The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-10-21
DIR. KINGsBURY ON MACON.

There is no man in North Carolina who
writes so interestingly about the great
men of North Carolina as DR.. Kings
bury. More than that: he writes OF
their warts as we'll as their projections.
Better than that: he states his estimate
of them with perfect frankness and sim
cerity. If he thinks a popular idol is
made of clay, he says so and gives his
reasons. No other biographical writing
is valuable.
In today's paper DR.. kingsbury has a
brief article about Nathaniel Macon. He
is frank to say that "a recent survey
Of his career historically gives him a
higher, more commanding place in Con
gress and throughout the then Union
than [ had given him credit for possess
ing. Mr.. Macon is a greater man than
I had conceived him to be after a good
deal of reading"
DR.. Kingsbury has been skeptical as
to Macon's real primacy among North
Carolina statesmen, but now he is very
near the kingdom" Closing his article
he says: lone of the greatest, most
beneficial services Mr.. Macon ever rem
dered his country was in doing so much
to put the greatest statesman, Thomas
Jefferson, iii the Presidential chair over
such a narrow, Objectionable man as
John Adams, of Massachusetts,
DR.. Kingsbury may not know it, but
- -. -;ryo, 20, - p,;rirm AIocnn
is the real reason why his greatness has
been denied in North Carolina. The
Federalists and early Wings of North
Carolina, as elsewhere, hated jefferson
with an unreasoning hatred. 1t was MT
Macon who defeated them at every urn
and made North Carolina the truest
state in the Union to Jeffersonian De
mocracy. Col. VIM. L. Saunders once
said that North Carolinians insisted upon
voting for Jefferson for a third term even
after his refusal to accept it PiQued and
mad because they could make no head
way against Jefferson in North Carolina
his political opponents deliberately Sc
to work to write down Macon as a small
mar because he led the jefferson forces
They could not harm him in life. Fo1
thirty-seven years his word was law il
North Carolina politics.. Aftel his dealt
they Systematically wrote ana talked
him down. They controlled much of TIL
press, they educated most of the youns
men, they had much of the culture an
wealth. For political purposes they I'm
derestimated Macon and a generation
grew up who We're taught to laugh a
him as IAN eccentric old codger VIII,
accidentally filled a big office. No frien,
or supporter of Macon wrote the tru
history of his life and the false estimat
of North Cardinals greatest man cam
to be largely accepted. Latterly me
who study history without bias hav
learned that the true MacoL is not tn
Macon pictured by Federalist and Viii
teachers and writer's, but a man of a.
together different mould and stature
man like Washington in his equipois'
like Jefferson In his devotion to popula
government, and like Jackson in h
unyielding character and simple habits
the typical North Carolina Statesman
not free from it's provincialism, if yo
please. but a tower of strength in ii
Federal government as we'll as in tt
State for forty years.
All who approach the study of Mace
without the inherited partisan-made d,
precautions of the man will be as cand
as DR.. kingsbury.
The News and Observer goes eyery d.
now to 8.132 subscribers. That's the VIZ