The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-03-03
FUNERAL DISCOURSE
in the M. e. Church al
Pulaski, FEB. oath, 1881,
Over the Remains of
JOHN BATEMAN SMITH.
BY REV. W. M LEFrw1cH. D. D.
'eFriend after friend departs
Who has not lost q friend!
There is no union here of hearts
That finds not here an end"


JOHN BATEMAN SMITH was borl
in Nashville, Tenn, April 8, 1843
His faith err, Joel NJ. Smith, was 10
many years a prominent an'
+ wealthy man and is well remember
ed by the old citizens OF Nashville
JOHN BATEMAN SMITH Was reared
educated and trained to business il
that city under con ditions of luxur,
and ease. In 1868 he went TO Fay
etteville, Tenn, and began life fol
himself. serving for some time a.
&Deputv County Court Clerk. Ii
May, 1869. he married Miss -Gabri
leila McC.Drd, daughter OF Samue
H. McCo'd, OF Fayetteville, sooI
latter which he became editor of tn
Lincoln County News. He ther
came to Pulaski and was on TIL
PULASKI CITIZEN for a time. Ii
1872 Mr.. Saul H. McCord, his ia
ther-in-law, purchased the Tullaho
ma Independent, of which Nj
smith became the editor. In the
spring of 1878, in compliance with
petition OF the people of Fayette
vile, they moved the Independe3i
rom Tullahoma to Fayetteville, ano
Is pane was changed to the Fay
stteville Express. He was on the
Express 4 OF years, first and last
While editing the Express he was
elected clerk of the Committee on
. Gains of the lower house OF Con
sress, of which the Hon. John Nj
bright was chairman. He served
his committee for nearly four
years. Resigning this clerkship. be
resumed his connection with the
Fayetteville Express, where he re-
NAMED until the beginning of last
year, when he and Laps. ID. McCOrd
purchased The PULASKI CITIZEN
His editorial connection with the
CITIZEN and the energy and ability
he put into it are known and read
Of all men; and the high positio
and esteem which he had won re
best sttested by the large concourse
'of citizens of all classes here to-
day to express their grief and loss
There are two things we can
never measuTe-the extent OF a
mans influence. especially If he be
Ia man OF psychic force-and the
reflex influence Of his history and
upon his character.
I'VE must leave the unmeasured cir
conference of q mans Influence to
the reckonings of history and Prov i
|Iuence, while we give attention to-
The lessons Of character evolved
from the recited biography of our
departed brother.
Character is not evolved from the
neither does it as i
simulate everything that enters into
the composition of a mans ilie.I
That which. in the character
strikes all men alike and compels
instant recognition, eve from srran- /
gers, must be fundamental and es
|sential. In our departed friend the
first thing that the stranger woulnI
recognize was that JOHN BATEMAN
SMITH was a gentleman. That his
character was founded upon the
Instincts and impulses of q gen 1
leman. He was a gentleman by
40 artificial restraints aud culture,
nor was his high toned bearing-
, the gentlemanlv reserve of which
forbade foolish ,freedom--carved Out
I of any conditions OF social pharl
.seeism-but were inherent In u ma
ure out of which the highest hero
ISM of knight errantry could havo
. been produced, and in which chris
tian civilization made a cultured
gentleman This gentlemanly char
acter had many elements and ex
pressed Itself through many pei
Sunal and social virtues. 1t made
aim generous to a fault and opene'
s nis heart aud hand TO all need.
made him despise everything low,
and gross, aud narrow, ana mean.
and put him in lively sympathy
with whatever was just and right,
8 good and pure, high and holy. HIS
presence and spirit lIberallzed AMI
.levated the thoughts and feeling
Sof others, aud enlarged the heart to
more generous view of humanity
These virtues OF his gentlemaniS
character were chasteDed BY the b.,
est sensIbilities and enriched by
high poetic sentiment, TO which was
added vivid imagination. VIM
ne occasionally INDUCED his poetl,
sentiment In verse, nls readers nav,
zbeen charmed with the rich ADD rar
gems of poetic thought which,
sparkled in the prose narrative OF
81 ;ommonplsce affairs; especially sc
when his rich humorous vein re
ieemed the prose and enlIvcned the
4columns with wit and wisdom
The highest order of poetry may
not be found in rAy thmic verse.
As a Journalism he possessed .
discriminating judgment which 1t
ssenual to success. Edit RS, as 8
general thing, deserve more credi
for what they keep out of their pa
pers than for what they put in them
land to determine what to accep
and what to reject, requires dis
terminating judgment OF the high
est order. An editors waste bas
keI dem ands more courage than HI
compositor; especially so, il tn,
editor is fully conscious of hu
great responsibility, as was tn,
case conspicuously with Mr.. SMITH
Much mischief comes OF the ta1
that men have not a sense of re
sponsibility equal to their influence
Not every man is so balanced aaC
safe. The man of power is danger
ous when his power is not unde
the restraint OF an enlightened sens
of responsibility equal TO his influ
euce. Mr.. Smith was so painstak
ling in his work that he ofte
seemed Flooding. lie was restraine'
and made careful by n high sense o
Responsibility. Between the hsr
drivings of necessity and the insp
ration OF n".le ambition, tn
strain upon h. high strung ou
delieste COT situation was too grea
*Under it he fell-a hero to principl
and q martyr to duty. May Mt
Journalism have its heroes and ma
#tyrs? Why not?
/ have often seen and heard th