The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-01-31
NJ EMORIAL SIN yIoES.
The Late VIM R. Barksdale.
Ia ahe House o. Representatives.
Wednesday, IAN. ga. 1871.
speech Of Hon. ,. G. Hall.

" SPEAKER:- II would b. false 10 ms
>eii, ana Use To the meinory OF the Illus
Z trious dead, II | shoaid permit this occasion
4 - pass without pax ing some tribute u TIE
i patriot and statesman wIiO-e loss i TO -dav
/ - sadly AMI forcibly impressed nioii orr
i minds aud heats. Sir. when the wires
/ flashed 10 this body in intelligence Of IN. f.eath
I 9f william X Bark~dale. they brought n
ine s"ni' thing more than the ,rr5w y IIicIi
I Il Is the minis eff people when ore OF
/ the trusted leaders j. stricken nv d.atI, !.
and II : not Is public man. as a SI8tc,-
man. or as a NEE lawyer and orator thar |
! would speak OF him. Let others wrea{ h..
/ laurei- about the marble SHAFT w ,irIt shall
be1r ht' name and tell his life; / ONLY drop
I upon tis new Eia1e grave the simple ivy
Leaf fit eri bIem of friendship which clings
with faithful tenaeity TO his memory. Ht.
| was my fri"nd Reared In the same county
Wiete most OF his life was spent familiar
with the associations which garherc
around Ills early days; watching his bril-
liant career as he went coward and up
ward; and, of late years associated With
him ~ warm and friendly intercourse. and
seeing hlm III the learned professional which
he WAS an hOn0red mem Der, | had learned
not only to know and admire the splendid
capacities of the man, bur to appreciate and
love that inner life which made his heart
tue nome Of warm and generous emotions,
and his bearing noble, upright and true
1t may be truly said that the real nature
OF our deceased associate was only kno IN
ana appreciated by those who enjoyed init
mate intercourse with him Indced he WAS
not untreqHentiy thought. by those who iii
not know him well, To be cold and distant.
Never was there greater mistake. Ills
scholarly habits, his absorbing interest H.
his profession, his intellectual intensity, all
combined to prevent the cultivation of many
friendships; but the limited number who
enjoyed intimate connection with him We're
drawn to his heart with hooks OF steel; =
for beneath the polished exterior of the
lawyer and scholarly man, there lay great
heart throbbiug with noble emotions and
goiEg out in sympathy and kindness
To every obj ct worthy of lis regard. !
IL was this which made him tea
der husband, a devoted fathc., the very
sun and centre Of a happy domestic
circle, the genial com paniOn and
answering friend of those who knew and
loved him well. Especially, Mr.. Speak
CT, do l remem Der. as | have just cause 10
do. the proof which he ever gave OF his in |
nate kindness OF heart by his treatment of
the younger members of the pro ession OF
which he was himself SO brilliant and dis |
tin gui=hed an ornament; and here, from
my place on this floor, and as a lawyer |
younger than he, desire, for myself aud |
others who have felt the stimulus of his !
kindly ord, To pay tribute to thaJ goo : |
ness which never refused us a smile. or a
word OF encourage menl, when our need OF
cheer was sorest. Such | believe To be tn" |
feeling cf the junior members of the bar |
not only where he lived, but throughout the !
entire section where he achieved 50 much |
legal aud forensic fame. To them he was /
never cold and never indifferent; but while |
aching with one hand to the heights |
above him, with the other he sought to /
raise and draw after him those whose youth /
and experience made tn II progress up !
the sleeps of fame and learning slower aud |
more difficult than his. With al! such, his /
memory, redolent OF the perfume OF kindly /
words and kind!ier deeds, shall remain to |
be sacredir 9Gd tenderly cherished.
Yet another evit nee OF the true, warm |
heart which beat ia tia bosom OF hlti |
whom we now mourn, is found in the aHec- |
tfonate esteem in which he was held by the |
people whose public servant he was.
Sir, it has been said that
"They who ascend the mountain tops shall
find
The loftest peaks most wrapped In clouds |
They WHO would conquer or subdue man
kind.
Must look down on the lrate of those below. |
But it was n6t so with William Il. Barks- |
dale Though ne had already attained
heights from which he might have looked /
down upon his humber fellow citizens, no !!
false pride dimmad the luStre of his char |
aeter and no hauteur clOuded the bright |
ness of his career. jealousy guarding the |
RIGHTS of those who trusted him. carefully |
connecting 70 FL courteous consideration, |
he diSarmed Suspicion secured respectful |
regard ana held to the last 2 place in the |
affections OF his countrymeu- Ihey kneW
his reserve TO be that of the scholar ana |
statesman. not that of a naughty and arro- |
gant spirit; and when he died, from every |
hill aud dale there poured forth llVIh% |
stream of people. es.2-eye ed aud heavy heart
ed, to look their last up6u tie lace OF him,
who in life had been their trusted leader. !
their tried friend, the watchful guardian OF /
their dearest rights.
Unt,mely fate! Struck down in the full |
meridian Of glorious manhood, win az
his b!ushing hotoTz chick about him,
he lies the prey OF the tonG. - Is another |
solemn warning to Us who linger.
ssIeavcs have their time to fall,
And flowers to wither at the north winds |
breath.
Aud stars to pale; but all,
Thou hast all seasons for thine own, oh, |
death =
But come when it may, to whom it may, |
it shall net come to a more gallant spirit, |
nobler heart, a tFueT nature, more bril- |
liant mind, a more sincere. honest upright |
gentleman than William Il. Bari sdale
Ills fame is part ofthe history ofour State
On her historic page, and mingling with |
the traditions of her people. lt shall 90 |
down tEe ringing grooves of time; and
in the hearts Of those who knew him here, |
there shall ever be spot green with the
the memory of other days, and Barksdales
name pprenniallv shall bloss) m there.
Peace tS his ashesl Let us believe that his
spirit has winged its flight 10 that bright
cline
.sWhere Love shall put off, in the land OF Its
birth,
The eta,aS it had gathered in this,
And Hope the sweet singer that 9laddened /
the earth,
Lies asleep on the bosom of Bliss"