Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-04-07
Grafton by Hon. Henry W. Hilliard,

The following Grafton was delivered be-
fore the St. James NJ E. Church Sabbath
School, Augusta, Georgia, October 20,
1865: afi 2 ''4'
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN We are as.
sembled here within these consecrated
halls to pay tribute to the memory of
the dead We do not come to offer our
congratulations to the living; nor to
swell the pomp of triumph that greets
the conqueror. '"A .~-
Ii is one of the ,noblest instincts of our
nature that prompts US to honor the mem7
ory of the good, brave, and the generous,
From the earliest ages it has been custo-
mary to inscribe their names on monu-
ments, and to hang garlands on their
graves yFI4sE
Especially is tribute due to the mem
ory Of those who have fallen in defense
of their country The death of the true
and the heroic always awakens our grief
and our sympathy But when the spirit
of selfsacrifce impels to danger and
death, we find it impossible to withhold
our admiration Our noblest faculties
are appealed to, and we strive to per
petuate the memory of the fallen martyrs
to humanity.
Pericles, the ilustrious Atheniap,
whose genius shed immortal glory over
his country; whose craftsmanship ad-
vanced his power; whose heroic spirit
led her brave sons to battle against over
whelming numbers, and whose eloquence
so moved his countrymen that they com
pared it TO thunder and lightning, was
chosen to pronounce an .oraton IN honor,
of those who had fallen in the early ypart
of the Peloponnesian war. Standing
before his countrymen assembled to hear
HMM the presence of all what was.
most important in Athens-her scholars
her statesmen, her artists-he declared
it to be a debt Of justice to pay superior
honors to men who had devoted their
lives in fighting for their country.
The sentiment of the great Athenian
animates us all. Those who die in de-
fense of their country fall asacrihce a for
US. No transient glow of gratitude
prompts us to honor their memory. We
recognize it as a debt of justice The
living may wear the laurels they have
won. The dead can receive no reward
for their courage and their sufferings, in
this world, but that which the survivors
decree TO them. si- 4s4
1t is impossible to withhold the tribute
of our admiration from those who toll
and suffer for our race; who yield them.
selves up in the spirit of self-sacrifce for
others. No matter how humble the place
may be that one fills, who bears the bur
dens of humanity, we yield him the in.
voluntary homage of grateful recogni,
ton of nobleness. If with true manhood
he stands firm in the presence of danger,
and confronts death for the sake of oth-
ers. he cannot die in vain. He is at once
a hero and a martyr. The pilot of a
steamer on one of our great lakes, who
stood at his post unshriDkingiy ia the
midst of the tempest of Hame that
wrapped the ill-fated vessel which he
guided-was a hero. So soon rs 1t was
discovered that the vessel was on hre,
the passengers rushed to that part Of the
deck which the flames had not yet
reached. The order was given 20 head
the vessel for the shore. The flames
spread their fury toward the spot where
the faithful pilot stood The vessel was
rapidly approaching the shore. The Cap
tain called out TO the pilot to stand az
the helm for Eve minutes more. he re-
piled that he would And he did.
The flames scorched him, but he did
not yield his iron grasp When the
shore was reached, all on board rushed
for their lives Not one perished. But
that heroic man was seen standing at the
post Of duty, scorched and blackened BY
the FIRE which swept around him with de-