The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-01-25

CIlOuSiIL anu SpCSCLl, C61hC I1iOl1
places. Thus are born new eras.
The men and women of 1860
lived in one era, we in another.
Which of the two, think you, is
the better? Each in it's own
class. should say, and both to-
gether, for without the one the
other were impossible.
| am fully advised of the fact
that an opinion differing widely
from this is prevalent in more
Northern latitudes, and is to be
found here, now and again, among
the callow youth and those older
persons who never get below the
supericies of thought, and who
with a covert sneer at what they
are pleased to call the old South,
are prone to babble over-much of
thef captains of industry" and
the ''fn1Iapoleons of finance" of
what they are further pleased to
call the New South. Another
choice morceau is "the men who
do things, as if such men were
of any one age or country!
If reference is had to those
Southrons who cause the spin
ming machines to whizz and whirr
our native raw staple into the
manufactured and much more
valuable product; those others
who, digging deep into the bosom
of kind mother Earth for her
ores, fashion them into curious
shapes which they lay across
and around her body for the
needs of commerce; and still
others engaged in kindred VEN
lures, l join in the salutation to
them. We do we'll to be proud
of their achievements, but We
should remember that the men
of the old South also "did
things, some of which will be
told to a listening world long af-
ter the mere dollar-catcher will
have fallen into the embraces of
the waiting worries and oblivi-
on.
Have you not heard that Wash
ington, once of the newest but
now of the oldest South, "did"'
some things in his time? Howe
and CORVALLIS thought he had
effected somewhat, so did Lord
North and his British ministry,
George the Third-and all man.
kind.
Thomas Jefferson, another pro-
duct of the old South, may be
said to have done some things
among others, and the two in
which he himself took greatest
pride, according to the Inscription
on his monument, his own com
position. writing our Declaration
of independence and establishing
the University of Virginia. NJ
inconsiderable work, you mus
admit, had he done no other; bu
he did more and much more, no
table and emitting him to tht
gratitude of our souls this, that
politically, he fashioned a form
which has been claimed as
model by every Southern patrio
out of a job for the last fort,
: years.
But perhaps you say Washing
ton and Jefferson were excel
tional cases, and they are too ia
down for US to see whether 0
not the alignment of you
thought is straight. Well an
: good. Walk with me, if 20
please, down this avenue O
thought, the approaches to whic
are easily to be found and tn
entrance free to all. Countin
the seventy-two years from tn
time Washington first becam
President, 1889 and to the clos
of Buchanan's administration
1861, a Southern man, one {
those dreamy, dolce far niente
old Southerners at whom, in you
fancied superiority, but really i
; your simpering simplicity, 70
: are wont to smile, was chose
: Chief Executive of this Natio
! for ffty-two years, or for MOI
than two-thirds of the entil
! period, and the voice of the Sout
. was potent, if not controlling,
y the selection for the remainin
twenty years.
, Chance, you ask? Impossible
= The dreamer, now and then, /;
i long intervals, while quiet
q sleeping on some seeming
peaceful green sward, beneat
+ which, all unknown to him, al
+ raging fierce fires Of public di
o content, or anger, may, in tt
2 upheaval which inevitably fe
,, n lows such disturbances, be ca
+ + up, with other objects and pc
- - sons, good and bad, awake al
+ asleep and coming down m:
n (the goddess of chance laughir
meanwhile at the trick she play
# drop into some snug receptac
= of official ease and government
4 plenty; but for this to happen
4 chance for ffty-tWo years out
+ + a total of seventy-two is not
- be thought of. Besides, Was
# ington, Jefferson, Madison, Mo
r to roe, Harrison, Tyler, Polk, Ia
70 70 lor were not sleepy men. Lea
70 Continued on 4th page.)
e.