. Palmer and
Bishop Keener. both Of New Orleans,
are past eighty. Rev. DR.. Cuyler, the
best equipped and most useful writer
in America for the religious press. is
over eighty. We think of this because
of a list of old men to the front in Eu-
rope now which appeared in The Chica-
go Record-Herald Pope Leo XIII,
aged 90; King Christian of Denmark,
co. CAdhZ JOo[As IAAPCAoA o AoSNAA"
Il; President Diaz. II; Lord Salisbury,
Il; Lord Pauncefote. II; Joseph Choate.
Ambassador to England, 20; Senior Sc
Rasta. rs; Samuel Smiles, so; Thomas
Dun English. author of Sweet Alice"
Ben Bolt" 81; Richard Henry Stod-
dart. 76: General Lew Wallace, rs;
Ibsen. 70; Jules Verne. 70; Tolstoy, 70;
Iz-I1 ~4nnn- o.. AINnirol Karnn1a
50; Darlington Booth, 72. This 10 4
small sample. Go to the United States
senate and the foremost men are the
oldest. Who will rank from the south
with Morgan and Vest and Pettust-the
latter born in 1921 and Morgan in 1924,
and Vest in 1880. OF northern SENATOR
who is superior to Hoar. born in 1926,
Platt. 1927. Hawley 1926. and Stewart in
1927.
In England Lord Brougham was "A
great speaker after he turned eighty.
Lord Lyndhurst, who was born in Bos-
ton Of English parents, made a four
hours speech in parliament in his S6th
year. and it was said to have been de-
Iivered with the remarkable power that
distinguished him at fifty. The great
Gladstone was an intellectual power at
eighty-eight, and after he was eighty
made one of the greatest campaigns o.
British record. Lord Tennyson actual
~ wrote great and most finished poetry
after eighty winters had whitened his
locks. Goethe retained his great men,
tai vigor when he was in his eighties.
Won Ranke. one of the wold's greatest
historians. vas writing a history OF vast
{ COMPASS when death overlook him at
ninety. We are writing from memory,
and without searching for examples.
The ~cyclopaedies would supply hundreds
of famous examples of great service and
ability in greatly advanced years.
John Quincy Adams was in the United
States house a member after he had
passed his eightieth year we think.
John Adams died at 80. Thomas Jeffer-
son at IS. Madison at IS. Andrew Jack
son at IS. Buchanan at Il, and other
presidents in old age. These men were
not in office but they welded no little
Influence. Old men are now at a dis
count. Young America is in the sad
die, booted and spurred. Is there more
wisdom now than the illustrious fathers
of our country possessed? Are men in
North Carolina greater now than when
Badger and CASTOR and Graham and
Bragg and Vance were at the front
serving the state and wearing %unsulliei
honor and a priceless names