The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14

the admiration Of the people OF the
state in marked degree. n peopfe
we're proud OF their gifts and relied
confidently upon their PATRIOTISM anu
strength OF purpose to serve tne.
constituents But they never IeIt
that they were bone Of their bone.
They never loved them. They felt
that there was a gulf fixed between
them, and while they lavished their
love upon the triumvirate who Incaf-
mated the North Carolina spirit. tney
gave equally their votes and approval
to the three great men who not
typical North Carolinians-
Macon's Great Service.
Macon wished to have no neighbor
living so near that he could hear his
~neighborly and homely ways that
made his neighbors feel that he was
one Of them. I hav sometimes
thought that Macon was sent to US q
| prophet who preached to keep us
from lapsing into the idolatry or
monarehial Institutions When a
| war Of the Revolution was over, and
| Hamilton's star began to be in the
ascendant, the flame OF liberty n
| equality burned low. Macon stood as
| a stone wall against the growing ted>
era1ism in North Carolina, and never
SO long as he lived was the State m
danger Of slipping into organized Off
Ecisl distrust of popular government.
The service he rendered at that per-
Tod to the doctrine that h people
are fit to govern themselves has never
been properly appreciates or under
Estood. In hat service he was the IN
~[terpreter and representative OF the
North Carolina spirit. DaSie had no
conception OF that spirit and ne pow
f~~ - 10 x<c -oo~rofic1 (x4SfNn would
have shown in any article n was
nearer the sell than DAvie- He wrote
cur State hymn and loved the State
and it's people. He served with sin
gleness of purpose. but rather as the
leader who bands down to them some
service or gift, then as q stronger
tyoke-feI1ow. Macon believed they
[cOuld govern themselves better than
he or others could govern HEM. Gas
ton doubted this, but served them as
Ipatriotically as Macon.
The Greatest Work OF Vance.
The most useful and distinguished
! of the North Carolina spirit, rendered
his State, was not as lawyer, or gov
efnor, o. senator, or soldier. though
great in all it was his militant fight
to forbid the imported and foreign
influences Of Reconstruction warp
ing the character OF q people. 81
am going home" said an able NORTH
iCarolinian, who accepted b condi
ttions offered under RecOnstructioz
and counselled a-cquiescence and &C
tceptance of the Reconstruction lead.
ers. Vance saw that the policy pro,
posed would destroy the independence,
and character of the North Carolins
people, and, though Door, he refused
to accept large retainers to serve tn
outside forces seeking to impose aliel
laws and customs upon his people. HI
was enabled to do this because h
had the spirit Oh courage that was tn,
l dominant passion Of North Carolina
; a willingness to suffer poverty If nee
: be in order to live their own lives &C
: cording to their own ideas and convic
ftions. He got strength from then
las he gave them leadership. Ran
: som, a polished diplomat and traine,
statesman, did more for his State il
+ his early experience in the Senate
: than any other man could have done
{ He was a splendid soldier and knight
= t1y gentleman. But he was not a typ
ical North Carolinian as was his col
s league. Why? He did not incar
nate the North Carolina spirit.
d The Mission Of Aycock.
y Aycock was the spirit Of Mort,
= Carolina crying In the wilderness 9
GA4ASC, MAhc IIdkknl the D3C0
= and give a fair chance to the Mort
Carolina child" He appreciated TIL
: unequal struggle in which we wer
engaged with the world and the dc
4 plorable ignorance which impede
the progress Of his people. And h
~ made 1t his mission to arouse hi
people, to make them feel the nee
- OF education@a practical and useft
education. His was perhaps a harde
= task thar that which confronted h,
prototypes. He had not only I
arouse but to create. We ver. eli
suffering from poverty and there n
;. manned the ancient fall2cy that il VI
y mo- the part Of the State to levy til
taxes on one mans property to cdr
= cate b children OF smother ma,
"a Aycock drew from the oun hov
~ the inspiration mi strength that mad
n him a voice and a spirit that will +
feif in this State for all time. It VIZ
not primarily for them that Aycoc
iQDnkA and m No As~-~x