The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-08
7. Nj. Pittman's Grafton at
GuiIford battle-ground.
WAGONS GREAT CAREER
Broad and Comprehensive Sketch Of
the Celebrated Statesms n.
rnRONGS GATHER ON BATTLE-GROUND
The Ceremonies Of the Day Are Varied and In
f~efesting and All the Speakers Meet
With an Enthusiastic
Reception.
Reception.
lenecial to News and Obscrver.)

niRi oil LntIiuSi1SNS
Reception.
lSnecial to News and Discovery
Greensboro, n. c., July 4.-The celcbra-
+,.s at The Guilford battle-ground drew
IMMENSE numbcrs of visitors today. The
..eakfng was fine and the enthusiasm Of
.rr great audience pronounced.
The Grafton of Hon. T. NJ. Pittman on
In. character and career of Nathaniel
Macon. was the event of the dav. 1t
WIS a superb portraiturc of the great
..atcsmau and a historical summary of
tIa events with which he was connected.
ono of the most interesting features
of the day was the unwilling of the
monument to the Revolutionary heroes
fy The little daughters of DR.. II. B.. Will
Iams and Mr.. Charles Van Open. The
monument was crowned with floral offer
1ngs by the Daughters of the American
Revolution.
The monument to Macon, which was
unveiled today is hammered out of
solid granite.
The ceremonies were varied and of
surprising interest. The day will long
br remembered by all who were in at
tendance upon the exercises.
ADDRESS BY MIR. PITTMAN.
Hon. T. NJ. Pittman spoke as follows:
About us on every hand is peace. But
the occasion, this place these monu
ments speak of war. a war patriotic in
its beginning, glorious in its conduct
f4F-Tp9phinO in its consciousness which
ended the sovereignty of the King and
ushercd il the sovereignty of the people,
and in which a loyal colony was trans
formed into the free State of North
carolina. The privations and dangers OF
War gave way to the cares and perpleXi-
ties Of civil life under new and untried
conditions. The foundations of govern
mert had been We'll laid in constitutions
for which existed no >precedents of form
or Interpretation, but the details and
policies of both State and national gov
grumcnts were literally to be spelled out
under circumstances demanding almost
infinite patience and courage. 1t was in
evItabIe that differences should results
in opposing parties. Visions of empire
OF wealth and position fiXed the fancy OF
some on a government of power and dig
nifty. which should be made great by
The control and direction of the great
and wealthy few To these, constitutions
We're but shackles that impeded the pro
gross Of brilliant policies and to be got
rid OF as far as possible, if not by re-
peal then by Il broadncss of i~nterpreta-
ton which should make all things pos
siblc.
Others saw visions of m~anhood-self.
governing, exalted and dignificd. IL
these constitutions were the safeguards
OF llbcrty-aS the strong walls of a city
shutting out foes which threaten it,
safety. one saw the splendOr and lux
uIE OF the few, the others saw the dig
NIFTY, the safety, the prosperity of the
many. So much being understood an
insight i possible into the life of the
man WhOse memory we honor today.
Nathaniel Macon was born in Gran
Vile county. now Warren, December
Id. Ito1. His father was Gideon Ma
con, a native of Virginia, descended
from the Huguenot Gideon Macon, whc
settled in that State some time prior t
'''-- Martha, a daughter of this frs
'IIoon, married Orlando Jones and wa;
EIao1mother of Martha Custis, the wife
'i George Washington. His mother wa
lfI5EiIIa Jones, daughter of Edmund
doh"s, Of Shocco, and Abigail Shugan, re-
i"l"J the first White Woman to eros:
~ho@ro creek into the u]pcountry.
Nathaniel was one of the younger
Possibly the youngest, of eight children
Ih@ father died when he was about five
years old. His mother subsequently
married James Ransom and from tina
..ttllfZn are CTtr11n~ Con pohort pom
-.'" and his distinguished brother, Mat
w. Hanson.
~ an early age Nathaniel gave suc1
I "''@e OF those strong moral and in
.'""'ual qualities which distinguish
h'aiurcr years that, notwithstandin
moderate means of the family, it wa
'Iihihcd to give him a collegiate edu
'h The few classical schools thcl
.' state were conducted chiefly b.
ierlan ministers, who were cdu
AL Princeton College-thcn as nov
iuaotutlon of very high rank
'''"&h the influence of these teacher
inuted more than any similar in
nom to higher education in Mort
' The fact that young Macoi
H3 70 That college indicates the in
"' OF some one of those teachers
i-h'tt Rev Henry PatillO, Wht
'7'' Ill Orange and later in Granville
VINO was chairman of the committe
''"lS at Butte county from it's organi
"'- HIS reputation as a teacher wa
''". and specimens of his hand
,..-. now in my possession, indicat
was a man of culture. / hav
''-A able to learn when Mr.. Maco
College, but it was probabl
w.. i''o, In 1915, when he was no
r YEARS Of age, his studies were in
''1oa Tor a short tour of militar
r.f.. oh the Delaware, after which h
f.t..' 10 his studies. The gifted an
tr. Ut. Withcrspoon was the