The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-16

or the human 1QIuU WHICH, L 1ihNO
heard in a life extending into its 82nd
year, and which 1 ever heard in any
mar or whether political, legislative,
legal, or literary. There nave been
splendid sermons Of unique power, OF
~eloquence, of rare and eN-
cellence preached in Wilmington. In
North Carolina there nave been many
exhibitions Of are gifts by speakers
Of other States-Stephen A. Douglas
Henry Clay, Edward Everett, Roger
A. Pryor and other highly gifted and
distinguished men might be named.
When men born in North Carolina
or even long resident here, under.
take to ridicule and defame our State,
they very reasonably excite %censure,
and it may be, contempt.
notions are not now popular articles
among the more intelligent native citl-
zens of this State. 1t has been men
toned with censure often in the pub
lie press of our State, how certain
uppose Tar Heels who went into
the North for a living became alien
ated and offensive in their criticism
INDUCED in by them later in life,
when their old mother was the theme
of objurgation and contemptuous
filings. Ridicule of North Carolina is
very cheap stuff, whether used by a
Northern born, visitor or by some fell
low tainted with the popular ideas and
cause ulnSS. But tHlS system Oh
ridicule and obloquy, this shameful
abuse and insult flung at the old
State fails to move me with rebuke
and Indignation because it is cheap
stuff, easily manufactured and made
out of cotton goods. Ridicule and
Islander are very easily INDUCED.
SANDER, ridicule and false accusation
fall for short Of serious damage to any
true and noble people. Old abuses are
easily INDUCED in, but they fall power
less before truth and facts. There
will be no nightmare Of horror when
only the scandal monger works and
caricature. When all Of the real
charm, all of the true color and
beauty Of the life Of a people are OBJ
scured or ignored it cannot injure
much. The painting of the noble old
mother is q fraud and ~offense. She
may be painted as wrinkled, decayed,
deformed, demented, superstitious
ugly, ignorant, stolid, repulsive. And
yet it provOkes contempt only, and
intense Indignation, among her true
children who love and honor
and know her noble, engag-
ing. beautiful character. The
picture of an enemy of an alien
is only the effect of ignorance, malice
and envy. Her own children will
always reverse, love and honor her.
knowing SO we'll the lear old mother,
with her precious characterized
PoA ~ Lel
integrity, her brave old heart, her
loyalty to honor, fidelity, truth, to
all that is goo and noble in life
her unfaltering devotion to liberty, to
right, to justice, to ardent patriotism,
to sound, genuine, safe principles, to
cover virtue we nay all as true chill
dren look lovingly admiringly into
the lean, Wrinkled face, and
flial arms about her we may well
confess to the old love, the old conf
dence, the old admiration, and say
with throbbing souls-"May our right
hand forget it's cunning and our on
que cleave to the ROOF our mouth,
if we ever forget or desert thee our
mother Of our love and fidelity and
alteration.
Above I said something as to ad-
dresses published by North Caro-
%linians- Among those published I
remember those which impressed me
most. l know who made the greatest
political speech to which 1 have ever
listened. 1t was by Senator z. B..
Vance, in Wilmington, in 1882. I
know who made the most consuln-
mate, mastery speech I ever heard
of a political kind before a v
ton or legislative body. It was that
Of Hon. George e. Badger. before the
Wing convention that met in the State
capitol at Raleigh, in 1916. 1 heard
Hon. E. G.. Reade, after being in the
Fedora Congress, say that the great
est speech he ever heard was the one
mentioned by Mr.. Badger. I recall
who made the most eloquent and i'm
pressive speech after defeat for office.
It was by Hon. John Kerr, in the
courthouse at Oxford, in September,
1852. / know who made two Of the
most eloquent and highly interesting
political speeches-it was that Of Hon.
George Davis in the city hall
in Wilmington in 1876, and the
by Governor D. G.. Fowle, in Raleigh
in 1875. They were indeed superb.
One Of the greatest political speeches
Of interest I ever heard special praise
was that by Henry w. Miller at Oxford
about 1852.