Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-03
THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER.
Life and Character Of"stone-
wall, Jackson.
Lecture by his bosom friend
DIR. Lacey.

Jackson, his life and character, drew out
a highly appreciative, cultivated and
large auditory TO the Cumberland Pres
byterian Church, last evening.
The lecturer was introduced, at about
eight o'clock, by the Rev. I. d. Wither-
spoon-a plainly dressed, unpretending
gentleman, with couutenance Of rare
pleasantness and openness, and some-
thing in the breadth Of forehead and fire
of eye bespeaking more than ordinary
mentality and intellectual passion. Such
the reader could we'll picture in their
minds TO be the bosom friend and chap
lain of .Jackson-who, perhaps, had
gazed upon and into the life
of that great hero until it had
become to him an inspiration and love.
The reverend lecturer began his ad-
dress by saying that on the 10th day of
May, FIVE years ago, the illustrious spirit
Of Stonewall Jackson left his wounded
body and assembled to the bosom Of his
God. Those for whom he battled unto
death, whose ardent sympathies were
with him in the cause Of Southern indie
pendence, have assigned him to an emf
nent position on the roll Of fame. There
is yet, however, among his enemies much
of Jealousy and prejudice, which may
tend to obscure the lustre of his
genius to day, but the muse of history
will vindicate his reputation and write
with her own hand the name of Jackson
| the first among her chosen ones. 1t fire.
quently requires the assiduous applica-
ton of long life to attain inperishable
distinction. Many can never acquire it,
and others do only at the cost of great
labor, while it is remarkable in the char
acter of jackson that in two years he
reached the acme of fame, and received
the plaudits of an admiring people.
Greatness is Invisible and may be
achieved in divers ways. There is the
greatness of intellect, the acquirementlof
knowledge, from those who have gone
before, and its conservation to the good
of mankind. Suchis scholarship. There
| is soundness of judgment in the admin.
istration of affairs of Government; such
| is craftsmanship. There is the gift of
brilliancy of imagination, the perception
and the love Of the beautiful, by those
who have sung while nations heard en-
traneed Such are poets. And there are
those who in time of war, endowed with
the faculty of welding armies, have led
them to victory. Such is generalship.
And there is still another species OF
| greatness, a pure and elevated morality,
persevering rectitude, and a
fear of God. Such is Christianity.
The lecturer said he could
| not and did not claim for Jackson
greatness in all these qualities of great
| ness. He was not statesmen, not a
scholar in the fullest sense of the word,
he was not gifted with the genius of
Ideally, but he was one Of the great cap
tains of the world. He was great and
a good man. To those who admire with
enthusiasm his military character, in
whose heart burns the ambition to emu
late his achievements-though we would
not have another occasion arise similar
to that in which he distinguished himself
he would say, be as great; be as great
as jackson, and as good. Not all
can be as great, but all can iml-
tate his goodness. The speaker then
said In order that we may fully appre'
ciate the character of jackson as it is
presented to us, it is necessary that we
should sketch those portions of his public
and private life which have most re-
bounded to his honor and distinction;
whereupon he proceeded to trace, from
his remarkable childhood, the life of his
| subject through bis earlier manhood to
the achievements which have iudelibly
inscribed his name upon the page OF his
tory. He followed him from the peace
full home of his orphancy to the Military
Academy at West Point thence to the
battle fields in Mexico, and back to his
native State again, where for awhile he
laid aside his sword and assumed the
peaceful role of professor in the Institute
at Lexington, closing with his espousal
of the Lost Cause, his wonderful achieve
ments in the earlier days of the war,
his rapid rise 10 the rank of corps com
mander, and through every vicissitude of
his eventual career, his deep seated de-
votion to Christianity, leading him to
ascribe to God all that he, as an humble
| instrument, achieved for his country. He
pictured him on bis long, dreary marches
in camp and in saddle-on the plains of
Manassas, among the mountain SHOWS IN
Western Virginia, securing the Valley,
before Richmond, at Fredericksburg, at
Harper's Ferry, and finally, at Chancel-
lorsville-at all times the same invinci-
bic hero and modest Christian gentle
man, having an eye equally to the bodily
and spiritual welfare of those who con-
stituted his little army. And lastly,
| from this graphic review of his military
career, the lecturer passed with apparent
emotion to the final scenes of that great
life.
BE depicted the appearance, the ac-
tons and heroic bearing Of that wonder
fnl uarrinr and Christian on the last day