Thomas Lanier Cliiiginan
Ho was a great statesman, sc holar, soldier
and scientist, and it's a pity that more peo¬
ple in North Carolina aren't acquainted
with his many contributions of service.
By W \I,TI:K ("PETE") HI ItPIIY
AMONG the ninny peaks of the
Hlack Mountains in tin- region
l of tin- boundary line between
North Carolina and Tennessee there
is a commanding summit pointed out
to travelers as ‘‘(‘lingninn's Dome."
It stands as the only recognized me¬
morial to Thomas I-anier Clingman.
a North Carolinian whose attributes
and achievements have contributed
richly to the history of the state and
importantly to the destinies of science,
industry, and economies without
recognition until this day other than
that signified by Olingman's Dome.
Clingman was a native of Hunts¬
ville. N. C., then in Surry County,
hut later to become a part of Yadkin
County. His first recorded claims
to special attention came while a
student of the University of North
Carolina, where as a member of the
class of 1832 he established a record
for scholarship exceeding any that
bad been made there until hi* time,
and possibly not equalled since.
This academic distinction is made
the more remarkable by the fact that
the class was one of extraordinary
endowments and included a number
of outstanding scholars. One for ex¬
ample, was James C. Dobbin, of Fay¬
etteville, who was to become later a
member of the State Assembly, and
S|»oaker of the House of Representa¬
tives, a member of Congress, and
Secretary of the Navy. Another was
Thomas S. Ashe, one of the most re¬
nowned and best loved citizens the
state lias ever boasted; n member of
the U. S. Congress, a Senator in the
Confederate Congress, and a Justice
of the Supreme Court of North Caro¬
lina. It was in such company as this
that Thomas I- Clingman merited the
citation given him by Governor Mont-
ford Stokes who, upon presenting
diplomas to the graduate* of the class
of 1832, addressed Clingman in these
words: "Mr. Clingman, 1 wish
especially to congratulate you. The
record you have made hero i* astound¬
ing. It discloses that von have stood
first in all your classes from your
entrance to the hour of graduation,
and this in an exceptionally brilliant
and studious class; this record lias
never been achieved by any student of
the University; it augurs well for your
future."
And augur well it did. for Cling-
man’s earevr was one of a series of
distinguished acomplishincnt*. After
graduation he went to Hillsboro,
where lie secured permission from
Mr. W. A. tirahain (Inter Governor,
U. S. Senator, and Secretary of the
Navy), to road law, not a.* a student
under Mr. Graham, but as one who
dug the law from the Imoks by him¬
self. He passed the bar examination,
moved to Surry County, opened an
office and became a practitioner. Ho
was sent to the legislature as u un-in hor
from Surry, t ho same year.
During the autumn of 1836, in¬
fluenced by the prospects of groat de¬
velopment of transmontaine North
Carolina, through the proposed con¬
struction of the Charleston and Cin¬
cinnati Railroad, the charter of
which had been secured, Clingman
moved to Asheville, which was on the
proposed line, and from then on made
Asheville his home. Circumstances
arising out of a proposed change of
route compelled the call of a conven¬
tion to consider the issue. The con¬
vention met in Asheville in September
of that year. The dispute involved
choice between adherence to the plans
first adopted, or the substitution of
another route to cross the mountains
much further west, and traverse a
part of North Carolina recently ac¬
quired from the Cherokee Indians,
with a meagre white population and
practically no developed enterprises.
Clingman was an active champion
for the original route, and his activi¬
ties and abilities were conspicuous in
tin- discussions. Tt was in this con¬
vention lie first displayed his power
as an orutnr, n power which remained
with him throughout his life. During
the convention Colonel Robert Y.
Havne, the president of the proposed
road, and an earnest opponent of the
change under discussion, was attacked
by a fatal illness and died during
the session, whereupon the convention
adjourned to mod in Columbia, S. 0.
In December, the convention met
and Clingman was a delegate from
North Carolina. The question of
route coming up, as was expected, he
championed the views of Colonel
Hayne with great force and eloquence.
Mr. Mcmmingor of South Carolina,
later a member of Jefferson Davis’
cabinet, ably and urgently advocated
the other side of the question, appeal¬
ing for a line which passing close
to the residence of John C. Calhoun
would be a high compliment and just
tribute to that great statesman. Cling-
