Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-09-18

the bugle sounding the charge when
the host is about to join in the bat
tle."
In early life Maj. Henry read law
with Judge Robinson of Ky, after
wards so greatly distinguished as
the chiefjustice of the state. As a
lawyer he was greatly distinguished
but more as the advocate than the
jurist; his mind could not brook
the toll necessary to become famil-
lar with the multitude of its tech
nical details. He could not scratch
and pick like the barnyard fowl;
the eagles flight suited his nature
and his genius better. But in the
social circle with his brother law
yers he shone without a compeer.
In its ethics, where it's honors and
its graces were to be gathered and
guarded, tive may not find his like
again." Though he often descend
ed to the levities of life, he never
forgot its dignity; though fond of
the ludicrous, it was never at the
expense of the decorous; and though
witty, the honey was always near
the sting, to soOthe the wound it
wrought.
So far we have omitted all refer
ence to the characteristics of our de-
ceased friend as a religious man.
These, though the last in order of
enumeration, are not the least in
the estimation of your committee;
but so sacred are the relations be-
tween the man and his God, well
may we approach this most delicate
part of our duty with trembling, if
not with awe. But to leave this
part of his character would be to
destroy its beautiful and graceful
symmetry, to draw the tree with
out its foliage, the flower without
its petals, the pillar without its cap
ital. Most prominently we would
present it for it's lesson to the youn-
ger generation, that they may see
that even his great mind dared not
stand alone, but in the very fullness
of its power reached out to clasp
the cross and its sustaining faith.
On the 4th of March, 1854, Mai.
Henry was confirmed by Bishop
Otey into the communion of the
Episcopal church. Ever after he
discharged the religious duties de-
volving upon him; as a member of
the veStry for thirty years, as the
,Oni0I warden foI years, he dis
charged his duties as he had done
those that fell to his hand in the
forum and in the senate-earnestly
faithfully, ably, But his was not
the religion that sought the market
places or the street corners for the
discharge of Its offices, but mod
estly, unostentatiously, not to be
seen of men but of God. Those of
us who knew his walks in life more
intimately know that his charities
were many not so often in the high
but in the lOwly places, as was well
and tOuchingly attested by the Draw
ny handed Irish labOrers, at whose
special request the attendants OF the
cemetery company, whose duty it
is to fill up the graves, were made
to stand aside and two of these al.
lowed to cover up his loved form
as II the hand of love could soften
the sound of clods as they fall into
the hollow grave, "dust to dust,
earth to earth, ashes to ashes"
Even as his Master placed the man.
ma in the desert places by night,
that the children of Israel might
eat, so with the unseen hand did
he place the mama of his aims, in
the places made desert by disease
and restitution.
with his services in the confeder-
ate senate may be said was ended the
public career of this great and good
man. The rest was but the fading
shadow of the past, the echo of the
original sound, the dying cadence Of
a song ''that had been sung"
With his speech, heretofore men
toned as made in the senate, his
career closed. This was his last great
speech. Soon after his country fell,
and from the shoulders of the "Old
man eloquent" fell his great mantle,
and no one has been found since who
could wear Il, Let us to-day, wrap
it around him and his memory as 4
fitting winding sheet, for "AjaX is
no more; and no one can bear his
shield or WELD his sword"
We mourn, with no affected sor-
row, his families, our own and his
country's loss.
When the day was young and the
shadowy recesses of his home were
vocal with the songs of birds and
frightened by the rays of the morn
ing sun, he died. Without pain or
struggle lie passed away from life
to death quietly, gently as an infant
on its mothers breast. How fitting
such death to tho man ! All his
life his voice was full of music, tune
full as the birds in the circle of his
home, but when occasion came, high
and mighty as the silver-toned bugle
awaking the slumbering valor of the
brave, Peace! peace be to thy
death slnmhers the peace Of a well
spent life, that guard and protect the
grave, as no barriers of irpp or brass
could ever do, thy name rest in the
ripe and fragrant memory of our
heart. The pen of the future histo-
rian will place it high up in the
annals of your country's history,
The members OF the bar and
portion of the people of the state,
having met in honor of his memory,
do
Resolved, That in the death of g.
A. Henry, a family has lost kind
and love-dispensing head, the coun-
try one of its most useful and emf
neat citizens and the bar its leader,
its exemplar and its dearest friend.
Resolved, That we tender to his
family, especially to his venerable
and venerated wife our sincere and
tendeFest sympathy.
Resolved, That We wear the usual
badge of mourning for thirty days
In honor Of his memory.
After reading the above General
Quarles presented 1t as the report Of
the committee and sat down.
The Hon. James Z. Bailey then |
moved the adoption of the report. |
He spoke of the talents of Major |
Henry as the object OF his admiFas
ton when as mere boy he COM
menced practice In the courts of
Montgomery county, and mention
ed as a circumstance still more
strongly impressed upon his men, !