Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-31

What he said at the Mass Meeting ut
Atlanta

The following is the speech delivered at
the mass meeting in Atlanta, last Mon
day night, by Gen. Henry R. Jackson, of
Savannah. The meeting was called in
the interest Of Capt. Henry Jackson, who
is a candidate for Congress in the Fifth
district, and was addressed by him in his
own interest. Gen. Jackson's address
was unexpected, and in response TO re-
peated calls:
Gen. Henry r. jackson arose amidst re-
peated calls and much enthusiasm, and spoke
as follows:
/ rise. my friends, in response to your call;
but not unambarrassed by q doubt as to
whether it becomes me to dc more than return
my thanks for so cordial greeting. II am
TO address you at all, / must needs speak 70
the issues OF the conflict which has brought
YOU together. Those issues are painful De-
cause they are personal. Had the canvass
been confined TO their legitimate discussion,
involving. as they do, the comparative NJ
ness OF the gentlemen whose names have been
submitted 10 your considerations undouet-
edly. silence would be for me the better part
IL is reasonable % suppose that
the father will eXaggerate the
with cries of "Hurrah for Jackson claim
no exemption from a common weakness. But
when the fire OF controversy. sweeping over
the legitimate lines of fair discussion, seeks to
deYOur the good name # a citizen who Is so
Letting, as he has right TO solicit, the sup
port of his people, the entire world, think,
viii agree that the father can DeeOmngly
raise his voice in defense OF his son. APP
plause. If an angry word shall escape my
lips tonight it will be hurled in purest de-
Tense alone.
l was amazed. of course was saddened.
when heard that the name of my son, who
in the early budding o. his life had come to
this city. IN a manner consigned TO my GOOD
friend, Maj. Crane-at time when Atlanta,
1rrffh ha1rn ant grTn1
a diminutive town-tO earn by his daily toll
his daily bread; who lad identified his own
young life with the young life OF Atlanta, so
rapidly and so completely; tW1nlng the ten
drills OF his Young heart around her every in
terest, so proudly and 50 fondly; who, was
happy in being assured. lad been prominently
active in every development that could pro-
mote her welfare or redound 10 her glory re
newed applause] who was. with Mr. Darwin
G. Jones, one of the fOunders-the first Presl-
dent, / belieye-Of the Young Mems Library
Association, called the pet institution OF
Atlanta continued applausel; who had been
active the building up, sustaining and
perfectng of her military companies
[applausel; organizations not simply orna-
mental, but indispensable to social security;
who had labOred so unremittIngly. by day ana
by night, as seemingly 70 have seriously I'M
paired the strong constitution which God had
given him; who came to my house, years ago
bearing. as ! was alarmed to think, upon his
frame and his features the impress OF some
fatal disease, in an earnest effort TO secure the
votes of the county Of his birth Tor the CITY OF
his love, to make her the permanent capital OF
the State! prolonged applause,l who recent
| ~ had brought to bear all the energies OF his
imprisoned nature upon the construction OF
a hail for the labOring youth of Atlanta
where they could resort after the tolls OF the
| day were ended, for recreation; but to hnd II
neither the gambling table nor IN the use
of intoxicating drink. Applause say l
was perplexed and panied to hear that ms
name had been placed upon the criminal
| docket of this county for gambling,
and that he had been seeking upon
streams Of alcohol to float himself into politi-
| cal position. Was this, then. to be the end OF
| it all? And did he deserve it? Looking to the
| entire story of his life-all he had done, and
| all he had said-I ask of his people whether ne
| deserved it? Ard by whom can this question
! be answered except by his own people? And
| how can his people now answer it except at
| the polls? But pray that be not mlsun-
| der TODD do not complain ot the jury VINO
| indicted him. nor of the solicitor VINO framed
| the indictment, nor of the Judge who pro
nOuDced the sentence; they were IN the legltl-
mate discharge of official duty. HAD peen
! Juror solicitor or Judge, should have done
| precisely what they did. He had violated the
| law, and the law must be enforced. even to the
| letter. Applause But the law has Its spirit
"a well as its letter. The spirit is the sub
! stance fine letter is the form. Far better the
| spirit without the letter, than the letter with
| out the spirit! Now, who had violated the
| letter, and who the spirit, of this law Had
| betting at cards, condemnable, as 1t un-
dOubtedly is when made the habit of life.
| been confined to the occasional amusement oil
| a circle of friends in the privacy OF home life;
| had it never been used as the means OF build
| ing up public establishments, whittier the
| idlers of the community might repair Tor the
| purpose of dissipation; where the public peace
| might be disturbed. and the preparation OF
| crime even might be encouraged, who does
| not know that the law against gambling
| would never have been placed upon the statute
book5 But. my son violated the letter OF the
law; and he has been made to pay the penalty.
/ T nDlausa
Let us now determine who has violated the
spirit of the law That spirit assumes that
| the citizen who brings breach-and sucn a
| breach-of the public law to the notice Of
grand inquest, shall do it IN the broad light OF
! the dayl Self-constituted vindicator OF the
| public law, he makes himself public minis
ter of the law. He must be controlled In his
action by a public and not personal, by a
| pure and not a vicioGs motive. Now, VINO
| was the prosecutor in this caseP Dld the spirit
of the law ever contemplate that he should
enter the court room under a maskr And why
did he wear it. if his motives were pureE W ny
| do the work of that most contemplate OF all
! cowards-Jhat stabber in the dark at the char
-acter and happiness of Others-the malignant
writer of the bucket letter. In vain shall
| court or country summon such prosecutor
/ to the witness stand. He VIII never appear
| for his conscience tells him that he has YIO-
| lated the spirit, not simply Of human. but OF
divine law. Applause
Safe under his Infamous mask from human
| justice, he cannot escape the chastlsement 81
| God. Applause Has he a home? He
| knows he has befouied it. Has ne family
| He knows that he has disgraced it. D3es he
| dare to enter the sanctuary of GodF He knows
| that he Gefiles it! Does he tread the common
| pavement? he covers and he shrinks before the
| iisht of God that shines through every honest
| mans eyes! Applause, mingled with shouts
| him come forth Let him emerge from the
| hole he has burrowed for himself in the black
| ness If the night! But he dare not. His con-
| science makes coward OF him.
Skulking miscreant, -" hear my curse!
Than what thou art l could not wish thee
worse.
Go, with thy kindred reptiles crawl and die"
Immense applause, and loud cries of''Hucrah!
hurrah for Jackson!. mingled with waving OF
| hats.
/ have endeavored to educate my sons to
| the spirit, and not to the letter; to the sub
| stance, and not to the form; to the heart, and
| not to the bark! LApplause.I nave IaOored
| to impress upon them that honesty; honesty
| in dealing with ones fellows; honesty in great
| things; honesty in small things; honesty in all
| things, is the supreme fruitiOn Of every true
| life. That this, at last, is the essence of the
| teachings of that Celestial Presence, at the
| thought of whose awful words, before the
| world was, am we inhnitesimals before
| the infinite. must ever drop,
| with palpitating hearts, upon trem-
| bling knees. [Great applause. That
| a man must surrender his honesty to no per-
| son. under no circumstances. Tor no thing:
| neither to his party, nor vet to his country
| His country NAV demand from him his life,
| his limb, his property, but his honesty. never
| never! Prolonged applause. That belongs
to his God alone, and, like all OF Gods CUTS, is
| never fully appreciated until it be lost. Not
| all the wealth of all the Indias can compen-
| safe man for the loss of his sight. Nor can
| all the combined thrones of all the world COM
pensate a man for the loss of his honesty.
have endeavored to impress upon my sons
that they should select useful occupations.
IaxEv
Iessional gambler! Better be a merchant,
| better be a doctor, best of all be the farmer
| who digs the soil, or the mechanic who blasts
| the rock who hammers the iron, who saws
| the wood. who wields the trowel, who drives
the nail Tapplausel, because they assimilate
| nearest to the master architect of all the ar
| chitects; to the Omnipotent mechanic of all
| the mechanics: to the eternal labOrer who
| never wearies and never sleeps-in that they
| give to each of us ''his daily bread" APP
| plause.1 The only true American crown must
| at last be worn by the true American laborer.
| But better be an honest professional gambler
/ ave! an honost professional gambler than
| a living mechanic [applausel, or swndling
merchant Applause or rasea4Hy lawyer
Row, think l can claim before you to-
| night that my son is an honest 49,. Loud
! applause Nay, further, that rs good
peal again to the Story of ms MY 1s,tl Il
/ the man whom he has belied? Where the man
| he has ever defrauded? Whom of the weak
/ has he oppressed? Whom of the humble has
| he affrOnted? When has he failed, at the
| bidding of his country, to offer his limb and
/ his life in her service? Applause. What
religion has he ever insulted? A voice,
| s.None" Towhat minister of Gods gospel has
/ he ever failed to lift his hat? Applause.
| When has he ever been wantonly cruel to
| man, to woman, to child, to horse, to dog, to
| bird, to any of Gods living things? APP
| plause.l To be brave when assured of the
| right; to be loyal when assured of the truth;
| never to have truckled to the strong, "where
| thrift might follow fawning;" never to have
| trarnrlel mnnn the weak. nDOn .the under