The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-19

and Historical Society in Raleigh on
Tuesday night resolution was unani-
mously adopted TO I.ctition the Legis-
lature to place a statue of Vance in
Statuary Hall at Washington.
JUDGE BURWELLS ADDRESS.
Judge Armistead Burwell, i'm his ad-
dress before the State Literary and
Historical Association discussed the
petition to the Legislature for placing
Il statue of Senator Vance, in Statu-
airy Hall at the Nations Capitol, say
ing:
1t i'll becomes the State of North
Carolina that the space in Statuary
Hall in the Capitol OF the Nation,
where she may place effigies of those
of her sons who are worthy of such
honor, is now unoccupied.
! This condition may seem to some to
| show, either that the people of this
commonwealth, having studied the
roll of those who have endeaVored to
serve the State, find none whose merit
entities them 30 this honor, or else.
that she, though recognizing such
merit, is either too poor or, else, too
ungrateful, to thus reward their SER
vices.
Yet the list of the names of those
North CarOlinianS who have earned
Gus one, and of deep interest to all
students of the history of the founda-
ton of this government, and of the
story of its wonderful development.
And the commonwealth is neither
poor nor ungrateful.
We may, therefore, we'll entertain
the hope that the time has come, or
at any raSt, is fast approaching, when
the love and gratitude of her peo-
! pie will be expressed in monuments
and statues that Will commemorate
| the virtues of those who have deSerV.
ed well of the Republic.
| 1t has been suggested that o move
ment should be inaugurated by this
society, looking to the creation of a.
public sentiment in favor of placing
in the Capitol at Washington, where
many of the States have set ettigies of
! their heroes, buStS OF statues of some,
/ at least, Of the sons of North Carolina
| who seem deserving of such distinc-
| ton.
The suggestion is worthy of com,
| mendation by all who take pride in
the history of the State, but success in
| the effort to arouse such a sentiment
| can only be attained, perhaps, by di-
| recting the attention of the citizens
| to some one man who has in some
/ especial manner acquired Il right TO
! have such an honor done his memory.
| ne IJlOuS uuly WHICH, lHe oOCIely
| thus proposes 10 undertake may,
therefore, seem ITO some to be one Of
! great delicacy, for comparisons are
| always inVidiOuS, and the friends of
one hero may be loath to concede the
superiority OF another
| And, yet, if the question be asked
of any one, at any place, at any time,
| in North Carolina, whose efiigy shall
/ be first placed there, but one an
swer would be given. whether the place
| of the asking shall be the crowded
! street of some city, hall OF learn
| ing, a salon of culture. a noisy house
| of industry, a quiet home of a noun
taineer. or that of Il fisherman on the
| Atlantic shore-everyWhe within
/ her borders-the answer will be the
| name Of the greatest of North Caro-
| ina's SONS.
| And that the answer will be so
| prompt and SO spontaneous, from
whatever source it may come. should
excite neither surprise nor Jealousy
Mans eminence over his fellowmen
| his greatness as We term it's the
result, not of capacity alone, but of a
seemingly tortutous conjunction of
| capacity and opportunity.
And blessed is he who, having re-
ceived the great gift of mighty in
tcllect, and having trained that intel
lect to be the servant of his will and
such a servant, finds opportunity for
the exercise of his God-given powers.
Such blessings he of whom l speak
had in full measure.
Others of his fellows were as wise,
as eloquent, as learned, as faithful and
as dilgent as he, but to him, as to
no other North Carolinian, were
given opportunities for service, and
his towering greatness is the result of
his ability to grasp~the occasions as
they came, and seize and we'll use
each opportunity as it was presented
to him.
An epitome of his life illustrates the |
truth of this statement.
In the first vigOr of his young man |
hood, he was the chosen representative
of his peope-the men of the noun
tains. whom he loved SO Well-and, |
as such representative in the Con-
gress of the United States, he wit |
messed with dismay the gathering OF
the storm of civil strife, and strove in |
vain to avert it,
From that theatre of strenuous civil |
duty, he went, as opportunity 1or ser
vice was presented. to camp and bat
tIe-feld. and there serving with un- !
griding faithfulness, he won the |
confidence and esteem of those citi- |
zen-soIdiers who became the fit fol-
lowers of BurgWyn and Lane.
Called by the suffrage OF the peo- !
pie. even then becoming apprehensive |
and distressed. 10 be their Chief Exc
cutive officer. he, seizing with avidity
the opportunity for service that was
thus presented to him. turning neither
to the right hand nor TO the left to I
avoid -its RESPONSIBILITIES and trials, so /
labored for the State that she emerg-
ed from that terrible ordeal stripped |
of her wealth. it is true, but with her
honor still untarnlShed
He was led to prison as the repre-
sentativo Of his people, and because
he had been faithful to them. and
from nrison he came without COM
plant to the quiet walks of private
life. and. with cheertuiness that rarely
failed and with courage that never
faltered he taught by precept and ex-
ed for that grand opportunity-that of