The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-04-29

t notice Ex-senator Charles w. Jones, of F Il
: rida.
CHARLES W. JONES, U. 8. SENATOR.
The Irish I" bone and sinew of Amer
{ lea will pass into proverb. 1t will leay
its impress on the walls of the great cities;
/, Is already written in water and stone, and j
network Of stretching threads that clas
together the vast oceans of the Pacific an
the Atlantic. From the isle ever fair an,
verdurous, where the seal of modern bar
barism has pressed into dumb despair ,
wonderful people where cries 60 up TO
bread and the hungry are fed with stones
| where labor lies prone by the wayside, ant
hope sits with shackled haDds-these la
borers come, al with the air of freedom or
upnfted brows, energy, industry, and am
bition awakened in their eouIs and Anne
lea grows. Under the Irish, who stood
with folded hands on their lotos isle of the
old world, the new world blooms as gar
den under the skilful touch of busy gar
deners. Ireland has a soul of fire. We
have seen its flames against her back ground
OF misery, in the patriotism of her revolu-
tionists, In the faithful of the martyrs of
her Church, in the wonderous elcquence of
her orators. There is not scene in his
tory in which the Irishman has not PLAYED
part and to- day, in the councils of our
own nation, he stands, power sprung from
the lethargy Of the past into activity of the
progressive present.
From the great body of Americas pub-
Tic men select one, whose honorab'e name
and title heads This sketch. He stands
prominently forth from among the work
Ing clasees-he is their true representative
in the Senate of the United States. He
has reached his present elevation without
adventitious aid, and com binipg within
himself judgment, patriotism, eloouence
and the conscience of an honest man. he
honors his birth place, and adds Iustre
to the glory of his adopted home
10 De greatest one must be, some time,
least Destiny is wise mother. Follow
the devious winding of her thread of
rate ATE , and the way will lead through bog
ana moraes OF Ierplexity, through many
tuue.
cannot forbear to touch upon the pecu-
liar Influences that waited about our Irish
Senator'S birthplace, and hedged in the
cnangtul fortunes of bis early youth. He
was born of peculiar and romantic upion
that between an Irish Englishman who |
1eplored everything Irish, idealized ali |
hat was of England, and was a zealons |
mem Der of her church, and his mother who |
vas intensely Irish, ard profoundly devo-
ed to tie Catholic Church. His father
vas an officer of the British army, and had
Welded and lost his first wife while in
ervlce in India. After his loss he return
a TO ireland, leaving behind him a family
u grown children pose of q consider
BILE property through their deceased mo-
hers estates. His own death occurred
Don alter, Whereupon they called for Ire
heir step brother, in order to rescue him
rom the Catholic influence of his devoted
rlsh mother. She, with the rare deter
lInaton of character that has descended
an heir loom to her son, chung faithfully ,
her Church and child, and fed with him
n .
nth poverty she succeeded in securing him !
trade ana such advantages as our free {
ON can give. At eight years of age he !
as apprentlced to a carpenter and at thir- 1
zen he mpatiently made buckets at fac
Dry In New Jersey. year later destiny {
al lea leo him into Florida, the laod of :,
10 magnolia and the mocking bird. and
% true romance ofhis life had begun. The t
reans OF higher life that had haunted
I'M as ne pnshed his jack-plane at his
ench took shape, and the study of his de-
red profession filed the hours that could >
B spared from manual labor.
In 1857, be presented himself for EXAM
atton for admission to the bar of his State.
t hiH unexpected appearance several of =
10 astonished members of the committee II
'ose and objected to his examination on
10 ground that, as he had pursued his o
udy OF law according to his statement,
ut ak months, it was preposterous to B
oppose that no could be prepared to pass,
ut the Irish boy had his champion. The y
ZEN leader of the bar took up the cudeels al
r the applicant, and declared that the bus R
ess OF the board was not to inquire into the 4
Myth OF the time given to the study IF law, P
1T how that time had been passed and L
@ information acquired. Upon this the G
animation proceeded, and resulted in the =
com mendation of the bodythat the young
udent be admitted; aud this satisfactory
Inclusion was supplemented by the heart
st compliments upon his requirements
d Won erful industry.
From this time forth the young lawyer +
osecuted his profession with honor to =
mself. His practice became one of the
ost lucrative in the State, and home cul-
re and happiness answered to the sig
.l-wand of deserving mans success,
In 1875 he was elected to the legislature
ID by that legislature was elected to the
nited States Senate at the age of fortv n
ars. Senator Jones is of striking person.
4. lbs ls over six feet in height. 2
anding as upright and firm as a granite T.
lumn' He is endowed with a suDer- s,
undance of muscular strength, and in 2.
cry movement there is evidence of per- ..
&c nhVaIcaI 3.