The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-02-21

=
In response to tile toast, ssrhe President
OF The United States, = Or. a. W.. Rogers
spoke substantially as follows: se.la
am happy to respond to tho sentiment,
! so complimentary and SO worthy the great
STATESMAN from Tennessee not because
he is a Tennesseean oniy--nO- yet BECAUSE
he has done what he could for the South,
| bnt because he is the President Of the Uni-
| ted States
True, this splendid assembly - witty,
learned and highly intellectual, is COM
posed of Southern nien--i, too, am o South
ern man--stood at your side all through
the storms Of battle, and vept when ! saw
your flag go downt but is it manly to re-
pine Is it not god like to forgiveq We're
there not brave, and true, and patriotic
men on the other side Can we not accept
the issue and lock onr shields for the fn-
ture glory Of our country For my own
part, 7 honor the true soldier, who siicri-
iced all for what he believed to be right,
whether he enlisted on the Kennebeek or The
Rio Graade. Il can strike palms with him
and meet him as brother and whether
Mr.. johnson were for us, or against us, he
is nop oar Presidentk His career has been
long and ardaons nothing has been denied
his lofty ambition. The shades ara falling
about him, that must envelope MS all; and
like stately Roman, he shall soon draw his
mantle around him and lie down TO rest.
But, perhaps, II should not sadden this fes-S
tive occasion with such gloomy reflections.
will tell you an anecdote of him, which
at once illustrates his strong common
sense and his wonderful tact in debate ;z2Hz1
When running for Governor of Tennes-
see, he found in the Hon. Gustayus Henry,
a lineal and worthy descendant of the i'm
mortal Demoethenes of Virginia. On one
forget the splendid, glowing oratory of
Henry. His Imagination had wrapped
him in blaze of glory. IL could almost
be felt. He seemed to gather n prophets
blazing mantle about him and walked
the stage, more a demigod than man. His
audience were dazzled, entranced, bewil-
dered by his splendor. Finally, accusing
Mr. johnson of voting against a bill for the
benefit of widows and orphans OF ISL, he
concluded by laundering out, IN the
triumph of his oratory, SCOTS well known
lines;
Breathes there a man with soul so dead go
Who never to himself hath said, o-isl'tf
This is my own my na tive, land Ian d. 81
+, E To the vile dust, from whence he sprung, si ~
~ Unwept uphonored and unsung.9 1iif 8 ~.
Johnson's friends felt that ne could never
recover. The shouting applause continued
long after he rose. But there he stood, like
some bold promontory defying the sea.
The rnmult subsiding, he commenced.
~ have listened, feilow-citizens, with de-
light, as you have, to the poetic speech of
my worthy opponent In truth, / love
poetry. ] ai,rags loved poetry, but unlike
nay gifted and aristocrafic competitor, /
was bound in early life, poor boy, as you
know, to the trade of tailor, and never
learned much poetry-I never learned but
wife, and l love TINT poetry still. 1t was
this:
/" If you want the gals to love you-
t5st4 S$a Want ,enr TO love yon trsc-. -t@ @
Come down to Andys tailor shop .ls saey
And git 'ein long1tsl blue - ia
The tide was turned. The crowd kept
shouting, and when they cooled, he eon-
tinuedy in deep, sonorons voice.. clay
ing now answered the poetic speech of my
eos,ifTy ~ His victory was complete. -
! have said, gentlemen, that former foes
should now be friends and this was taught
me by an enemy. ~
just as the war clos ed, when its retir-
ing tkunders were yet heard, and walls of
anguish, and the curses of revenge were
still lingering on the air, my old class-mate,
and Princeton "chum, y General f. p. Blair,
gave me some letters to General Candy,
and said referring TO monumental church
/ was building to the Southern dead) "al-
though I cannot justify them in taking up
arms against their country, yet such men
as Stonewall jackson, Cleburne and Lee,
for their constancy, courage and endurance,
in doing what they betfereG to be right, de-
serve to be hoRored and remembered ~
Yes, Mr.. President, and gentlemen, it is
most honorable to our whole country to
admit their greatness. What shall it ever
be said that the. President of the United
States gathered together the resources of
the whole world to conquer n few p0ftroons
and coWarfss! No, sir let us tell orr
children, North ahd-Sonth, that the United
States could have been resisted so long
only by the giants of Earth, and that-YIen
they fell the world trembled while itsho1t=i
Ell = Their glory is the heritage of the
North as well as the South, and as a bright
face hers, reminds nie of some poetry, like !
Johnson's, which I~[wrote when Capt. \
Semmes first returned to Mobile after he
lost the Alabama, I will repeat them:
Nor shall children wonder at Greek Persian story
hen We tell them of that narrow pass reulgent still
with glory
But strck with admiration they shall gaze from sea to
sea,
Upon million graves and sob .T7ssrnopaLs - ~ !
Percbance viii cry, transported not this their only
boast
For thas meteor flag went flashing by every foreign
Went aashing there t4umpbant, on the mighty deep
Is1t terror Ia M fe,,e,, ~, ia $50 a., a. a.