The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-19

Joys Military Academy at Raleigh.
There were some ninety cadets in attend
ance that scholastic year and later.
Among the smaller boys was lad of
some nine years of age with the most
beaming, most open, most engaging face
possible. He was all fun and glee, with
noble head, and mind within Of un-
usual brightness and promise. In fact
/ had known no boy then of his age
with a better mind. Seven or eight
years older, / was drawn to the radiant,
lively little fellow with cords of SYM
pathy and kindness. His name was Will
liam Lawrence Saunders, who lived with
his widowed mother at her fathers
home in the town, an aged, retired ply
stefan, DIR. Simeon Baker, who had spent
his life in Halifax county, and a few
years before had removed to Raleigh. In
1S45, that town had but 1000 inhabitants,
and ii was indeed of magnificent dis
tances" ! liked the lad, and held him
in high esteem and admiration as man
in after life and was glad of the mani
festation he gave of such superior abili-
ties. He was a faithful, brave, reliable
soldier in the greatest of all modern
wars. and rose to the rank of Colonel.
/ believe he deserves to rank as one of
the ablest of his State contemporaries
between 1860 and 1890 He rendered ex
eellent service to North Carolina as a
soldier, as a journalist, as Secretary of
State, and as editor of the most i'm
portant Colonial Records. He was very
genuine piece of manhood every way
true everywhere, most genial
companion, man of reading and
thought, full of humor, and endowed
with high brain power. He gave to the
State at an important, even critical
period, much service both as journalist
and leader. He was no doubt a born
leader, and possessed tact, intellectual
resources, forecast, acuteness of Judg-
ment, boldness to strike, steadfastness
of conviction, and cool courage under
severe trials In his own special line of
Journalism he has had no equal in the
State His one rival would be w. w.
Holden. but he was really a stronger
man than the Governor of Reconstruc-
ton and "Kirk's Lambs" times was.
Unlike Holden, Col. Saunders was a man
of strictest political integrity and
fidelity, and not purchasable. He was
not an all-round journalist. l knew
that he did not so regard himself. He
did not essay to write upon all kinds of
topics that present themselves in year
to the attention of a practiced writer.
He did not often, if at all. write upon
such themes as social science. religion
literature, arts, agriculture, discoveries
history, biography, drama and so on
without limit almost, turning from one
to the other with ease, writing at will
upon three or four of these subjects in
10 TOLD mn hot ha
found much difficulty in paragraphing.
He was not many sided, but was very
strong. full and convincing on his special
lines, and I think did more good for the
Democracy than any editor who wrote
duffng the first ten or fifteen years after
the war, with one exception. If l had to
name the editor who has lived in North
Carolina during the last seventy-five
years who was probably the man OF the
greatest mental power, 1 would be in
clined to name my old friend and school
mate. In the earliest years of the last
century the afterwards very distinguish
ed editor, Joseph Gales, Junior, lived at
Raleigh, and worked under his father,
who was an English journalist. who had
fed from his country because of certain
views he had presented in the Sheffield
Register, owned and edited by himself
and James Montgomery, poet of some
genuine gifts. The elder Gales came to
this country, first reported speeches i'll
the United States Congress, having
located in Washington, and later settled
at the then village of Raleigh, the now
State capital. / do not know that the
very able son ever edited at Raleigh. de
and his afterwards we'll known brother
in-law, William w. Seaton Cthey set
type together in the Raleigh Register
office, the paper having the name OF
the Sheffield paper went to Washing
ton and began the publication OF the
National Intelligencer, paper or 'he
greatest ability and of wide influence
1t is altogether probable that Joseph
Gales had no equal in the United States
in his time as a writer of elaborate.
commanding ard massive editorials. Who
has equalled or surpassed him since?
Was it Greeley or Raymond or Dana?
He indeed welded among the best class
of readers all over the land a great
influence. and was consulted by the
great Wing leaders-Clay, Webster and
others-constantly. Leaving Mr.. Gales
out of the count as once identified with
North Carolina, would place Col. Saun-
ders foremost in intellectual vigor, but
not in accomplishments among our ma
tive editors and journalists. Our old
college mate and intimate friend of
manhood's prime, the late gifted Major
Seaton Gales, was named after Col.
Seaton. His own father was the second
editor of the old Register, the late Wes-
ton R.. Gales, brother of the distinguish.
ed editor of the Intelligencer he himself
was the third, and the late John w.
Syme, of Petersburg editor of the In
telligeneer of that town, was the fourth
and last The Register expired in the
late fifties, think it was, after more
than fifty years of life and usefulness.
Among native born journalists Saunders
was the ablest, best poised, most vigor-
Gus. Such / must think him to be.
Vino really rendered the greatest service
to the Democracy of North Carolina for
the first six or eight years after the
war is debatable.
Col. Saunders was wise adviser as
we'll as an astute and able political writer.
He did no little to checkmate the cor
rupt Radicals and to make them odious.
IN0T .aE