The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-29
esakespeare-O Oblivion for Authors Hisfori.
cal Errors The Vast Countries.
BY DIR. 7. b. KINGSBIRy
BY DIR. I. b. KINGSBURY.

ana enjoyed by truly cultured people
n the English-speaklng worI1-the
CLASS tnat do not feed the mind with
teh-cent magazines and pictorial week
lles, and the crude. rapid. tainted at
lenuate novels Of the day. Meredith
always packed away in his books un-
common observation-disclosures that
breathe and words that burn" His
prose is unique. It sometimes IS in
volved and peculiar. but in the main
ne Is of brilliant wit, keen sarcasm,
lncisive satire. and profound refJec-
ton. Books like mis- best-Puth and
Feyerel' and three or four Others. in
Guiding perhaps one Of Our-Con-
queror3"-shouId be read more than
once to reach fullest results. There are
power. felicity wisdom in his best.
His originality is pronounced.
christopher Columbus never discov-
cred North America in 1892. He lived
and died without the slightest knowi-
edge that there wa such a Continent
or country as North America. It IS
as great an error to credit him with
the discovery imputed 10 him in the
many histories, as 1t is to make James
town in Virginia an older settlement
than that of Roanoke Island in North
Carollna. 1T IS a pity people do not
read true history and thereby correct
old beliefs and prejudices. After all
that has been written politicians and
many or the people are really very ig-
norant of Hamilton, genuine monarch
ISL as he was at heart. George Wash
lngton is not correctly understood by
the millions. Abraham Lincoln, L.. s.
Grant and "Cump' Sherman are really
mythical characters in some respects
to the many as people who head and
search know. The New nglan peo-
pie never yet understood the negroes,
and never will understand them. In
n South there are people who never
ala justice to North Carolina in the
great war and never will. Selah!
The Mecklenburg Declaration is an
offence and a stumbling block to many
people in both sections. Fifty wears
such able and conscientious men
as President d. l.. Swain, Rev. DR..
Charles Phillips, Chief Justice Rufin,
Daniel r.. Goodloe and others rejected
its g-enuineness. But now that dis
cussions and examinations have been
more thorough, you will find but few
North Carolinians of mental force and
reading who do not believe conclusive
ly the authenticity and g~enuineness Of
the Mecklenburg Declaration. The
evidence is satisfactory to those who
search and study.
When a fellow gets old-even an
editor-he is glad to receive common
dation from men of parts and candor.
- ~ ~ ~ 4 Z IIc Is " e
thought of by his fellow-men, and
when a memento of the past comes
before him he is grateful and glad
if he is made of the right stuff" A
few days ago a part of a page of a
newspaper l vas connected with
from May, 1889, came into my hand,
when I saw copied a few words Of
cheer from friends. The truth is that
I found in nearly forty years editorial
connection with that the
hest pleasure nd SU-pntaCf co iCfoo{inn
came from private letters from appre-
ciative and sympathetic readers Of
standing. IT is by these you ascertain
often the utility and profit of your la
bOrS. You write scores of columns Of
ten, and never hear an echo from
them unless it be a groan or a grunt or
an oath from some one who expects
you to write for his particular benefit,
expressing his own wise, Solomonic
views and opinions upon all questions.
But here and there among the cultur-
ed men and women are readers who
are interested in what you are Going,
and send you a line or two of indorse-
ment and announcement. In the old
piece of newspaper published in 1891
referred to above. ] found a line or
two from a we'll known gentleman Of
intelligence and high character. the
late esteemed MI Robert 1. Steele,
Il am glad to see the Improvement
in the Messenger. 7 can now read it
with much more satisfaction
1 had then been its editor for two
years I found also an extract from
a letter from one of the best cultured
of North Carolinians, written from
Raleigh on the 10th of May, 1901:
Every friend of North Carolina
must congratulate the state upon see
ing you at the head of a paper where
your influence can be so justly and
widely eXerted."
1 am glad that these and other
prominent citizens thought we'll then
of me and my 1abors. If I did any
harm, trust a benignant Providence
overruled it for the good of all.
Let me draw briefly upon my OLA
podiana:
Looking over a new maj Of the
world recently I was interested in the
vast numbe of peoples and countries
and their resources. While running
over a portion of the records, l gath
cred the following statistics, not new
but old, of some of the greatest coun-
tries: Canada is very large, larger than
the United States, With its 3,745,574
square miles and 5,371,315 inhabitants.
The United States have ~3,56s,563
square miles, but their population is
many times greater. 76,303,3S7 in
1900, and now they must exceed 80
600, 900. Russia in Europe has 2,095.-
SOC square miles, With 103,671,35S
population: and in Asia 6,564,77S
square miles or twice as much as are
contained in our own country, with
its population of but 22,697,467. China
has 4,21S,401 square miles with 1926
147,461 populatiOn-nearly five times
as many as the United States car boa
Of. Brazil mas 3,2O9,S7S squar miles,
not so far below that of our own land.
Great Britain (the United Kingdom),
including Ireland, has 47,609,3- pop
ulation.
Wilmington, N. c.