Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-29
COX ON HILL.
A Splendid Tribute to Georgia and Her
Great Son.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-Represenative
Cox's eulogy of Senator Hill was some
thing sparkling, strong, tender and poet
ical. A better eulogy was never heard in
the halls of Congress. In the course of
his splendid effort he made the following
remarks, which are of special interest to
every Georgian:
Georgia geOlogically and picturesquely,
under and above the genial soil, has nat
ural advantages and beauties which along
with her liberal institutions early at
tracted such adventurous minds as the
Hebrew Mendez, the English soldier
OglethOrpe, and the Methodist Wesley.
Even the mounds are yet pointed out in
the county where our Senator was born,
into which De Soto delved for gold. Her
mountains dip and curl in crested gran
deur toward the west, while her savan-
nahs add their greenery and wealth to her
shores.
General James Oglethorpe, who as
Burke said had called a province into eX-
istence and lived to see it an Independent
State, was the epitOme of Georgia history.
Oglethorpe's life was so full of achieve
ment and variety that it is a romance.
Pope eulOgiZed, DR.. johnson admired, and
Thompson celebrated him. He was not
only ready to defend his honor in the duel,
but was the prisoners friend and the
founder of an ''empire State.' Sir
Robert Montgomery called the new colony
which the gallant General founded
''the most delightful country of the uni
verse" Even the poet of the Seasons,
Thompson, in his 'Liberty," sang of the
swarming cOlOnists who sought the "gay
colony of Georgia" He eulogized it as
the calm retreat of undeserved distress :;
the better home of those whom bigOts
chased from foreign lands. 1t was not
built on rapine, servitude and woe. The
very history and literature of England
thus inbound with this colony is almost
unknown to the North. Other sections
have, it seems, attracted more literary
attention.
1t was this Georgia, the asylum and
hope of man, and founded in honor, relig-
ion and bravery. that our Senator loved.
Even John Wesley's mother, when the
high church Methodist asked her whether
he should proceed to Georgia, said: "Had
twenty sons | should rejoice if they were
all so employed" The very religion of
Georgia had in it a courage which does
not belong to our time, when the voyage
across the Atlantic is robbed of most of its
terror.
In the centre and heart of this historic
State, and in a county which bears the
name of the braYest soldier that ever bore
banner to viotOry-Jasper-an with
the heroic and religious associations of it's
founders, young Hill was born. At an
early age he followed his family and its
fortunes to the Alabama border, near the
ChattahOOchee river. The town of La
Grange, to which they removed, is the
county seat Of Troup. 1t was then,
and is yet, noted for its love
of education, and it's school facil-
tiles. There are many associations in
this county, and even connected with its
very name, which might well attune
young mind to thoughts of ambition in
the forum of law and politics. Giants
were arrayed in Georgia in those days,
and their efforts, especially about 1888,
when force bills and notification were
rife, gave impassiOned tone as well as
high temper tOpOlitical discussion.
Doubtless the mind of young Hill took
its hue from these surroundings, but in
State the very name of whose counties
betoken a lofty division of sentiment,
where Washington, Jackson, Jefferson,
Franklin and Madison speak of the Fed
eral Constitution, and Henry, Randolph,
TrOup and Crawford speak of State SOW
ereignty and local liberty, but where,
above all, the names of Pulaski, DeKalb.
Morgan and Carroll shine like primal
virtues, all starry with our revolutionary
radiance, it could not be otherwise than
that men of earnest thought should per-
ceive a divided duty, and that great con-
trOversial acumen and power should en-
ter the arena and inspire contentious
OratOry.
Doubtless Senator Hill was greatly in
t1uenced in his pursuits and characters
ties by such rare men and events as
Georgia has produced. These names may
not be as familiartO Northern ears now
as in the days of jackson and Calhoun,
but they are still potential to start a
spirit in Georgia, where State pride has
lost but little of its prestige by the result
OF the civil war, Read the roster of
Georgia's forum-the brilliant lights of
her bench, bar, literature, and Senate:
Beall, Crawford, Berrien, Mcintosh, Clay
ton, COlquitt, Cobb, Tripp, Dawson,
FOrsythe, Lumpsin, Lamar, jackson,
Shorter, Reid, Warner, Johnson, Wilde.
and Baldwin, not to speak of men who yet
survive, like her present wonderful Chief
Magistrate, and his contrast in stature
and mate in intellect, Robert Toombs,
A State like this, SO grand j.; 81 It's BEGIN
ming and SO splendid in its hundred and
nifty years of prosperous history, must be
proud OF its heroes. whether fit
For arms and warlike amenanee.
Or else for wise and civil governance;
TO learn the interdeal of princes strange: .
70 mark the intent of councils, and the change
OF States.
Her annals are shining with the names
of De Soto, Raleigh and Oglethorpe: and
the names of their successors. under com
dltlons OF later days, detract nothing from
the lustre Of their worth and renOWn.
10 emulate the fame of HOrtensius, king
OF the forum, Cicero never ceased his ef
forts till he ascended the throne of oratorv.
So in this unrivaled galaxy of gifted
Georgians. Emulation made ambition
reach high. From sire to son the names
of eminent GeOrgians appear again and
AGAIN, showing the eleyating Incentives
which enliVened and exalted this imperial
State of the South. The gold in her hills,
the sun with its balm, the rivers
which flow from her mountains the opus
lence of her soil, are not more Georgian
and imperial than the high standard of
those who gave Georgia to the world as a
colony, preserved her independence of
England, brought her through fire into
the federation of States, and after the Vi
cissitudes Of great civil trial rescued her
first among the recusant States from the
chaos OF war
The Senator we meet to honor was no
exception to the emulation and exaltatiOn
of his surroundings. His natural ardOrs
and ambitions thus received their sLimu-
lus and food. But the massive mind which
made the great advocate and the moral
heroism which made the defender of indi-
vidual and civil liberties these are Of no
soil; they belong to no time, They illus
trate the age of Aristides and give glory
to the fame Of RienZi. They made Samuel
Adams and Patrick Henry possible. not
as provincial men, but as enlarged and
loving patriots.
NEARLY HAD IT.
Jim Simms, Of Savannah, brother of the
fugitive slave Simms, came very near
getting a position in the Treasury the
other day. He has been kicking around
here for long time. He so worked upon
Secretary Folger that he promised TO give
him minor office in the Treasury. Fol
ser Went so far as to direct Appointment
Clerk Butler to make out the commission.
Butler was delayed in doing so for three
days. In the meantime, Special Agent
Avery Game 10 Washington. Learning
that Simms was about to succeed
he told Folgcr few things. 1t apnears
that Avery had occasion some wears AGO
to investigate and report upOn Simms;
dQings as an agent for the collection of
claims against the government held bv
colored people in Georgia. There was
something about the forgery of the power
of attorney in the business. When Avery
told these things, Folger cOuntermande;l
the order for Simms' appointment. IT was
very unlucky for Simms that Avery should
have happened along just as he did.
4 IOYe for Western Union,
CHICAGO IAN 27-At anrinrf;o1d