Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-05-20
Death of the Hon. 3. E. Ferguson.

Sucil DIS ought 10 eAeIclSc II SaiuldFy |
moral influence on his survivors.
Such a man was Robert r. Fersu-
son, and the occasion of his depart
ure ought not to be neglected as an
opportunity for presenting shin
ing exemplar, which, if, as we fear,
it is not likely to be reproduced
among his survivors, can, at least.
furaish serious matter for reflection
on the causes which prevent the
renewal of such characters among
us.
Robert f. Ferguson was born in
Massachusetts,, A. ID. 1915, but Was
taken, by his parents in early life,
to Virginia, where he was educated.
His education completed, he moved
to Kentucky aud soon after TO this
State, in which he had lived the
last forty years of his life. He had
attained literary distinction when
quite a young man, having been the
editor oil papers both in Virginia and
Kentucky before settling in this
State. He was also considered Il
promising lawyer, having studied
in Virginia for that profession. Be-
You'd occasional gratuitous service
to his neighbors however, ne never
devoted himself to the law as pro-
fession.
Soon after his arrival in Tennes-
see, he married Miss Nancy M. Bar
ker, and has ever since been a noted
and highly esteemed citizen of this
(Montgomery) county. He, for
many years, represented his Dis
trict, No. 2, as magistrate in the
County court, in which capacity his
sound judgment and well-knOwn
integrity enabled him to exercise
potent and salutary influence in
the business of the county.
The reputation he acquired in the
County court pointed him out, in
1870, a5 IA tit member for the State
Legislature, in which the most
eminent practical wisdom was re-
quired for the restoration of the po-
litical and financial interests of the
State. The general Reorganization
which had been effected, first by
the events OF the war, and then by
those of the carpet-btg misrule pre-
scented to the Legislature of that
day Il mass of confusion we'll cllcu
lated to appall aud b.Iliic the most
enlightened craftsmanship. In the
effort to grapple with these Difficult
ties, he manifested such capacity
for public business that, in spite Oh
his own diSinc iiIaiiOtI, and even
againt his own protest, he Was
nominated and electe,! for IA second
legislative term in lo72. In truth,
Mr.. Ferguson had always Il distaste
for the practical handling of poll
tics, which increased to absolute re-
pugnance as his experience ripened.
No man was better qualified for
legislative business than he; his
mind was richly stored with histof-
ical knowledge and the principles
of political philosophy and ecUnO-
my, and well ypr51d in the conduct
of public business; but the routine
of canvassing auI conventions,
with its petty in;risue5; its person.
al jealousieS; its subordinatiOn of
principle to party eXpediency, i'll
short the inherent blSenesS of that
insane scramble for Office, which, in
these days has usurped the place
of true statesmanship. Inspired his
proud nature with contempt and
loathing. Robert Ferguson in fact
was statesman in the highest sense
OF the word, as distinguished from
the average professional politician,
and it is for this reason especially
that we despair OF sc 'inE his like
again, for the political atmosphere is
becoming more and more uTiit for
such men to breathe in; they are
unfit for it, and it is r"pu.-ive to
them, and, one by one, tao best of
them are dropping out Uf politics
and devotiug themselves 10 u.her
fields ofintellectual activity. Though
however, he undertook it strongly
against his inclination, he fulfilled
the duties of his second term with
the same energy AMI Intelligence
as had distinguished his first, and,
in doing so, encountered some OF
the most intricate and trying finan
cial problems which have ever test
ed the ability of IA statesman. The
legislation on these matters has
been and is now a subject of heated
controversy, and it is not our pur-
pose here to take part in it. Suffice
it to say that, while the course
taken by Mr.. f. was the only one,
in our judgment, consistent with
honesty and wisdom, it has since
been made the occasion of load of
obloquy from the mouths of a GER
tain class of politicians. The close
of this second term signaliZed his
final retirement from politics, eX-
cept so far as he was occasionally
induced to attend State conventions
with view to forwarding the in
terests of political friends.
One great cause which rendered
him averse from the troubles OF
political life was the strong domes-
tic bias of his character. He was
devoted to his family, and was
idolized in it, His vast funds of lit
erary requirement, and the delight
full conversational vein with which
he brought them out; his Wit and
humOr and refined sentiment,
warmed with the genial fervOr of
parental love, rendered him the
sun of charmed circle, in which
an accomplished and affectiOnate
family enjoyed the light and
warmth diiftISed from his great in
tellect aud loving heart. Here 1t