A Great Negro Legislator
Wilkes Carey was horn in slavery, lie was
black as llie Ace of Spades, bul was an able»
legislator, a great statesman anil a patriotic
North Carolinian in every sense of the
phrase.
О
CONSISTENCY, dar am a
jewel ! Mv heart is saddened
and torn by the knowledge
that there are men of the white race
in this General Assembly who would
la* so untrue to themselves and the
great State of North Carolina as to
vote against the noble Zobulon Baird
Vance.”
Meet Wilkes Carey, slave-born
Negro, eloquent orator, forensic de¬
bater and worthy citizen, whose hum¬
ble heart and patriotic spirit were
never spoiled by political honors!
The name of Vance had
1н*еп
pre¬
sented to the Legislature for election
to the United States Senate. There
were white men of his own party in
that General Assembly who wanted la
defeat him. The Negro who bad
promised on every stump in Caswell
to never cast any vote to hurt his be¬
loved county was keeping good that
promise in rising to the defense of
Zebulon Baird Vance.
A Great Representative
Ex-Sheriff and cx-Clerk of the
Court Bar/.illai Shuford Graves and
cx-Supcrintondont of Public Instruc¬
tion and ex-Clerk of the Court George
A. Anderson, both of whom personally
knew Wilkes Carey, toll me that Cas¬
well County lias never bad an abler
or more patriotic representative in the
balls of the legislature. He wag black,
but lie was honorable; be was a Re¬
publican, but be was a statesman; he
was u freed slave, but the bu rated
bonds bad not separated him from af¬
fection and respect for the white man
who had been bis master; fame and
power did not rob him of bis humility.
He proudly east bis votes for Zch
Vance and Matt Ransom, in the con¬
sciousness that be was last serving
his County anil bis State.
George Anderson tells me that in
statute, profile and bearing Wilkes
Carey strongly resembled Jefferson
Davis, llis philosophy was that of
a Booker Washington — before Booker
was known.
Ваг
Graves tells me
that in eloquence, logic and political
commousense Wilkes Carey has bad
no superior in Caswell in bis lifetime.
By TOM HENDERSON
Wilkes Carey was by trade a black¬
smith, but lie “took to education" and
was one among the first — if not tin*
first — Negro schoolteachers in Cas¬
well. bolding a certificate under grant
of my own father, a “County Ex¬
aminer” before the day of "Superin¬
tendent of Public Instruction.” He
taught no social equality, much less
inflamed the hearts and incited the
minds of Negro youth; he was imbued
with a desire to help his race to find
a place in the new order of things,
in the knowledge that it was unpre¬
pared for freedom’s responsibilities.
A Fair Trader
An incident in the political life of
Wilkes Carey best portrays the
character of the man. Tin* Democrats
of Caswell wanted badly a representa¬
tive in the Constitutional Convention,
and picked for that high honor their
illustrious leader, able lawyer and la-
loved soldier. Col. Eugene Benton
Withers. His elevation to that im¬
portant post was out of the question,
without the help of Republicans, most
of whom were Negroes and wholly
within the control of Wilkes Carey.
The Negro statesman cheerfully made
a trade with a considerable number
of white Democratic leaders, the terms
being that Wilkes would give
«100
Re¬
publican votes to Colonel Withers for
200 Democratic votes for himself for
the Legislature -n trade that Wilke*
did not need to assure his election.
George Anderson tells me that Wilke-
kept his bargain absolutely, while, be
it said to the discredit of many of
the white men who made the bargain,
they flickered and failed to deliver.
Ваг
Grave- told me some years ago
that on the eve of an election, when
two representatives were to In* chosen
from Caswell, Wilkes suggested to the
white men of the conn tv that they
pick a white Republican, since be did
not want Caswell to be represented
by two blacks. The generous sug¬
gestion of the black politician was ac¬
cepted, and the whites chose the
honorable and wise Squire Thomas
Salterwhaite Ilnrrison, of Dan River,
who bad the respect of men of both
races — a man to whom Governor
Holden tendered the responsible job
of “personal representative” in the
“Kirk- Holden war." I have hereto¬
fore related that Harrison declined
and recommended Joint Marshall
Wooding, of Milton, who told the
Governor he was “not hankering for
the job," after he bad been assured
lie would have the backing of
Governor Holden, the State Militia
and President Grant, ‘‘because you
and the militia will be in Raleigh.
President Grant will 1«> in Washing¬
ton. and I’ll Ih* in hell with mv throat
cut !”
Could Get Heated Up
Wilkes Carey was a Chcstcrficldisin
in politeness and was usually calm
and unrulHed in moments of stre—
and excitement, but on occasion vitrol
and lava |>oured from bis honcy-
eom l*cd throat. In a Republican
convention in Yanceyville n Negro,
One John Daniel, according lo George
Anderson, dared to defy and defame
him, in caustic speech. Rising to de¬
fend himself, Wilkes Carey stretched
bis tail, lithe body in the dignity of
statesmanship, and proceeded to flay
bis antagonist in cutting language,
opening with this burst of oratory:
“My God. My Fellow-countrymen,
lie’s done shook the bloody flag al
mo!”
lie was imbued with a genuine de¬
sire to be of service to bis county
and to hi- State. It was an entirely
unselfish service.
This being so, it is only tilting that
the ability of Wilkes Carev Ih* roeog-
nizod, even at this late date, and that
he be given his niche in North Caro¬
lina’s hall of fame ns one who served
his State with honor and did every¬
thing within hi- power to advance it-
progress.
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