The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-06

heN 1ot1Sii ~ No4iCS ZIP JttSl
VOL who was my personal friend
for a long time until he was numbered
among his departed kindred. I knew
him with marked intimacy, and al
though | was much younger he treat
I'd me with sympathy, confidence and
affection. / refer to John Kerr, of
C2SNell county, q neube OF the U.
S. House Of Representatives, q Supe-
riOr Court judge, q Wing in politics,
and a candidate for Governor in 1852,
making the most brilliant campaign
ever known in North Carolina up to
that time. He was well known to the
people of our Stale before and after
the great war. and was distinguished
Tor his eloquence. He was born in
Virginia, but his. father was q North
taTolinian, and perhaps his mother
also. Rev. John Kerr was q Baptist
minister of very commanding talents.
lie was one Of the creates pulpit ora
tors ever born in America, and in his
prime without any rival among Bap-
list preachers. The late Rev. DIR.
jeremiah Jeter of Richmond, Va,
once wrote II his able religious pa
per Of that city, the Religious Herald,
hat after hearing the best and most
eloquent preachers 81 Great britain
ana the United States ne put John
Kerr, the elder. first. The late Gen
eral Thonla j.. Clingr1an, Of remark
able Abilities, told me in 1915 that he
once stood Up FOR three hours listen
ing to q sermon from Mr.. Kerr, and
that he would nave been glad il he
had kept GA. General was
IN E~piScopalian. The SON. Judge John
Kerr. was a speaker of very remark
able ~cloQuence and passion. and at his
best in superb oratory had but few
equals in North Carolina.
For Well nigh a halt q century !
held steadfastly that Judge Kerr IN ms
most felicitious efforts was one OF the
first speakers i'll our State, then as no."
weil furnished with speakers Of marx
ed ability. l have through the inter
ven5ng decades mainta med always that
the most eloquent short speech (about
an half hour Or forty minutes long,
hicn l ever heard. was his Sneech II
The courthouse at Oxford at night
three weeks after his defeat Tor GOV
ernor. This was in September. 49,.
The second best political short speech
ever heard was from Judge fowle, at
Raleigh. in 1875, the night after the
nomination of Zeb. Vance for Cover
nor; Vance spoke also and at length.
but his speech was below his hest
efforts. He read il, and it fen rather
flat after Fowle's very striking and
~rio0uent speech. 1t did not measure
up 10 Vance's own high standard.
JFowle was grandly inoas-
stoned. fervid, eloquent. His PERIODS
flashed and burned with an uncom-
NON ar7lor and sterilization. But .et
me return to Judge Kerr. lie WaS
= hioh-toned. chivalrous. admirable
gentleman, an in~corruptible nudge, or
literary taste and reading. and o.
really rhetorical excellence. hslfG
choice English-a man Of lmposlnS
and handsome presence IN ms pee
years. with 2 face not un1ke tnat o
kmerica's greatest poet, Edgar Alien
Poe's, say about 1Si3,--a man ot
~enius. kindly noble impulses, CT
large soul and sincere, earnest ~ MS
friendships. magnetic IN ms 1tiilptid-
ment, worthy as he used 70 zen =
me when | was young, and | enioStd
his companionship and friendship, 10
bear the name given by john 3t1hEal,,
one Of the ilnmortals, the Sehiu3
anon all Raptists IN all countries al ~
with but few exceptions or an
men of genius of the english
. KING race, to one of his own per
Dntual characters in ms pFiceleSo
precious Pilgrims Progress Iredt
Herat.'' Judge Kerr lived to pc aoout
81 or So years Of age. | thlnh. MY
last meeting Of him was. [ believe at
C~hatbaro countv court, which he was
holding. [ met him two or three
times then. and had the pleasure OF
visiting him in his private room ~
rho hotel. cherish his emo as
among the most gracious ana alllae'-
We friends of my long life, II as one
Of the finest and most nODly enuo"eu
Of al. Let me simply refer mere 70
another distinguished citizen OF our
state. and who resided when | was
vourg on his plantation near 70 my
own superior county Of GranVliie, ana
pcar to Kittrelrs Shops. | reIer u
Rev. Josiah Crudup, a worthy plantei
ana q Baptist minister of high ablll-
ties. He was indeed q very able man,
and served one term in the y. ?.
House of Representatives, II l re-
member Alright. He was indeed q man
Of superior type and COMMANDING
presence. l know two Of his sons out
did not know him personally. his
rf7igious views were not of the com