Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-16
STEPHENS FOND MEMORY.
THE LEGISLATURES PAYS IT'S
TRIBUTE TO THE DEAD.

Joint Committee, presented the memorial
on the death of the late Governor Stephens.
accompanying it with one of the most
chaste, elaborate and scholarly addresses
of the kind ever delivered before a Geor-
gia Legislature.
1t was delivered with rare dignity and
much tenderness, and the closing flight of
eloquence heartily applauded. Mr.. Harris
was assisted during his first year at the
University by a loan from MIR. Stephens.
Mr.. Brooks, of Floyd, Mr.. Jones, of De-
Kalb, and Mr.. Watson, of McDufie, fol-
lowed with brief addresses of much merit.
Mr.. McCurry, of Hart, made lengthy
address, reviewing the life and services
of the deceased.
At this point in the proceedings the fol-
lowing memorial v IS introduced:
The committee appointed to prepare a
memorial of the late Governor of Georgia
beg leave to make the following report:
The Great Reaper has been in our midst.
His fesistless onslaught respects neither
age nor sex, good nor bad, rich nor poor,
high nor low. No howell or palace, place,
position or power are beyond the reach of
his remOrseless grasp. He has Just cut
down our matchless genius, Benjamin Ill.
Hill, and now he has laid his icy hand
upon one whose head Georgia had Just
placed her highest civic crown. AleXan-
der Hamilton Stephens, our great Gov
ernOr, will come and go out before us no
more forever. His earthly pilgrimage is
ended, and he has gone to join
''The innumerable caravan which moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall
take
His chamber in the silent halls of DEATH"
In preparing a tribute to his memory
we are at a loss where to begin OF where
to end. His career was so remarkable,
his public services so great and numer-
Gus, his mental and moral characteristics
so wonderful and many-sided, that we can
only refer to them; but his life was such
an open book that only this is necessary:
Born, reared and educated on the soil of
Georgia, he entered public life in 1886, as
a member of the Legislature, and from
that time to the end of his life, period of
nearly half century, he was, almost
without interruption, in the service of the
State and country. Whether as a member
of the Legislature, a member of Congress
OF the United States or of the Confederate
States, a member of numerous cOnVen-
tions, or in the exalted position of Vice
President OF the Southern Confederacy, he
displayed abilities which place him in the
front rank of craftsmanship, and made
him the acknowledged peer of any of that
splendid galaxy of great Southern states
men, whose towering intellects and match
less powers controlled the political affairs
of the Union, in the golden time before the
war.
The distinguishing characteristics of
Mr.. Stephens, as statesman, were, his
love of liberty and hatred of oppression.
While he had the most tender compassion
for the intirmitieS of our common hui
manity, he loved justice ardently and
hated iniquity, opposed wrong and de-
nounced the OppressOr with honest indig-
nation.
Mr.. Stephens possessed more versatility
Oftalent than any statesman of our day.
Few men achieve success in more than
one line of intellectual pursuits but he
was an exception to the general rule. He
was not only great lawyer, orator and
statesman, but reached a very high emil
nence as writer and historian. His
mind was wonderfully disciplined and
equipped for mental work. The integrity
OF MIR. Stephens was incorruptible and
unapproachable. Passing, during his
long public career, through many periods
of corruption in high places, his record is
without stain.
1t has been said of William Pitt. the
younger, one of the '|great cOmmoners''
of England, that the best eulOgy that
could be pronounced upon him was that
he lived and died poor man. We are
proud to be able to say the same of our
''great commoner." Like Pitt, too, MIR.
stephens never married. His country was
wife and children to him, and with more
than oriental devotion he loved her, and
wOrshiped at her shrine
But after all, the peculiar feature of Mr..
stephens character, and that which will
endear him to his people forever, was his
boundless benevolence and charity.
When we consider that his mortal frame
was so invested, worn and Withered by
disease, that for about half his life he
lived an almost living death, it would be
incredible that he should have done so
much to aid others, were there not
thousands who can testify to his good
deeds. His ear was ever open to hear.
and his heart to respond to the wall of
widowhood and the bitter tears of or
phanage. His very heart-strings seemed
to have been bound around every species
of suffering humanity.
Especially was he generous to young
men struggling with poverty and thirst
ing for an education. He seemed to have
had before him all the time the example
of the grand central figure, and eXemplar
of all time, the Divine Nazarene, who
event about doing good" But lSe end
has come. He has gone, as we believe, to
country where his spirit, freed from this
muddy yisture of decay" can, amid the
unimaginable splendor of an eternal light,
reap the rewards of his good deeds for
ever,
Ours is the precious legacy of so good
and so great man, who gave his life and
his life's work, and his latest prayer, for
us and our children. Patriot, phiIan-
thropist, benefactOr statesman, historian,
orator, fare thee We'll! Georgia, thy good
old mother, who gave thee birth, MOURN
ho<.
her bosom. She will guard we'll the sacred
spot where all that is mortal of thee re-
poses, for no son of hers ever shed more
lustre on his name.
l. ReSOlUed, That in the death of Alex
der Hamilton Stephens, the late Governor
OF this State, we recognize the loss of one
OF the truest, wisest and best of the sons
OF Georgia, whose genius has added I'M
dying glory to her name, and for whom
our people cherish an unbOunded love and
admiration.
:. ReSOtCed, That in his death the whole
country has lost one of it's most useful,
brilliant and greatest statesmen, and hu-
manity an example of benevolence and
charity worthy of all imitation: whose
fame will go down to posterity with ever
increasing lustre as the ages pass away.
J. IteSOtoed, That the indOmitable will
and perseverance of this great and good
every obstacle of poverty and iIl-health,
and devoting his life, with its brilliant
success, to the good of others and the well
fare OF his country, stands out as one of
the rare instances of the kind i'm history,
and should be treasured as an example
and held up for imitation by all the sons
and daughters of the country for all future
time.
4. ReSOlUed, That a page of the journal
of this House be set apart and dedicated
to the memory of the deceased, and as
further testimonial of respect that the
House do now adjourn till Monday morn
ing at 10 O'Clock.
On motion of Mr. Pringle, of Washing
ton, the resolutions were adopted bv
rising vote, and at IL O'clock the House
adjourned.
IN THE SENATE.
Up to the time the Senate adjourned
there were not a hundred spectators in
Representative hall, and not much over a
hundred Representatives. After the SEN
ate spectators came in there was a
more respectable showing, vet it was
clearly evident that but little in
terest was taken in the exercises
blythe State officials or the public at large.
Senator Hoyt, Chairman of the Joint
Committee, presented the memorial pre-
faced with an address upon the life and
services of the deceased.
Senator L. NJ. Lamar made most
touching'and beautiful address. which was
listened to with deep interest. 1t
was a heartfelt tribute tenderly
ceased in general terms, and his eulogv
was worthy the distinguished dead and
the Senate before which it was delivered.
The resolutions were adOntad and at 10