The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-17

trusted him and followed him unaues-
ttonahly you may put II down that his
contemporaries were better Judges of
greatness than posterity, and accept
their verdict
| Contemporary Estimates
| u wish that time permitted rne to
| give you the estimate In which this
truly great man was held by his con-
| Temperatures
John Randolph. of Roanoke. wrote
Macon was the best, wisest and purest
man 7 ever knew IL wisdom
consisted In properly exercising our
judgment upon the value Of things de-
sirable, Mr. Macon was certainly the
wisest man / ever saw
John Tyler said: Macon had n
Judgment so inflexible and exact as
rarely to be shaken. There was a
beautiful consistency in his course,
from the moment of his entering pub
lie life TO the moment of his quitting
it. Nothing sordid ever entered into
his imagination. He was a devoted
patriot, whose whole heart and every
corner of it was filled with love of
country
Thomas II. Benton called him the
real Cincinnatus of America the
pride and ornament Of his state
'phflosophic In temperament and wise
in his conduct. governed in all his
actions by reason and Judgment and
deeply imbued with Bible teachings
he was a 'virtuous and patriotic man,
aud he added Macon would stake his
life for his friend. but would vio-
late no public duty to please or oblige
him.
Between him and your great JEFF
ferson there existed relationship.
not so intimate as between Macon
and Randolph. but a relation based
more upon the consistent advocacy of
the same principles. The last GORE.
spondence between them Was when
Macon requested Jefferson TO name
the sculptor who should be chosen by
North Carolina, to design a marble
statue OF Washington, when Canova
was selected. Jefferson's estimate of
Macon was best summed up In q let
ter written to Macon in introducing
his grandson. in March, 1925. Mr.
Jefferson wrote: Ny grandson. Thorn
as jefferson Randolph, the bearer of
this letter, on journey to the North,
Will pass two or three days, perhaps
In Washington. cannot permit him
to do this without presenting him to
a friend Of so long standing, whom
consider as the strictest OF our mod
ets W genuine TeDupifEaniSTl. Let
him be able To say, when YOU are
gone hut not forgotten. that he had
seen Nathaniel Macon, upon whose
tomb will be written "TTltfrnus Ro-
manorum." I only ask you to give
him hearty shake of the hand. on
my account, as we'll as his own. as
surfing You he merits ii as a citizen
to which I will add my uuceasing
affection to yourself
such tribute from we men best
entitled to give the proper place 10
Macon IN history might be multiplied.
but they are sufficient to give the
name and fame of Macon first place
among North Cardinals few. the
immortal names that were not bor,
to die,
Il congratulate your COLLEGE that
the Virginian whose name you bear
had the brilliancy Of intellect To com
mand the emulation or students am
bilious to win hnnnrs in the forum
and that the North Carolinian whose
name you bear had that steadiness OF i
wisdom and ripeness Of Judgment es- /
sential to any long and useful career.
Most OF all. / congratulate yea that (
he men FOR whom your college was /
named never hartered principle for /
place, or permitted the baneful use OF /
money In politics In have any part I
n their public career. Your college /
has given TO North Carolina many OF |
is first men II stands for culture
ind Virtue and Christianity--fhe trim
ty that alone makes education the /
rue light of life. MAY 1t live long to |
furnish to this and 10 other States /
men who in coming years shall be az |
wise in their generation as Nathaniel
Macon was in his day"