The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1954-07-02

JONOTHAN DANIELS
It is of interest in the North
Carolina Coastland when Jona-
than Daniels writes a new book,
for this brilliant young North
Carlolinian and his father Jose
phus, of beloved memory, have
figured greatly in the life and
progress of this region. Their
sympathetic understanding and
their love for the people of the
Coastland has caused them to
lend and expend literally of
their prestige and energies
through the News and Observer,
to the boosting and constructive
upbuilding of our land.
The new book, "The End
of Innocence" is being
widely acclaimed. 1t deals much
with the era in which his father
moved, and because of the in
terest it has aroused, we print
herewith a typical review by
Ralph McGill, distinguished At
lanta writer. Mr.. McGiIl says:
In the last year of Josephus
Daniels life he came to Warm
Springs, Georgia to speak before
the little white house where
Franklin D. Roosevelt had died
and where he had made his win
ter home. The occasion was the
dedication of the house and area
as a state park.
A special train came from
Washington and I boarded it at
Atlanta. 1t was just at breakfast
time. Because I had loved and
respected him for a long time l
sought out compartment ''B" and
Josephus Daniels. 1 found him at
that moment trying to fix the
studs in his always immaculate
linen shirt. I knew, too, that his
shoes were not yet tied. Old men
Of IS often leave those things to
the last. Without saying as much
as by your leave 1 did the studs
and then knelt and tied his
shoes. For me it was sort of
symbolism as well as Boy
Scout good deed. I thought then,
as now, that he was the greatest
Southerner and one of the truly
great Americans.
There was sense of bitterness
on the train. The tides were ris-
ing against Harry Truman and
the New Deal, and many DEM
ocrat in the Senate and House
had found excuses not to be on
the train. It was already becom-
ing questionable in some quar-
tiers to be a Democrat, though to
be sure there always have been
those who held that opinion. But,
there was no expressed bitter
ness in Compartment 3D." At the
speaking" following the dedica-
ton, his voice was the only sure
one raised. He alone seemed to
know what he really felt and
what needed saying: "Only
the already lost can think
of our future as besieged d.
we need not be the captive
of our fears We have more
to give than to guard Our
powers are not weapons but tools
with which to build the promise
of democracy into the purposes
of mankind -"
recall that I, sentimentalist
who inherited from the Welsh on
my mothers side no ability to
sing, but only moods and the
ability to weep at high emotion
al moments, walked back to the
edge of the crowd to hide my
eyes. / can hear his voice yet
the voice of a mani born before
Lincoln's funeral-the voiceof
man whose own Unborn faith had
been tempered by the association
with William Jennings Bryan,
with Woodrow Wilson and with
Franklin D. Roosevelt-and the
fires of the revolution they
made. 1t was, and is, a
peculiarly American revolution,
made without guns, but with the
consent of the people. And all
these, Bryan, Wilson and more
See DANIELS, Page Four