The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-05
MAC0N'S GREAT CAREER
Broad and Comprehensive Sketch of
the Celebrated Statesmt n
THHONGS GATHER ON BA1TLEGROUND
The Ceremonies of The Day Are Varifd and In
terestlng and All the Speakers Meet
With an Enthusiastic
Reception.
Reception.
Especial to News and obsorvcr.)

Greensboro, n c., July 4.-Thc cclebra-
tion at the Guilford battle-ground drew
immense numbers of visitors today The
speaking was fine and the enthusiasm of
the great audience pronounced.
The oration of Hon. T. NJ. Pittman on
Macon, was the event of the day. 1t
was a superb portraiture of the great
statesman and a historical summary of
the events with which he was connected.
The ceremonies were varied and of
surprising interest. The day will long
be remembered by all who were in at
tendance upon the exercises
Hon. I. 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
it's beginning, glorious in its conduct,
far-reaching in its consequences, which
ended the sovereignty of the King and
ushered in the sovereignty of the people,
and in which 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 s.2S and untried
conditions. The foundations of govern
ment 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
ernments were literally to be spelled out
under circumstances demanding almost
infinite patience and courage. 1t was in
a1 hot cl,n .
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
were but shacl<les that impeded the pro-
gress of brilliant policies and to be got
rid of as far as possible, if not by re-
peal then by a broadness of interpreta-
ton which should make all things pos
Siblc
Others saw visions of manhood-self-
governing, exalted and digniffcd To
these constitutions were the safeguards
of liberty-as the strong walls of a city
shutting out foes which threaten its
safety. One saw the splendor and lux
ury of the few, the others saw the dig
nifty, the safety the prosperity of tho
many. So much being understood an
insight is possible into the life OF the
man whose memory we honor today.
Nathaniel Macon was born in Gran
Vile county, now Warren, December
II, 1857. His father was Gideon Ma
con, a native of virginia, descended
JI1o11opot
settled in that State some time prior to
1852. Martha, daughter of this first
Gideon, married Orlando Jones and was
grandmother of Martha Custis. the wife
of George Washington. His mother was
Priscilla Jones, daughter of Edmund
Jones, of Shocco and Abigail Shugan, re-
puted the first white woman to cross
Shocco creek into the upcountry.
Nathaniel was one of the younger
possibly the youngest, of eight children
His father died when he was about five
years old. His mother subsequently
married James Ransom and from that
marriage are sprung Gen. Robert Ran
som and his distinguished brother. Matt
w. Ransom.
At an early age Nathaniel gave such
promise of those strong moral and in
tellectual qualities which DISTINGUISHED
his maturer years that, NOTWITHSTANDING
the moderate means of the family, it was
determined to give him a collegiate edu
cation. The few classical schools then
in the State were conducted chiefly bv
Presbyterian ministers, who were edu-
Gated at Princeton College-then as now
an institution of very high rank.
Through the influence of these teachers
it contributed more than any similar in
stitution to higher education in North
Carolina The fact that young Macon
was sent to that college indicates the in
fluencc of some one of those teachers
most likely Rev Henry PatiHo. who
taught in Orange and later in Granville,
and who was chairman of the committee
of safety at Butte county from it's organi-
zation. His reputation as a teacher was
excellent and specimens of his hand
writing, now in my possession, indicate
that he was a man of culture. / have
not been able to learn when Mr.. Macon
entered college, but it was probably
about 1775. In 1776 when he was not
yet Is years of age, his studies we're in
terrupted for a short tour of military
service on the Delaware, after which he
returned to his studies. The gifted and
patriotic DIR. Witharspoon was then
president of Princeton and the value OF