The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-02-07
FIRST PLANTEROF
4,N>ORTH CAROLINA
Gen. k.. ON, by His Life, Prac-
tically Taught Back to the
Farm"
Farm
BY THOMAS w. MASON.

BY THOMAS w. MASON.
7'UR farms touched and
| our homes We're almost
| fkA within speaking distance
| Hn OF each other. / had
| WV known him since, in his
| AN young manhood with
W charm OF mind and per
VN son. he delivered his
- tribute TO the Union in
Gerard Hail. at our
Chapel Hill commencement of 1856.
OF this occasion Dr. Battle writes. in
his History of the University: The
annual address, on Wednesday. was
by Hon. Matt W. Ransom, of the
Philanthropic Society. n graduate Of
the class of 1S47. His theme was
The Union: The Importance of It's
Preservation 1t was able and elo-
duent, worthy Of the great subject
IN memory of this timely tribute. it
was well that our State should com
mission him and President Swain, OF
the University, who introduced him
to us, to make one last effort, by their
counscis, to stay the uplifted hand OF
war, before it fell upon Us, in the
spring of 1861.
] had known him in war and in
peace; and we often talked together
of the scenes that tried the measure
of his strength, and for which we
have now given him his place in our
Capitol. But I shall think Of him
most pleasantly as co-worker and
leader in the toll that came upon Us
when the war had ended: the travail
Of the South. when our new life was
born and the long. weary vigils be
gan that were needed to bring that
new life to its sturdy manhood. which
we now call with pride, our New
South.
OF all those who watched and
guard ed our new life. there was no
Drawer or more constant vigil than
his. This was our most momentous
period, when all our lines of life, po-
litical, social and Industrial, We're to
be changed when new forms Of in
dustry and new social relations We're
to be established, and when We We're
to apply and to assiInilate the transi-
ton from slave labor to free labor.
our hardest task. Not all of us were
equal to this toll There We're dismal
failures Many Of our people aban-
dOned their homes and fields and fled.
as it were, to our villages and towns.
where they shuddered together over
their brok Ell lives and fortunes. Cen
eral Ransom himself was the victim
of adverse fortune; but he never let
go the plow The spirit Of his ances-
tor, Nathaniel Macon, the spirit Of
Washington and Of Cincinnatus was
his. He loved his country home
True, it was a home worthy of his
love and devotion. 1t was the home
of Mrs. Ransom. Here she was born
and nurtured with all the qualities Of
the true woman, that make the homes
for which brave men are willing to
die the world over. And so il was.
the General (we always called him
the Genera), whenever his high pub
lie service gave him leave. would come
to his home and his fields with the
eager spirit Of q school boy turned
loose from school. And so it was
when the public burdens were lifted
from him, he cultivated and broad
ened his fields with zest and sue
cess that amazed Us all. No such
crops had ever been raised before sn
our soil.
I called to see him once when he
had come home for a short vacation
during his service as Minister to Mex
leo | found him Ia the field, watch
ing the cotton pickers He did not
talk to me Of Mexico, but he talked
to me Of the crops and the condition
Of our farming interests. And then
it was ne said to me. with feeling.
that the farm was the best thing or
all worldly goods to leave our chill
dren; and this. he said at a time when
the value of our farms was at its low
est ebb and our hearts We're failing
Continued on Page ElevenD