Newspapers / The Weekly Standard (Raleigh, … / Sept. 7, 1864, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE flOKlii ; , THE NEEDLE. The gky befles of fashion mar boast of excelling 'tn wait or cotillion at whist or quadrille ; . And seek admiration by tauntingly telling 'OT flrawing, and painting, and muscial skill ; . $$ut give me. the fair one in country or city. Whose home and its duties are dear to her heart, Who cheerfully warbles Bome rosticaj. ditty. While plying the needle with exquisite art, The bright little needle the swift flying needle, The needle directed by beauty and art. If love have a potent, a magical token, A Ulisravj ever rosistless and true , A charm that is never evaded or broken, A witchery certain the heart to subdue . 'Tis this and his armory never has furnished . So keen and unerring, or polished a dart ; Let beauty-direct it so pointed and burnished, . And oh I it ia certain of touching .the heart Be wito, then, ye maiden's, nor seek admiration By dressing for conquest, and flirting with all. You never, whatever your fortune or station, Appear half so lovely at rout or at ball, As aHy convened at a work covered table, Each cheerfally active and playing her part, , Beguiling the task with a song or a fable, And plying the needle with exquisite art TitE CHRISTIAN RELIGION: Extracts from .an Address, delivered he fore the Philanthropic .and Dialectic Societies, at Chapel Hill, Jane l&th, 1833, iy the Hon. Geobge E. Badger. With tho opinions which I entertain, I cannot conclude this address without call ing your attention to another subject, which, as it is the most important to you, onght not from any deference to the ca price of fashion, to be omitted here. I wish to nrge upon yonr consideration, the claims of the Christian Revelation. Unless grounded upon this, every system for the government of life must not only be incomplete bnt radically defective. It is this only which gathers into one, and invigorates with the energy of a single controlling motive, all the detached rules of eon d net, and gives harmony, strength and beauty to the whole. That yon should in theory reject it, or oven be skeptical touching -the truth of Christianity, is not readily to be supposed. Such a state of mind, if it exist, is probably no more than a youthful vanity of opposition ; and . yet it is dangerous and onght not to be indulg ed. Opinions, for whatever purpose as sumed, wiien often expressed, acquire a certain influence over the mind ; and when supported with the zeal and anima tion of frequent controversy, although at first solely to signalize dexterity in argu ment, at List grow into a habit of thought nearly akin in its effects to actnal belief;. At all events, the sacrifice of sincerity to a love of display or desiro of triumph, can not but hay an unhappy effect upon the characters-diminishing ' the regard for troth, and the ability to discern it. But the rejection of Christianity, or even scep ticism concerning it, can be only the re sult of want of consideration. - Let me, then, urge upon your a diligent examina tion of the grounds of our faith: It fears, it need fear, no ; examination, however strict, which is full, fair and intelligent.;- Such an examination, it ia not too much to say, will result in entire conviction. But those who reject, do not generally ex amine ; or, if any examination be made, it is after the rejection, and chiefly with a view to confirm the previous decision. To men unaccustomed to investigation, and either obliged,, bylncapaeity, or inclined by indolence, to take their opinions from others, such conduct may be natural ; but the great principle of true philosophy is to submit to reason, to subject every matter to careful inquiry, and to judge of every fact by its proper evidence. Had this rule of good sense, adopted in every de partment of science, been applied to Chris tianity (as in all fairness it ought) univer sal faith must have been the consequence. Bnt it is much easier to cavil than to rea son ; a laborious deduction from particu lars, thongh a sure, is a slow process for the discovery of truth ; and hence a ready and compendious method has been adopt ed, to dispose of Christianity, without tron ble to investigate its evidence or consider its claims-- Arguments a priori (if argu ments they may be called) have been brought forward; ingenious criticism, su perficial learning, and above all, delicate ridicnle for the refined, and coarse ribaldry for the vulgar, have been made the means to unsettle the faith of men canabla of hot ter things ; while, all along, the question of Christianity, as a question of fact to be tried by a fair and dispassionate examina tion of its proofs, has been overlooked or forgotten. Hence, at times, it has been fashionable to speak, or at least to think. of our religion as the fit solace of old wives and ignorant, mechanics, but little worthy the attention of the learned and oolite. Hence, with too many, it has become fash ionable to reject this religion ; a religion, which, for eighteen hundred years, has exerciseu a controlling innuence over the aflairs of mankind ; which, with all the evils mace to accompany it, by the vice and folly of its professed votaries, has, by its own energy, elevated the character of man wherever it has come : which has enbdued the"vioIence. enlarged the benev olence, and increased the happiness, of ine unman race ; winch lias numbered amongst its friends and -supporters those most uieiuiguwuea ror iiign mental endow ments ; and 'which proves itself worthy of all acceptation, by the pure and ele vated morality it teaches a moralitv. which, though often sought for, the wit of man could never discover, and yet, when disclosed, . is .found to bo so exactly adap ted to the wants of our race, that we won der it was not discovered bv tha first seeker, a morality whichno uiaii can fail to perceive, if nniversallv firantwarl wrmld at once banish moral evil from the-world, - cuuer -yuysicai evil inconsiderable, and restore the golden age of virtue and hk piness to mrrod. A religion, so ancient and so benefaciatlyjuflneiuial so attested and so recommended, is not, without great JVi!y and gtullj to bo rejected without iu Miry ; with inquiry there is little fear of its rejection. Let.it be tried either by its external proofs, its internal character, or the number and value of its testimonies tojtstrijth; and ft will manifest itstitlo to a beaVenj!y.Jr ieql ashamed, that any department of science were entirely unknown to yorj, and yon wonia Diusn to own, uiacow a mn.ry . question of mere curios! tyyoa had rtjec- j ; ted, or- adopted, any hypothesis without , examination. How, then,T ean you be jos ; tified in a neglect of this inquiry ? It has.; every thing to rouse' a generous curios . itv. to excite a deon interest, to OCCiVPV a 1 . i - capacious intellect. . - - No man who thinks, can fail to observe, much in the jeeno of things iround him, to produce uncertainty and disquietude. Upon the stage ... of life, men. --appear and disappear, with littlo apparent reason for their coming or departure, beyond the con tinuance of a 6pecies, for whose continu ance no sufficient motive seems to exist. We find -ourselves hastening on, like oth ers who have prece'ded us, full of hopes, eager with desires of distinction and hap piness, and with an ever-increasing ratio of rapidity, rushing through .the, journey of lite. . Meantime, , we are surround ed by a world containing almost inde finite subjects for speculation and in quiry ; within, we are conscious of pow ers to explore . it of a desire of knowl edge, to prompt the research ;: and we see in it the occupation for many ages of all our capacities Yet pur existence here 19 so short, and oven that short period is 6f distracted by. the, necessary demands p. our animal nature, that the whole seentK incongruous- 6eeme designed to disappoin : this natural desire for knowledge, and t--. render fruitless those vast powers of at tainment. What. then, is this deatli, m which onr'sliore in this great umvers seems so soon to terminate ? does it indeet annnl our Tjowers. and send thern m Uiu very infancy of their existence into anni hilation ? or does it only transfer us to oth er scenes, where, in. somo other modifica tion, these powers are to exist, and tinu employment ? If so, where ? and how ? L theso inquiries, when triily made, the hear is not only interested, but anxious. A con scionsness of ill-desert will arise upon our thoughts, and we tremble to commit our selves to Him, who, wo feel, has a power which none -can control a rigbthi! au thority which none can call in question. Upon what principle, we ask, will ho exert his power ? what are his character and din-' position I Can we trace his wonts i Has He made any disclosure ot them for onr in formation ? These inquiries of an anxious being, .the Christian religion assumes to solve. Sho announces herself as a mes senger from Heaven she declares that you are immortal, and offers to you infor mation of the means by which that immor tality may be rendered virtuous and happy She promises, upon the authority of Henv en, to remove your fears most reasonably excited by a just snse of delinquency ; to confirm and strengthen you in all good ness, and to bring you to everlasting life.' Sanctioned as her pretensions are, they surely deserve investigation. He. who should refuse to examine the grounds . on which the JNewtonian system of the uni verse depends, and persist in the belief that the earth is- a stationary plain, and the sun a daily traveller ".over Its surface would justly be considered irrational and absurd ; yet ho who rejects Ulinstiamty without inquiry, is a madman, compared with whom the other may be considered discreet and sober. The former rejects indeed a theory of the universe, establish ed to all intelligent inquirers upon sure demonstration : but it is to him of little importance : his virtuo and happiness, here and hereafter, may be enectually secured without the discovery or belief ot tlus sys tem. The hitter, having every thing at hazard, madly resolves to take no step for securing it : and when the truth or false hood ot this religion involves such tremen dons consequences that all other truths sink into insteniicance, he devotes his whole attention to the latter, and declines an exertion to satisfy lumselt of that on which h'ra all may absolutely depend. One thing is clear, the man who adopts this conduct has little claim to the charac ter of a philosopher. If,thefl,thi3inqntry has no! already been uiauc, wuu ine zeal unu uuigenco-WHICH aa jrir i i its importance demands, let it now be com menced,and daily prosecuted to its termina tion : tor ho who has not settled this ques- uuu .ur iiiuHuu, 19 not prepared eitner to live or uie. us not deceived dv anv no tion that your present existence beinsr in definite, the inquiry may bo safely post poned. 11 you were certain ot life (a cer tainty which cannot be obtained! the post ponement would little correspond with the uiciaies 01 wisaom. it is evident, that those things which are most important, should be first attended to besides, in this case, the present is of all season th most desirable for prosecuting such an in - quiry, vvnen you snail be immersed in business, or devoted to pleasure. neitW 1.1-- .. . .. . . ... - iue opportunity nor desiro wi nfren mnr and but still moro rarely, both together ; auu it suohiu dc remembered, that it is an inquiry lor which time, and th. ught, and leisure are necessary ; and how shall .these be commanded amidst the bustle of activ life ? Act, then, with your wonted intelli gence, ano now commence, and vigorously pursue this most interesting investiffation. It is a noble one ; it" has already occupied the powers, and expanded the understan dings of those who, in moral and physical science, are your teachers and the teachers of the world, aud with whom, it is no dis paragement to scepticism to say, the most elevated of her votaries cannot comrftr. How absurd, how preposterous, then, that tho young, the ignorant and the nrofkne. shonld presume to overlook, or contemn as unworthy to engage their attention, that science which the world's masters in knowl edge loved to explore and honor, from whoso pages they drew the choicest intellec tual treasures, and by whose -precepts thev sought tor purity of principle, and correct ness 01 me ana manners ! To such a peur ile conceit, such a miserable, affectation, such a baee degradation of intellect, J flat ter myself no one here will descend. Butit is not sufficient, that its proofs should be examined, and its truths upon enlightened conviction admitted Chris tianity requires the surrender of our selves to its autuont'. The mere be lief of its facts, however clear and wel grounded, is nothing jf that belief remain a pwre .barrenpfoposition in the nnder-' standing; a speculation only of the intel lectual, man,' arranged in theind 3ti .other tpSba of Bcionce. . Ta .s!b.- a des.ti-inatiow- OhristjteiW. cannot sumitiier' heavelyprigijs gifyes .her the tfght'to de ! mnd wftier-iladl, a jrofobndiw.honTr Tot mult realize that tbS system of our religion immediately concerns -oanelves: thatit3 teachinea.- reproofs, warnings and cornmanda rt8" directed 'to each : one of you; ana .jnat, as trnjy. s J mevoiuiuw containing therdi were airecny aaaresseu to him by name. Your belief must be operative 'and influentialmust' "tend to wards the heart, and. incline yon 10 regu late yonV life by its precepts ; otherwise, its truths will no .more affeet favorably yoar condition ,than those of Algebra or geology. i! . . " I fear, mv vouhff friend,; there is some thing Pearly akin to shame associated with tho thought of thus acknowledging Chris tianity ; and though you are willing, from whatever motive, to pay a decent external homae to a religion professed by your countrymen,. yet it is with a sort of pro5- testation, generally understood, sometimes even expressed, against its being suppos ed that you" take any serious interest jn its doctrines or its precepts. 1 fear that. you. would look upon the imputation to yotKof Berious-piety, as a reproach, and the. desti- while you still intend, when you leave the world, m some way by no means - accu rately understood, because but slightly considered, to be saved by the Christian s , God ; to. be acknowledged at yonr utmost need.by him, of whoin, throiigliou't life, you were in truth ashamed Mymeds, if there be indeed any .such feeling at yonr hearts, pluck the base thought away, and remember that this faith holds ont promises,- not to modes of dying, but solely to modes ot Jite ; that you must, rums, ac cept.or reject it, with all the consequences which Heaven has authoritatively annex ed to your determination.' Accept, I be- soecli you, that religion ; and now, even now, begin to frame your lives by its pre-' cepts. It will exert a salutary influence ' over the whole moral character ; what is good will bo confirmed; what weak, strengthened ; what evil, corrected ; what defective, supplied ; . and you will find yourselves thoroughly furnished to every good word and work. The duty of gaining here, and improv ing in after life, the rudiments of knowl- - edge, which I have, upon inferior motives, set betore you, will, under the teaching ot religion, assume its true character of high er consequence. Yon will see, in. your present opportunities, the gifts of a great benefactor, who, as a judge, will req nil e. an account of his benefactions, and with tho most evident equity, demand improve ment in proportion to your talents ; who, while he graciously considers every . bene fit conferred upon your fellows by yonr agency, as conferred upon himself, will .likewise consider a disregard of what you owe to yourselves, to your countrj', to your friends, as ingratitude for his kind ness, apd contempt jptiijfl anthpnty-and will punish it accordingly. Christianity will stop in and shed her in fluence over yonr duties as citizens ; she will teach you submission to the powers that be, not from the fear of present pun ishment, or hope of temporal reward, but because those powers are ordained ot Hea ven. Should you, at any period of politi cal agitation, bo pressed with ingenious disquisitions which you may not be able to disentangle and refute, you will inquire to .wjiai course or conduct these disquisi U0118 are intended to prompt you; and if you find the issue will probably be' either an idle gasconade, or armed resistance to the laws, yon will ask yourselves, in what part, of your religion is found the command, or the permission, thus to threaten or re sist the government of your country? bhould you be taunted with your obedi ence as a degrading submission,, yon will reflect, that obedience is not dictated in particular to man, but is the necessary condition of evejy virtuous creature in the universe; that universal good can only.be secured by a voluntary submission to eve ry appointment of Him who comprehends all events by his foresight, provides for all by his wisdom, and brings to pass what he determines by a power which cannot be resisted ; that no such, thing as a right of capricious action can'exist in the nniverse ; that thoso, everywhere, who command others, if virtuous, do, in the command-it-seif, but themselves obey that he that saith to one "go and he goeth, and to in other come and he cometh. and to a third do this and he doeth it," is himself, in all this, "a man under authority "-that the commencement of sin is the first omission to obey; and that, wherever we are and whatever wo doj whether we dispose of our goods or our time, or receive Qnrea, or repose or labor, or' live or die, we are pursi ed by our Creator with the irresis tible claims of a rightful authority.. ThereflSins will not only put to fligwTtf-iuggestion of. disgrace: they will do more ; they will teach you the hon or of obedience. Raising your conten plat ions upwards, yon will perceive my riads of intelligent beings of diversified gifts and attainments all happy and glori ous, and possessing, this character -solely from the principle of unlimited obedience' . and you will see it as a necessary truth, that this happiness and glory must cease with this obedience. Your hearts will glow, while you contemplate this glorious .-assemblage continually tending, in moral and intellectual beauty,, towards that in ' finite perfection, which they cannot' either roach or approach un'to,.bfigh'teniug.mere . and more throughout the ages of eternity with ever-increasing splendor and virtue; while, immeasurably above them, remains forever the eternal source of glory apd hap piness, shedding abroad of its fulness upon the universe, and. springing up in them to eternal lite, ; ; ,If these thoughts were, often in our minds, and had a resting place in our hearts, how would our pride be rebuked, that fruitful source of onr ills! -We should feel, that obedience only is suitable and safe for us we should desire to obey, and when the heart is once engaged in behalf 01 auty, cavns nave lost their power. Under tho influence of this principle, yoa confmetfcetfirdonrse of dbedV ir, ond tm ft honor, here, in vour days of pupilage. You will be -punctual m yfror Observance 01 every n nothing will be too diflcnlUo b pertoroi ed, noting so minute as to be ;forgotten. This iwble habit you wUi:rry with you into the active business ot me. xnere you will dUy learn; wisdom and practice yirtue will both adorn and dignity every, relation you may bear in pubh and do mestic life ; and death will ' only transfer ypu tb a higher scene, where the virtuous principles, the 'cultivation" of which will na"ve been here, commenced, shall be pro-, .secated with nobler powers and complete sucjeesft, and where tlie day of eternity shall see you at once glorious and humble, obedient and happy forever. ' Retiring of Mr. Macon. :i Philosophic in his teiuperament and wise in his conduct, governed in all his actions by reason and judgment, and deeply imbued with Bible images, this virtuous and patriotic man' (whom Mr. Jeffer son xalled " the last of the Romans ") had long fix ed the. term of bis political existence at the tge which the Psalmist assigns for the limit of manly lh: "The days of our years are threescore years aid ten ; and if by reason of strength they be foor Sflpxe years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow, .ft it iff soon cut off, and we ny away." He touch $Hbat age in 1828 f aud, true to all hif purposes, he was trueHQ bis eBolv in this; and . executed it with the Quietude an indifference of. an ordinary transaction. He was in the middle of a third Sen-, ateriahterm, and in the' full "possession of all his faculties of mind and body ;' but his time for retire ment had come the time fixed by himself; but fixed upon conviction and for weH considered rea sons, and inexorable to him as if fixed by fate. To the friends who' urged hint to remain to the end of his term, and who insisted that his mind was as good as ever, he would answer, that it was good enough yet to let him know that be ought to quit office before his mind quit him, end that he did not mean to risk.the fate of the Archbishop of Grenada. He resigned his Senatorial honors as he had worn them meekly, pnostentatioosly, in a letter of thanks and gratitude to the jQeneral Assembly of bis. State ; and gave to repose at home that in terval of thought and quietude which every wise man would wish to place between the turmoil of lire and tne stillness or eternity. e naa nine years of .this tranquil enjoyment, and "died without pain or suffering June 29tb, 1837,-cbaracteristic . in death as in life. It was eight o'clock in the morning when he felt that the supreme hour had .come, had himself lull dressed with hts habitual neatness, walked in the room and lay upon the bed, by turns conversing kindly with those who were about him, and showing by his conduct he -was ready and waiting, but hurrying nothing. It was the death of Socrates, all but the hemlock, and in that full faith of which the Greciad sage had only a glimmering. He directed his own grave on the point of a sterile ridge (where nobody would wish to plough,) and covered with a pile of rough flint stone, (which - nobody would wish to build with.) -deeming this stertility and the uselessness of this ' rock the best security for that undisturbed, repose of the bones which is still desirable to those who are indifferent to monuments. In almost all strongly-marked characters there is usually some incident or sign, in early life, which shows that character, and reveals to the "close ob server the type of the future man. So it was with Mr. Macon. Bis firmness, his patriotism his self denial, his devotion to duty and disregard of office and emolument; his modesty, integrity, self con trol, and subjection of conduct to the convictions of reason and, the dictates, of virtue, all so steadily ex emplified in a long life, were all shown from the early age of eighteen, in the miniature representa tion of individual action, and only confirmed in the subsequent publiqi exhibitions of a long, beautiful, ' and exalted career. Heas of that age, and a student at Princeton -college, at the time of the Declaration of American Independence. A small volunteer corps was. then on the Delaware. He quit his books, joined it, served a term, returned to Princeton, and resumed bis studies. In the year 1778 the Southern States had become a battle-field, big with their own fate, and possibly involving the issue of the war. Brit ish fleets and armies appeared there, strongly sup ported by the friends of the British cause ; and the conquest of the Sou;h was fully counted upon. Help waa needed in these States ; and Mr. Macon, quitting college, returned to his native county in North-Carolina, joined a militia company as pri vate, and marched to South Carolina then the thea tre cf the enemy's operations. He had his share in all the hardships and disasters of that trying . time ; waa at the fall of Fort Moultrie, surrender of Charleston, defeat at Camden; and in tne rapid winter retreat across the upper part of North Caro lina. He was in the camp on the left bank of the Yadkin when the sudden flooding of that river, in the brief interval between the crossing of the Amer icans and-the coming up of the Britub, arrested the pursuit of Cornwallis, and enabled Greene to allow some rest to his wearied and exhausted men. In this camp, destitute of every thiog and with gloomy prospects ahead, a summons came to Mr. Macon from the Governor of North-Carolina, requiring him to attend a meeting of the General Assembly, of which he had been elected a member, without his knowledge, by the people of hie county. He refused to go: and the incident being talked of through the camp, came to the knowledge of the General. Greene was a man himself, and able to know a man. He felt at once, if -this report wan true, this young soldier was no common character ; and determined to verify the fact He sent for tho young man, inquired of him, heard the truth, and then asked' for the reason of this unexpected con duct this preference form suffering camp over comfortable seat in the General Assembly f - Mr. Macon answered him, in his quaint and sententious wav. that his had seen the facet of the British many times, but had never seen their backs, and- meant to -stay in the army till he did. Greene instantly saw. the material thisvoung man was made of, and the.' handle by which he was to be worked. - That mate rial was patriotism ; that handle sense of duty; and laying hold of this handle, he quickly worked the young soldier- into a different conclusion item - - the one that he had arrived at. He told him he could do more good as a member of the General Assembly than as a soldier ; that in the army he was but one man,' and in th General Assembly he might obtain many, with the supplies they needed, by showing the destitution and suffering which he v - had seen in the camp ; and that it was his duty' to go. This view of duty and usefulness waa decisive. . Mr. Macon obeyed the Governor's summons; and by bis representations contributed to obtain the supplies which enabled Greene to turn back and . face Cornwallis, fight him, cripple him, drive him. further back than he had advanced (for. Wilmington is south of Camden,) disable him from remaining in. the South (of which, up to the battle of Guilford, he believed himself to be master ;) and sending him to Yorktown, where he was captured, and the war ended. The philosophy of history has not yet laid hold of the battle of Guilfqrd, its consequences and ef fects. - That battle made the capture at Yorktown. The events are told in every history ; their connec tion and dependence is none. It broke up the plan of Corhwallis in the South, and changed the plan, of Washington in the North. Cornwallis was to subdue the Southern States, and was doing it until Greene torned upon him at Guilford. Washington was occupied with Sir Henry Clinton, then in New York, with 12.000 British troops. He had formed the heroic design to capture Olinton and his army (the French fleet co-operating) in that city, and thereby putting an end to the war. All his prepar ations were going on for that grand consummation when he got tho -news of the battle of Guilford, the retreat ef Cornwallis to Wilmington, his inability to keep the field in the South, and his return north ward through the lower part of Virginia. He saw his advantage an easier prey and the same re sult if successful Cornwallis or Clinton, either of them captured, would put an end to the war. Washington changed 'his plan, moved rapidly upon the weaker General, captured him and hi& 7,000 men ; and ended the revolutionary war. - The bat tle of Guilford put that capture into Washington's hands tand thus' Giiitforcf and Yorktoyra became connected ; and the philosophy of history shows their dependence, and thai the lesser event was f.th.r in th heater. The State of North-Carolina lationthw fol-4vrheraJ Greene 2&0Q0 acres of western land your' direcforiMj pr fSitrdayyworkj now. worth a million ef dollars ; twt tneaay Hsett naa not yes ouuuuou. irface ia' American history. - The military hfe of Mr: Ma$on finished with his departure from; the camp on the TadKuKapd his civil public life commenced on his arrival aV"e General Assembly, to which be had beejj summon edthat civil public life in which he was continued above forty' years by free electious--representative in Congress under Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madisoii, and long the Speaker of the Jfouse : Kpimtnr in (1an?ress under Madison. Moffroav ana John buincv Adams : and often elected President of the Senate, and until voluntarily declining ; twice. refusing to be Postmaster General under Jefferson ; never taking any omce our. to wnicu ne was curv ed ; and resigning bis last Senatorial term when it was only half run. But a characteristic trait re mains to be told of his military life one that has neither precedent nor imitation (the example of Washington being out of the line of comparison :) he refused to receive mw. or to accept promotion: and served three years as a private through mere devotion to his country. And all the long length of his life was comformable to this patriotic and disinterested beginning: and thus the patriotic principles of the future Senator were all revealed in earl v life, and in the obscurity of an unkpown situation. Conformably to this beginning, he re fused to take any thing under the modern acts of Con gress for the benefit of the surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolution, and voted against them all saying they had suffered alike,, (citixens. and military,) and all been rewarded together iw.the establishment of independence: that the debt to the army had been settled by pay, by pensions to the wounded, by ball-pay and land to tne omcerp ; that no military claim could be founded on depre ciated continental paper money, from which the civil, functionaries who performed .service, and the farmers who furnished supplies, suffered as much as any. On this principle he voted against he bill for Lafayetteagainst all the modern revolutionary pensions and land bounty acts, and refused to take any thing under them (for many were applicable to himself.) . . , , - Hid political principles were deep rooted, innate, subject to no change and to no machinery of party. He was democratic in the broad sense of the word, as sienifrine a capacity in the people for self gov ernment; -and in its party. sense, as in favor of a plain and economical administration of the federal government, and against latitudinarian construc tions of the Constitution. He was a party man, not in the hackneyed sense of the word, but only where principle was concerned; and was indepen dent of party in all his social relations, and in. all the proceedings which he disapproved Of this he gave a strong instance in the case of General Hamil ton, whom he deemed honorable and patriotic ; and utterly .refused fo be concerned. in a movement pro posed to affect him personally though politically opposed to him. He venerated Washington, ad mired the varied abilities' and high qualities of Hamilton; and esteemed and respected the emi nent federal gentlemen of bis time. He had an affec tionate regard for Madison and Monroe ; but. Mr. Jefferson was to him the full and perfect exemplifi cation of the republican statesman.. His almost fifty years of personal and political friendship' and association with Mr. Randolph is historical, and in dissolubly connects their names and memories in the recollection of their friends, and in history, if it does them justice. He was the early friend of Uen. Jackson, and intimate with ' him' when he was a Senator in Congress under the administration of the elder Mr. Adams ; and was able to tell Congress and the world who he was when he. begin to astonish Europe and America by his victories. He was the kiud observer of the conduct of young" men, en couraging them by judicious commendation when be saw them making efforts to become useful and respectable, and never noting their faults. He was just in all things, and in that most difficult of' all things, judging political opponents, to J whom neveuM oe nw-wrewgfTinT merely m wora or act, but in thought He spoke frequently in Congress, always to the point, and briefly and wiser ly ; and was one of those speakers which Mr Jef ferson described Dr. Franklin to have been a speak er of no pretension and great performance, who spoke more good sense while he was getting up ont of his chair, and getting back into it, than many others did in long discourses ; and he suffered no reporter to dress up a speech for him. - He was above the pursuit of wealth, but also above dependence and idleness ; and, like, an old Roman of the. elder Cato's time, worked in the fields at the head of his slaves in the intervals of public duty; and did net cease this labor until advancing age rendered bim unable to stand -the hot sun of summer the only season of the year when Sena torial duties left him at liberty to follow the plough, or handle the hoe. I think it was the summer of 1817, that was the last time (be told me) he tried it. and found the sun too hot for him then sixty years of age, a Senator, and the refuser of all office. ' How often I think of him, when I see at Washing ton robustious men going through a scene of sup plication, tribulation, and degradation to Obtain of fice, which the salvation of the soul does not im pose upon the vilest sinner t His fields, his flocks, and his herds yielded ah ample supply of domestic productions. A small crop of tobacco three hogs heads when the 6eason was good, two when bad purchased the exotics which comfort and necessity required, and which the farm did not produce. He was not rich, but rich enough to dispense hospital ity and charity, to receive -all guests in his bowse, from the President to the day laborer no other title being necessary to enter his bouse but that of n honest man ; rich enough to bring up bis family (two daughters) as accomplished ladies, and marry tbem to accomplished gentlemen one to William Martin, Esq , tbe other to William Eaton, Esq., of itoaiioke, my early school fellow- and mend for more than half a century ; and, above all he was rich enough to pay as he went, and never owe a dollar to any man. He was steadfast in his friendships, and would stake himself for a friend, but would violate no point of public duty to please or oblige him, Ot this bis relations with Mr. Randolph gave a signal instance. He drew a knife to defend him in the theatre af Philadelphia, when menaced- by some naval and militarv officers for words spoken in de bate, and deemed offensive'to tb&r professions ; et,. when tne speaker of the uouse ot Representatives, he displaced Mr. Randolph from the head of the committee of ways and means, because the chair man of that committee should be on terms of po litical friendship with the administration, which Mr. Randolph had then ceased to be with Mr. Jef ferson's. . He was above executive office, even the highest the President could give ; but not above the lowest the people .could five, taking that of justice of the peace in his ounty, and refusing that of Postmaster General at Washington. He was op posed to nepotism, and to all Quartering of his con nections on the government; and in. the. course of his forty years' service, with the absolute friendship of many administrations and the perfect respect of am nc never naa office or contract for any of his blood. He refused to be a candidate for the Vice Presidency, but took the place of Elector on the Van Buren ticket in 1836. He was against paper money and tbe paper system, and was accustomed to present the strong argument against both in sim ple phrase, that this was a hard money government. made by hard money men, who .had seen tbe evil of ' pa'per money, and meant to save their posterity from it He was opposed to securitysaips, and held that no man ought to be entangled in the affairs of anoth er, and that the interested parties alone thote who expected to find their profit in the transaction sheuhl bear the bad consequences, as well as enjoy the good ones,- of their own dealings. He never called any one "friend," without being so; and never expressed faith in the honor and integrity of a man wiinout acting up to the declaration when the oc casion required it Thus, in constituting his friend Weldon N. Edwards, Esq., his testamentary and sole executor, with largo discretionary powers, he left all to his honor, and forbid him to account to any court or power for tbe manner in which he should execute that trust . This prohibition was so char acteristic, and so honorable to both parties, Vd has been so well -justified by the event, that I give it in his own words, as .copied from bis will,-to wit: "I subjoin the following, in my own hand wri ting, as a codicil to this my last will and testament, and direct that it be a part thereof that is to aay, having full faith m the honor and integrity of , executor above named, he shall not be held u 7 count to any court or power whu, V charge of th trust confided by me to him i,! ujr luregwug will. And the event has proved that his iudem.nf always-committed no mistake when it bel ! ftat confidence. He had bis DeculiariI.row1 cracies. if any one pleases but they wer Cn" " om wusuiuung a part of K character, and necessary to its completeness 1? never subacrilMd to (ttwritiaa kni . U according to his means the left hand not kiw '7' what the right hand did. He never subswihJi .8 sew books, giving as as a reason to the soli,;,;;" agent that nobody purchased his tnhuvw. ..... wiicinn. waa injmAntad t And h jvmiM Knv t. i . ' It had examined it He would not attend the Conor' Prooiilantial flaiunia nf lfWLl .ill. u :l vuorl r-.--i - . . -J Until ha - - "-1 .uuugu it wag xur to nominate -am own vuiuce, (nr. Urawford i) Mid, wnen a reason was wanted, ne gave it in the bn f .owe. "."- -..w.v. um, mm mey cheats him, and he had said that he would never attend another. He always wore the same dress th. to- say, a suit of the same material, cut, and color superfine navy JWue the whole uit from the sml piece, and in the fashion of the time of the IU i . tion ; and always replaced by a new one before it i showed age. He was neat in his person. !. wore fine linen, a fine cambric stock, a fine fur W with a brim to -it, fair top-boots the boot outsid! of the pantaloons, on the principle that leather wu ' Stronger than cloth. He would wear no mttfi honors, and when complimented on the report nn the Panama mission, which, as chairman of tbe committee on foreign relations, he had presented to the Senate, he would answer, "Yes; it is a. good report; Tazewell wrote it" Left to himself ha was ready to taKe tne last place, and the lowest seat any where ; lut in his representative capacity he would suffer no- derogation of a constitutional or of a popular right. Thus, when Speaker of th House, and a place behind the Presidents ries had been assigned him in some ceremony he ' disregarded the programme; and, as the elect of the eleet of all the people, took his place next after muse wuuui me national vote had elected. And in 1803, on the question to change the form of voting for President and Vice President, and the vote wanting one of the constitutional number of two-thirds, he resisted the rule of the House which would make a tie, claimed bis constitutional right to vote as a member, obtained it,' gave the vote, made the. two-thirds and carried the amendment And, what may well be deemed idiosyncratic b these days, he was punctual in the performance of all his minor duties to tbe Senate, attending its sit tings to the moment, attending all the committees to which he was appointed, attending all the fune rals of the members and officers of the Houses, always in time at every place where duty required him r and refusing double mileage for one travel ling, when elected from the House of Representa tives to the Senate, or summoned to an extra ses sion. He was an habitual reader and student of the Bible, a pious and religious man, and of the " BtiptUt ptriuaiipii," as he was accustomed to ex-pref-s it ' - I have a pleasure in recalling the redSliecfions of this wise, just, and good man, and in writing them down, not without profit, I hope, to rising genera tions, and at feast as extending the knowledge of the kind of men to whom we are indebted for our independence, and for the form of government which they established for us. Mr. Macon w-as the reat Cincinnatus of America, the pride and orna ment of my native State, my mentor in the first seven years of my Senatorial, and the last seven of of hiB Senatorial lile ; and a feeling of gratitude and of filial affection mingles itself with this dig charge of historical duty to his memory. Mr. Benton' Thirty Year VUto. BY THE GOVERNOR OF NORTH-CAR. olina! A Proclamation! Wiubias, it is reported to me tbat manv soldiers from the truops of this State have deserted their colors and comrades, and are now lurk ing in tbe woods and mountains, soma of them Kiibsistinf by forcing tbeir friends to violate the law by aiding tbem, and oibera by riolent deoredationa udod oeaceable citizen. entailing iliaou and obloquy upon tbemselres and their posterity, outraging the laws and the peace of society, and damaging the cause of tbeir hard pressed country. And wbereas, (ien. Robert . Lee. in General Order No. 54. Aug. 10th, 1861, has promised to deal leniently with all wbo promptly -return to duty, though they may have incurred tbe penalties of desertion by Drolcmued ab sence without authority. Now, therefore, I, Zebulon B. Vance, Governor ef the State of North Carolina, do issue this jny proclamation, urging most earnestly upon all such' . misguided men to wipe out from their usee respected names the font stain of desertion by promptly retiirninf to tbe post of dirty in accordance with said General Order. No. M, promising to all such wbo voluntarily return or surrender themselves to the proper authorities a full and free pardon, or tbe infliction of only the wildest penalties of the military law, except those Who bare been guilty of capital felonies against tbe live and property of the citi xens, and this promise shall hold pood for thirty days from tbe date hereof. And I hereby warn all snch who refuie to comply with these terms tbat the utmost power of tbis State will be exerted to capture them ur drive them from- tne Doraers or a eouutry wnose aign honor ana spntictt renown they disgrace by refusing to defend, and tbat thr extremest penalties of the lar will be enforced without exception- wben caught, as well aeogaioat their aiders and. abetters ia the otvtt cevrts. - Simultaneously with this proclamation orders mil issue to the enure militia of tbe- State to torn out fur their arrest, and I hope by timely submission they will spare me the pajiiof bunting down like guilty felons many brave and misguided men who have served tbeir'eoontrr well and could oV o egain. Lfeaeriers from other States who hida in onr woods and' assist in giving our Stales bad name, I can do nothing IoTr but to the erring soldiers of North Carolina I confidently appeal. . And 1 earnestly call on all good citizens to assist me in mating mis appeal eneciuai, pom ny :teir exertions, a tnilitia soldiers ana tbeir influence as men, to teke-uaina- V seek out all deserters of their acquaintance, put- this, proclamation in their. bands, or in the hands of their rela tives and friends, and nrge upon tbem to return to th h of duty, which is alone the path of safety and honor, f every good and loral citizen Would set about to reclaim or capture one deserter by every means in his power, he- would succeed and be wrll nave rendered a most valuable and patriotic service to his Slate and country. - Civil mng istrates are alone exhorted to be. diligent in proceeding against all such as violate the statute against .harboring,. aiding or abetting deserters, and warning is hereby givva- last in aH cases wbere eitner civil magistrates or mum or home guard officers refuse or neglect to faithfully per form tbeir duty in tbn respect, upon proper evidence sun mitted to me, the EaeCotive protection extended to them nader acta of Cunarresa shall be wilbdrawu. as I cannot certify that officers civil or military, who refuse to per form their duties, are ' necessary to the due administration of tbe laws,'' which i&e.v will not execute Given under mv band and the great seal or tne- Htata, at Kaleigh, this Kith day of August,. T 1 V XKCV. 4J. U. I By the Governor: A. M. McPhsktxu, Private Secretary, fit Urn. August 25, 1814 . 49 2w. t3T All Doners in the State will eonrand send bill to- Executive oihee, dailies one week, others two weeks. SECRETARY'S OFFICE,) Raleigh, Aug. 25th,. 1864 f td at tbia office until MONDAY, the 2th of Septem ber, 10 furnish a snf&eient quantity of , WOOD for the nse of the State, in the Capitol, during the eniuinf winter and spring. The wood to be sound oau ana icsnri " livered and measured in -the wed house, on the tap.'U grounds, from time to time as required, and to be cut mte suitable lengths for tbe several lircplaeea. ' " bidders wili state the pric per cord at which they win furnish it. ' ' . ' . Tbe riirhl of rejecting bids not advantageous 10 w State ia reserved JNO. P. U. Kliasv Secretary 01 swj . fer-tember 1, 18M. ' ' .M , . Ef Progress, Confederate, and Conservative please- copy till day. HsORGIlUM SEED WANTED' SEVERAL THOUSAND BUSHELS WANT- ed, for which 1 will pay the following prices : te Cleaned seed, per bushel, . ,. ? Sewl in broom, (5 inches stalk.) pen g-jy ' Baleigh. N.'O. September 1, 1881. ji-wAawlmpd. S' TOLEN FROM ME OK THE 30Ti y Atfll boy uauvd JIM, wno waa oounu v....rf imo n wait carried oo. by his mother, Mary Ann Bass, aodher husband, Jowr Uass. She has boeu liia near Flat River, Orange Coun ty. The last I heard fi them they were making their way back to that locality. will give fifty dollars for Jim, or his confinement ia Jail so that I get bim sgam ; and dollars more for the. apprehension and dliery of tbe 1 saw. Mary Ann and .Win &a. or twenty-five do Iters for either of them. John. Bass sometimes calls himself John fcvans. His wife ia badly crost-ered Any information win r thankfully ceivd. T$'$. Aug. Sfc. 1864. 43 nXSWAX AKD TALLOW i m ues roi pre fa- ..i if) m
The Weekly Standard (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 7, 1864, edition 1
2
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