The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-01-22
The Most Significant Etsrh.

paroled soldier. the citizen. the patriot
looking 10 the future 81 his ~arely tried
country with no thought 10 self or
mean ambition Has the most glorious
la the career in this human enter IF
a nations travaIi. ~ "A nations hoTs~
and trust, There i one more page-
to unfold the greater helgh H. nlch
no vet could each.
And Il shall come 10 pass ln that
dag. that the iight snail not be clear
nor dark. But IL shan De- one DAY
which shall be known 70 the Lord not
day nor night. but IL shall come to
pass that IL the evening tim, i shall
be light
When old Traveller turned away
from A~pponattox bearing apon MS
back the eInbattled veteran with the
Sheathed sAord. his footsteps lei
h~enceforWard in the paths ~ peace
what ~ere the Establishments Of
wealth, tho shoWering offers II ease
and comfort for the use 81 his name
He had left him but his name and that
name was not FOR sale.
And What. n little late-. when his
disabilities had been removed and his
citizenship restored. was the offer. the
least they could make 10 him. Of the
highest civic honors Of his state?
He had heard. within the 'still
mission. The path Of duty was still
before him and II Led him mp 10 tho
quiet retiracy Of the town Of Lexing-
ton. up in the hills.
Il love to believe that the accept
ance OF the presidency If Washington
College was the first clear call 10 his
people 70 take heart for the future;
to provide the youth OF the stricken
land with new weapons more potent
than the sword. The five years Of his
sojourn there. before he went to dwell
among the gods. might be compared
to that long period on the Continent.
from Alaric to Luther, in which thick
darkness settled on the face OF the
deep.
But, as in the old Monasteries,
where history was preserved and let
ters cultivated and religion kept alive
Amid the Encir-ling gloom, - at
Washington College and the few other
institutions Of the kind in the South
the little spark was kept alive upon
the affairs until in the providence of
God the great awakening came.
Tile.cBaSon i'll the Virginia Hills.
Il love to think that in 1S74-5
when, after days and weeks Of strug-
gle, al times almost without hope, at
last the vote was taken, the defiant
call for the yeas and nay came from
the promoters of the bill, and on its
third and inal reading the old Uni
versity of North Carolina, the child
vi lIIt CONSTITUTION OF / . %, WdS set
upon its feet n the ingenious youth
OF the State called to their place. it
was the example Of Robert Lee away
up in the village among the hills, that
inspired the hope and nerved the eff
fort of the small band that plucked
victory out Of defeat and brought
again the beginnings of salvation to
the people. Not ONLY to the Uniyer-
Sity. but from the same source came
the inspiration which opened all the
institutions Of learning IN the State un-
til they stand upon such fair n
tons. with enough for each to do in
the great work of educating the peo-
pie.
Il love to believe that it was this
quiet life up in the Virginia hills that
enthused the heart and touched thej
tongu" Of the young educational Gov
ernor Of North Carolina to call the
people to their duty.
THAT it may be traced to his same
source, the spirit which sent out
among the people of North Carolina
those two young apostles to fan the
fame until the one had paid back to
the Mothers of the COnfederacy the
debt we owed, and offered equal edu-
cation to their daughters with their
sons and who, in the climax of his
work found his ap~otheosis. May the
light of God shine upon him, and from
his place of eternal rest, may he see
the continual fruitiOn of the tree of
knowledge that he planted near the
GuilfOrd battle-ground.
Il love to believe that it was the
same spirit that animated his cO-apos
tie to forward the work of higher
education, here and elsewhere. until
he repaid for us to the m of
Genera Lee the debt We owed MIN
for his good example. bv restoring TO
the University of Virginia, the crea-
ton of jefferson, the place it was in
ended to fill for the youth of Virginia
and of the country.
Il love to believe that from the
same source comes the spirit of those
I see round me to will and to do
that which is fitting to be lone for
education.
And, 50 it is, that we are here be-
cause the United Daughters of the
C~onfederacy, in no spirit of the re-
vival of memories of ancient feuds.
accepting the prosperity which the
gracious God of heaven and earth,
in answer to the prayers of Lee and
Jackson and stuart and Hill and all
the Christian heroes of the war, an
sWered, so differently from what they
and we expected, nave bid us come.
And the Legislature of North Car
Dina at its session of 1891 enacted
that this da-. the 18th day of jan
uary in each and every year. shall be
kept by the people of North Carolina
as a public holiday in honor of the
peerless Lee
They who delight to be fattercd
pay for their folly by a late repent
ence.-Phaedrus.