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Entered according to the Act V Congress in the year 1S75, by E. T. FcyHUM, in the Offlce of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington.
VOL. I.-NO. 2.
RALEIGH, N. C, AUGUST 21, 1875.
Pric: 10 Cents.
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EX-GOVERhOR Z. B VANCE.
The subject of tins sketch was
born in the county of Buncombe,
near the seat of justice, Asheville,
in the mountains or North Caro
lina, on the 13th of May, 1830.
His father was a mo?t respectable
merchant. His mother's lather,
Zebulou Baird, was one of the
trusted citizens of Buncombe, for
many years chosen as their repre
sentative in the General Assembly.
, His father died when lie was
-quite young. His mother devoted
herselt to his training with the lov
ing and i ntelligen t care which so
otten distinguish and reward the
women of our land.
Her slender means, however,
prevented her giving him other
education in his boyhood than was
afforded by the country schools, in
which Pike's Arithmetic and Web
ster's Elementary - Spelling Book
were the chief text books. But
young Zebv had an inquiring mind.
He read with avidity every volume
within his reach, and being gifted
with great quickness and a strong
. memory, in big boyhood began the
accumulation of the stores of illus
trations and strong apposite diction
which have made him conspicuous
in his manhood. He had access to
few books, but these were good
one3. A gentleman, fresh from the
senior class ot the University, trav
eling in Buncombe, was amazed at
finding the superior acquaintance
and aptness of quotations from the
Bible, Shakspeare and Scott's nov
els, displayed by our half-grown
and halt-educated mountain bo v.
and twfin
jears Wo predictedL
1 T ' - - - - -
In 185young Vance went ,to
the University of North Carolina,
where he spent a year. He stood
among the first in the branches to
which he devoted himself. He
here began the study of law and
soon afterwards was admitted to
the bar. He made Asheville his
home and soon commanded a fair
share of practice. He early be
came influential with the iury, hu
mor and ready eloquence telling
well on the mind of the average
mountaineer. He tells on himself,
with much glee, the first corapli
men t he received for his forensic
efforts : Zeb, if yon can only get
apast the Judge, I'd as lief have
you as any old lawyer." It was
not Jong before his "getting past
the Judge" was not the subject of
doubt.
Like most young men of active
and ambitions minds, Mr. Vance
went early into politics. He was
elected to the Legislature in 1854,
where he was one of the most prom
inent among the young men, being
an enthusiastic Henry. Clay Whig.
His peculiar powers were not fully
developed, however, until 1858,
when he took the stump in opposi
tion to the late WrW Avery as' a
candidate for the National House
of Representatives in the mountain
district.
This district had once been Whig,
The people, however, were devo
tedly attached to Thomas L. Cling
man, who ior many years repre
sented them in Congress. When
.Mr. CJlingman swung around to
the Democratic side,- he retained
his ascendancy, notwithstanding
ins change of base, carrying the
district in 1857 by 2,000 majority
over His Whig opponent, when
in consequence of being promoted
to the benate, he resigned his seat
1 . - -mm- .
it was generally thought Mr. Avery
a man in strong debate and of influ
ential family, would easily fill the
vacancy. When Mr. Vance an
nounced his intention to oppose
mm, lie was applauded for his gal
lantry, Dnt laughed at for his sup
posed folly. In this campaign Mr,
v ance, tnen only Jis years old, dis
played those qualities ot a stump
orator and leader of men for which
he is now so conspicuous and une
qualled. Quick at repartee, teem
ing with anecdotes, which he tells
with happy humor, able. to pass at
will from mirth moving fun to in
vective, eloquence and pathos, by
his power ot presen ting arguments
and facts in an interesting light,
his consummate tact and winning
ways, "he stole away the hearts of
the people." He was elected by a
majority as large as the year be
fore had been given to his Demo
cratic predecessor.
In the following year David
Coleman, another distinguished
Democrat, measured his strength
with the young "Whig, but the effort
to diminish his majority failed.
Coleman met the fate ot Avery,
and thenceforth Mr. Vance was su
preme west of the Blue Ridge.
In Congress he was an active
and watchful member. He took
sides strongly and labored earnest
ly against secession, at the same
A ; - - y
I :( . J , ' t - 2
' '
i J .
time warning the country against
coercion of the Southern States by
force of arms. His appeals for the
Union in Congress and before the
people, were earnest and powerful,
but when Sumpter was fired upon,
like nearly all the leading Union
men of North Carolina, Badger,
Graham, Ruffin, Gilmer and oth
ers believing in the right of revo
lution, he cast his lot with his na
tive State, and took up arms against
the Union.
Whatever Mr. Vance, does he
does with all his might. He was
one of the earliest -volunteers,
marching to the seat of war, in Vir
ginia as a captain in Mr r. 1861.
It was not long before his promo
tion came, he bavins been elected
Colonel of the Twenty-sixth Regi
ment of North Carolina troops in
August 1S61. He ,w&3 among the
brave fighters who drove McClell an
to hi.s ships in the James, and he
brought - his regiment off safely,
when Branch's little army was
overwhelmed by Bifrn side at New
bern. . He cheerfully shared all the
hardships and dangers of his men.
- He was a faithful and gallant
officer, and civillians and soldiers
united in the demand that he should
be the next Governor ot North
Carolina. He was chosen by an
overwhelming majority in 1862,and
two years later by a similar vote
over the late Governor, W. W. Hol
den. :':!:''-;ii;'.;--'
As Governor of .North Carplina
in those troublous times, Mr. Vance
displayed talents for which even
his most ardent admirers had not
given him credit. Blessed with a
strong frame and hardy constitu-;
tion, lie was able to go through
an incredible amount ot hard work,
mental 'and physical. He exhib
ited administrative and executive
powers of. the highest order. It
became his duty to aid the Confed
erate Government in securing and
maintaining in its armies the mili
tary contingent of North Carolina.
It was likewise his duty, to assist,
as commander in chief of the mili
tia, in repelling invasion of it3 ter
ritory. . jt was his province to exe
cute largely the functions of a war
minister, and when the full history
of the war shall be written it will
took caie that there should be no
skulkers or deserters among those
liable under the .conscript, law, 'he
took equafeare tliat all whoclaim
ed they were not liable should,,
have on their petition arMiri partial
hearing before a judicial t 'licer.
It was by his efforts likewise that
supplies of -clothing and other
needful articles were regularly im
ported from England , through the
blockading squadron at Wilming
ton. All during 1863 and 1864:
the'departure and , arrival of the
Advance were watched for with
breathless interest by the soldiers
of North Carolina, whose wants
the Confederate government could
not supply. And. wherii . the ex
citement during the trial of Wirz
for bad treatment of Federal pris
oners, an effort was 'mado by the
enemies ot Mr. Vance tr connect
him with the sufferings at the Sal
isbury prison an examination
showed that he had Keen active in
alleric-vting
those sufferings. . ; '
During 1861
there snransr u in
North Carolina a reactionary party,
headed by Holden and others, com
posed ot those who despaired of the
Confederacy. But Gov. Vlncft
, n r
took the crround that the power of
be found that he excelled all South
ern Governors ia vigor and ability
in these regards. He kept his State
up to the full measure of its obliga
tion under the Constitution of the
Confederacy. At the same time
he was watchful that there should
be no infringement of the rights of
the State. .
In the midst of the very death
struggles of the war he insisted
that the military should be subor
dinate to the civil powers. It
should be known and remembered
throughout the civilized world that
all during the time, when the Con
federacy wa3 vainly fighting for
life, and when one-fourth of the
State was overrun by contending
armies, the great privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus was never
suspended. North Carolina had
Judges firm enough to issue that
great writ, and a Governor brave
enough to enforce its mandates in
the midst of conscript camps, even
in the lines of troobs drawn ud in
order of battle. While Mr. Vance
1
making peace had been devolved
on that government, and that any
State action would bring not only
disgrace but ruin to the State. He
therefore struggled with unfalter
ing constancy for Southern success
until the surrender of Gen. John
ston to Gen. Sherman.
. He now laid down his high of
fice with dignity, conscious that he
had done his best,, and that the de
feat of his plans was the act of God.
He renewed his vows of allegiance
to the General Government, deter
mined thenceforward to contribute
all that in "him lay to the advance
merit of his native State, and the
dignity and glory of the Union.
He was arrested after the close
of the war, and suffered imprison
ment at Washington on account of
of his prominence in the struggle,
L'ut on examination of his letter
books and other documents it was
found that his conduct in the strug
gle was according to , the fules of
civilized warfare, and the senti
ment of the North being againsl
personal punishment for tre ason ,
he was honorably discharged. -
Gov Vance then returned to
the practice of his profession,
making Charlotto his home.
In 1870 he was elected Senator
ot the United States, but on ac
count of the disabilities imposed by
he 14th amendment to the Consti
ution was not allowed to take his
seat...' ;..'-V
In 1S72 ho has the nominee of
he Democratic party of the Legis
ature for the same high ofiice, but
was defeated in the election by a
coalition between a tew friends of
Judge Merrimou and the Republi
cans, lie received his decrreo of
L L. D, from Davidson Col ! e?o i n
1867.
Governor Vance is a married
man, and has four children. II o is
exceedingly loveable in privata
lite, has more warm personal triends
probably than any man m .North
Carolina. He is an especial favor
ite with those excellent judges of a
kind heart Iadie3 and children.
He bubbles over with fun-and an
ecdote. His mots are " quoted
throughout the State. 'Mlave you
heard Vance's last ?" is a common
mode of commencing a jovial con
versation. Still he does nut neg
lect the serious business of life. Al
though he devotes most of his atten
tion to the study of statecraft and
politics in the larger sense, he pre
pares bis law cases well and is a
first rate nisi prim lawyer. He is
distinguished as a lecturer, and i3.
often called on by literary societies,
and by those desiring to aid charita
ble institniions by receipts at the
door of the lecture hall. His lec
ture on tlie "Scattered Nation,"
delivered in Baltimore, Charleston,
Norfolk and other cities outside of .
Nort Carolina, have won the high-'
eft-.-
a it
r
'O i
x(jjovernor nas iounu nine to
read much on historical, social and
political subjects, and has the power
of presenting his views in an at
tractive and interesting manner,.,
and clothed in strong, sturdy Eng
lish. In his excellent sketches of
North Carolina, of late published
in the Norfolk Landmark' he.
evinces the power of condensing a
great multitude of valuable infor
mation and history within a sur
prisingly small compass. In phy
sique Gov. Vance ia a fine speci
men of manhood a vigorous, live
statesman, and the country will
doubtless see more of him in public
life hereafter.
WHO OWNS A LETTER AFTER
IT IS PUT IN THE POST OF
FICE? On the 28th ult. the Swiss Pos
tal Department sent a cable tele
gram to Postmaster General Jew
ell asking the return (unopened) of
two registered letters of the 20th
and 27th of July, addressed to
Dun can , Sherman & Co., at New
York City. The Postmaster Gen
eral submitted the matter to Judge
Spencer, the Assistant Attorney
General for the Post Office De
partment, and finally to Attorney
General Pierrepont, and, under the
advice of these legal gentlemen,
$ent a reply declining to return the
packages. In a supplementary
letter in relation to the matter, he
informs the Swiss authorities that
the postal laws of the United States
government have bce uniformly
construed to terminate the prop
erty in or control over a letter by
the writer when the letter leaves
the mailing office, and, also, that at
the .( 3ce of delivery the letter be
comes the property of and subject'
to the exclusive control of the party
to whom it is addressed, and there
fore he could not, in the present
case, interfere adversely to the
right secured by the law to Dun
can, Sherman & Co., the party to
whom the registered letters in ques
tion are addressed.
Queen cf 'Artsfemale
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