The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-10

50 tl''4E t1EIAttt.- he. IT, "a rAH
sent 10 New Bern lacked : sic. Ind
hence was useless
IN NoFen3ber :. $50. t4. a->..H-
bis again nnet II Raleigh. ana a.. .n..
Governor m-SSag, that Year I'M, r.-
lers 70 II. navigation proposition ~.
o'tPeh the 'atav ID river and for tN.
s. Instruction II the clas Foot ...
Harlow canal. also refers To tn. .4se
storms and fr-sh-ts d.-tvG.4ry IN.
crops OF Indian corn. and suggests
ct embargo on the shipping ~ corn
oNl OF the State. on November
Judge Samue A>he. General Aim
Jones. and General Leigh vcle placed
IN nomination for Governor. aad
Judge Ashe was elected ANA iu-
augurated on November -. l145.
Governor Spaight giving up the Of
nee after three years II service salts
factory 70 the people.
IN 1896 he was chosen one # the
electors TO east the vote If the state
foI President and Vice-Ir-sideut, -
ne had been in las, when Il 4eImtc
q the General Assembly.
OF interest III connection with Gen
elal SpaIghtS holding the high Office
o. Governor. and at the sau4c Tim.
heing one of the electors IL cas-, I'll.
vote Tor President. it IS ~ interest
that he was tho first native horn
North Carolinian 10 he chosen Coy
ernor, as all Of his predecessor. who
50 honored that office had been born
abroad, or IN a few instances III other
colonies. and had moved To North
Carolina to make their life work.
The years 1896 and 1872 he seems
to have spent quietly at New Bern.
These seem to have been thu only
years that he was not active in a
representative capacity III public
Hork, excepting the years 1879. 1890.
and 1871 and the spring of 1872,
when. when a young man then only
thlrty-one years Of age, his health
broke down from the arduous duties
Of public life. This enforced dleness
must have chafed on a man Of
activity. 1t is remarkable when We
consider the honors held 10y General
Spalght, namely Il I'M of the
House of Commons at twenty-One, an
aid to Governor TryOn at twenty
two. 4 member OF the Federal Con
! gress at twenty-five, q menlbe of he
convention TO frame the Constitution
Of the United States at t~wenty-nine,
a delegate 10 the North Carolina Con-
Convention at thirty, and
It's Governor at the age Of ~thirty-tour,
and again a member Of the Federal
Congress at f~orty-one, and dying at
the early age Of fOrty-four. In this
time when honors come to men only
in middle age, it is all the more sur
lriSing when We realize how early
honors came to Governor Spaight.
On Monday, June 4, 1893, William
Bryan. a emb Of Congress from
his district, died; and General Spaigh,
was selected to succeed him. taking
his seat on December 10, Congress
then sitting at Philadelphia. At that
Congress anne up the question Of the
Impeachment Of Honorable William
Blount, United States Senator from
Tennessee, who had served with Gov
ernor SpAight in the constitutional
Convention Of 1881. The managers
at a previous session offered q report
5 that they be instructed to compel the
personal appearance Of Senator
ElOunt. This report Vas rejected by
| the IIOuSe Of Representatives. ~ the
decisive vote Of 90 to II, Governor
SDaight voting against compelling the
appearance. In passing it may be
stated the offense for which Senator
I;lount was charged was that Of in
citing the Indians to make war against
! the French and English, which would
result to the advantage of the Ameri-
!, can states III their ~coloniZing. To-Day
such a man would be hailed rs .
benefactor TO his country, but at that
:, time It was hOught otherwise. and
5 While the Senate expelled Senator
HiOunt, The people Of Tennessee rallied
t, his support and elected him Gov
ernOr of the state.
{, The Sixth Congress Of the United
states met at Philadelphia on De
c.rnber 2, 1900, and on January ?
: Governor Spaight appeared and tool
, the oath of office. We inc frequent
roll calls which attest his presence at
t that session. lasting continuously
{ through until May Ii.
Again he was present at the session
| Of that Congress which met at Wash
! ington on November i, 1900, lie
appeared on November IS and re-
manned until the adjournment Of Con-
? 4reSS on March !.
This was the House of Represents
r ives which had TO decide the Close
r vote between Thomas jefferson and
. Aaron Burr, the leading candidates
/ for the presidency, no one having re-
ceived a majority Of the electoral
! votes. From the annals Of Congress
/ Of that time we learn that Governor
: Spaight, together with ~lioHorabl.
{I-,II;o tir4ap NathaniaI Macon and