The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-04-02


tIel To be borne to his last resting place
in the soil Of Texas and be permitted to lie
there without monument to mark the
spota What then may the present actors
on the stage anticipate when they too shall
go to that bourne from whence no traveller
returnsip Can the members Of Texas
Legislature be seen moving about in tie
capitol Of the State, within short distance
Of his grave, and never raise their voices IN
behalf Of an appropriation to erect shaft
to mark the spot Of the noble deadG II
so, then indeed have we fallen upon evil
times,
/ lis an implicit satire on mankind"
If not ready now, when win the time
comet Do men grow more generous, as
their years increased
As appropriate to the subject, we repro
duee the address Of Ex-Governor Throck-
morton on the occasion of the delivery Of
the mortal remains of Gen. Johnston by the
committee to whom had been assigned the
mournful duty, and an editorial which APP
peared in the State Gazette, February 9,
1867, then owned and conducted by one of
the proprietors of the STATESMAN. They
are well worthy Of perusal:
BURIAL OF GEN. ALERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON.
The final funeral rites over the remains of
Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, were perform
ed on last Saturday at the Capital. All that
was mortal of him now rests in the State
Cemetery. There his honored dust must re-
main in an humble tomb without monu-
ment or inscription, until the time shall
come when it viii be no crime to erect me-
MORALS, or to speak we'll of the illustrious
dead. That it cannot now be safely done,
we know, nor is it worth while, perhaps, to
speak of these things. The orders of Gem
eral Sheridan or General Griffin are not with
out precedent, and the 1elegraphis mistaken
in supposing them so. Burial rites were re-
fused to the remains of the mighty Montrose,
and his body ~ drawn and quartered. A
British king had the remains of Oliver Crom-
well, the mightlest ruler who ever pressed
the English throne, exhumed from their
tomb in Westminster Abbey, and disgrace
fully and ANONYMOUSLY buried. But his
tory has preserved the memory of these
deeds for no other purpose than to heap its
curses on their authors, and hand down
their names to the scorn of all the coming
ages.
But now, it may not be entirely safe to
treat further of this subject; these things
must be left for posterity. Under the pre-
sent condition of things, we are forciblY
reminded in the celebrated and terrible pas
sape of Chateaubriand, when commenting
on a similar state of affairs in France. he
saws Sin times like these the historian APP
, pears to be charged by Fate with the ven
geance of the nations. 1t is in vain that
Nero triumphs. Tacitus has been born into
the Empire, and already an Incorporating
Providence has handed over to an obscure
child of Genius the glory of the master of
). the world" To time, the great avenger, to
history, the appointed agent of that ven
geance, and to the future, in whose presence
( the righteous retribution will take place, we
commit the case of Sidney Johnston, as
against Sheridan and Griffin. He viii fare
no worse with posterity than has that glori-
Gus old rebel, Montrose, whose bones were
refused Christian burial or that stout old
+ traitor, Oliver Cromwell, whose remains
were thrown upon dung hill.
! After the beautiful and appropriate re,
marks of Governor Throckmorton, publish.
ed in our last issued, the body was taker
charge of by him, and lay in state, In thC
Z Representative Hall of the Capitol, unit
! Saturday at 10 o'clock, under the charge O.
Guard OF Honor, appointed by his Excel
I lency, and composed of the young men o.
3 Austin Soldiers, who had battled bravel!
4 for the Lost Cause" The bier was visited
! by many ladies and gentlemen, and wreath
9 Of cedar, laurel and fresh flowers wefV
q strewed above it. Among the number o
e Inscriptions placed upon the coffin, all Judi
/ l..
ration in which the deceased was held b.
I those who knew him, none was more ex
a pressive or appropriate than the following
It "on Fame's eternal camping ground,
= Their silent tents are spread
' And glory guards, with solemn round,
The biVOuac OF the dead.
The pall-bearers were selected from among
: the oldest and most hOnored of ou- fellow
J citizens. The Governor and State officer
!. were the chief mourners.
3 The Episcopal burial service was read b
~ Rev. J. w. Phillips. chaplain of the Senate
u The choir of ladies and gentlemen, VIII
, kindly volunteered for the occasion, san
= with fine effect two sacred anthems.
+" Nearly all the ladies of our. city weT
n present, and the Hall of the Capitol wa
= crowded.
i The procession was at least half mile i
:. length, and composed of children, OF ladie
- and gentlemen on foot, and also many OIL
: ers in carriages and on horseback. II pfs
y ceeded from the Capitol down Congress Az
y enue, and then by Pecan street to the Stat
:. Cemetery, where the grave awaited its hoT
= ored tenant. There was no sound of bel
7 4or of music heard during the moving of th
procession, though the unheard voices {
= many hearts ehanted the virtues and til
?. valor of the dead. Dr. Robertson, Cap
y William Walsh, and Mr.. Thornton and otht
- gentlemen, kindly assisted in forming tn
:, procession. Upon the Whole, the ceremt
!. - MES were exceedingly impressive, and O
=. y we'll calculated. to paint che scene on tn
81 memory of the beholder, as If there ha
= been parade, programme, the tolling {
= bells, the sound of marital music, and
- well-pronounced eulogy- Silence is soml
~ times more eloquent than words.
" We have not tiIae to give, aswe shout
er ike to do, brief epitome Of the life an
- services Of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston
~ but we do trust that Col. Henry p. Brew
ster. OF San Antonio, who was his intimai
:" friend in life, and rode by his side on ii
y field of shiloh. when he received his deaf
en wound, viii furnish the public with
~ sketch Of the hero. There Is a peculiar Il
81 ness. and, as il were, sort Of histories
~ prophets. in his undertaking the task. B
=. ing compeers and associates in the early hi
~ tory of Texas, his intimate friend IN priva
y life. and afterwards constituting one Of h
u, military family up 10 the time Of his dealt
- he has all the necessary materials at ban.
- and from his elegant scholarship and Eel
~ citous style, we know no one upon who
- the duty rests more appropriately.
TN
- THE GovERNoR's ADDRESS.
- Ga6emea a. tke Csalnisies- The solem
y. duty, imposed upon you by the re-
"a resentatives of the people Of Texas, tn
- You should repair Ia a neiqhbOring Stat'
Is and, in the name Of Texas, receive and col
"a vcy to the early home q his adoption, q
3 mortal remains Of Albert sidney Johnston
ie has been accomplished
81 AS loving friends, aud as honori1g coul