Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-16


Weighed down by the infrmities Of age
but cheered by the consciousness Of a
( life spent in the service Of his Maker and
Z his fellow men. Charles J. jenkins passed
away on Thursday night at his home IN
I Richmond county. The illustrious dead
needs no eulOgv at our hands. his NE
I was one long round Of well doing. and ne
/ has left an impress upon the affections OF
! Geor~ia that can never be efaced. There
was no duty that he did not discharge,
and there was no position that he would
not have adorned.
/ Charles J. jenkins was born in Beau
/ fort county. :. c. January 9, 1895. His
I father removed 10 Jefferson county, Ga,
I in January, 1sl6. ME. jenkins attended
/ school at Savannah and in Hancock cOun-
II. and was also a pupil Of DR.. Waddell at
/ Wellington. :. {. He entered the old
/ Franklin COLLEGE. at Athens, in 1870. but
/ subsequently, matriculated at Union Col
Iese. al schenectady. \. Y, whence he
was graduated with high honors. He re-
| turned 10 Georgia. studied law, was adj
mitted 10 the bar and began practice at
| >andeTsyiile.
He removed to Augusta in 1S29 and was
| elected TO a seat in the Lower House Of the
/ General Assembly in $3.50. In 1881 be was
/ elected Attorney General Of the State.
| Five wears later he was again sent TO the
| legislature and was returned TO that body
| every succeeding year until 1882 save
| three years when he was defeated. He
was several times Speaker Of the House
| u Representatives.
In $50 Mr.. jenkins was offered the pO-
sition Of Secretary Of the Interior, but de-
clined To accept it. The same year he
served in the convention at Milledgeville
and drew up the resolutions adopted by
that body in reference TO the compromise
measures. He ran for Governor against
HerscheI Y. johnson in 1853. and wa:
beaten by the narrow majority Of 5ll
votes
| In $50 Mr.. Jenkins was appointed Il
the seat on the supreme Bench vacated
by Linton Stephens, which position
he held till the close of the war
He was a member of the CONSTITUTIONS
/ Convention called by proclamation 0
| President johnson in 1855. and in NOvem
Der Of that year was elected Governor
| without opposition. and was inauguTatet
in December, delivering an address tina
stands as a masterpiece Of patriotic elO
| quence. Governor jenkins served unit
lSi>. when be was superseded by Genera
7. II. Ruger, who was appointed Pro
| visi0nal Governor under the recOnstruc
ton acts Of Congress. When Gen. Mead
detailed Ruger 10 succeed Governor
| jenkins because he refused TO hand owe
the treasury 10 a convention that had M
legal footing. the latter maintained his re
solution. applied the public funds to th'
| discharge Of public obligations, and re
tanned the great seal Of the state and tn
public archives. In recognition Of thes
patriotic services the General Assembly
later adopted the following resolution:
ReS0lreI. That His Excellency, tia
| Governor. be authorized and instructed 4
have prepared, and in the name of tn
| people Of Georgia, TO present to Hon
| Charles J. jenkins a seal TO be the IA
simile Of the one preserved and restored b.
him. except that in addition to the Othe
devices il shall have this inscription
Presented TO Charles J. Jenkins by tn
state Of Georgia" and this legend, ii
driuis .fdeliS.''
Governor Jenkins last public servic
was in the Constitutional Convention G
Isl, Of which body he was made Chair
man. and upon the work Of which he eX
erted a vast influence for good. III
! served only Georgia. and in her pros
perity and her woe was faithful and feal
less. Gifted, upright. earnest, eloquent
devOut, his life in public was one of deyC
ton to the public veal, and in privat
was unspOtted by aught that could stat
r the character Of a gentleman and a fOl
lower Of Christ. Truly, he earned an
fifty he wore the title Of the ''NOblest Re
| man of fhen all :,