The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1885-07-29
MIR. STRAYHORN.S AD-
DRESS.

| IL - A5fkJg9e
TEe tournament on Tuesday afternoon
brilliant in all its attendant circumstan-
ces yas made more interesting by the
address Of Mr.. 4. I strayhorn. formerly
of Hillsboro, now promising young
Lawyer of Monroe, and member of the
fine company from that place.
We publish the address in full as fol-
lows
Knights Of he Tournament, Ladies' and
Gentlemen
We have met to- day in accordance with
an honored custom to celebrate an in
stitution whose influence and history
should be dear to every Teutonic and
Anglo Saxon heart. Civilization had
gotten its idea of beauty from the Greeks,
but they had passed into the wreck of
Empire and nothing remained of them
and their glory save the statues of sculp-
tors the conceptions of painters and the
songs Of poets. They emulated the ex-
ternaf beauty; next in period of time the
Roman, that hard .and tsirannpus master
gave t0sViyiiizlaio1f permanent rules on
the great question of how to govern and
u.
ideal. The Roman Empire crouched and
died under the feet of invading Gaul and
Vandal and progress" slept the sleep of
the dark or middle ages These two ma
tions had missed the loftiest of all ideals
Next in point of eminenee came the
Tenton. uncouth and barbarous ferocious
and warllke-still he bore in bis breast
the true ideal of national success, and
beneath the shadow Of the Roman En-
pire he erected foundation for law, So
ciety and military prowess. He extolled
those heart qualities which, in years that
were to come, made England great and
have placed the statue of Liberty upon
the dome of our national capitol. He
combined those qualities of love and
beauty which rule the WI Id. "Thus
from the Greek we have learned how to
think; from the Roman how to govern
and be governed, and from the Teuton
how to love-"
The origin of chivalry is doubtful; its
true inception is hidden in the chaotic
oblivion ofunlettered history; still speci-
fically speaking it had its rise about the
middle of the 10th century. It's philos-
ophy was the protection Of the weak, and
marvellous it is that among barbarous
and ferocious nations this true ideal of
social prominence exerted itself at such
an early period. The strong became
stronger by strengthening the weak. The
mighty showed their power in doing
honor to the feeble. Woman claimed
the best endeavors of this proffered pro-
lection and to her it was awarded. Our
civilization owes its power and attain
ments to her exaltation and we are in
debted 10 chiyalry for the kindly inf1u-
ence which her position exerte. The high
consideration in which she was, and still
is held is the great secret of Anglo-Saxon
national and international success. Her
dominion was unbounded, ,and the knight
without mistress was like tree with
out branches, q body without soul.
Her smile was the conqueror's reward
there; and SO it is to-day. ALI honor to
the position of pure and noble woman
hood. All honor to that grand old
institution which makes the name of
mother a prayer, the Aonoc Of sister
as dear as life and woman,
the ideal of love and beauty. To her
we owe all. Into her arms we are born,
watching her Hls our own became vo-
cal;;"' from her we imbibe our ideals of
integrity and virtue. With us, as with
them, chastity is woman, liberty is 4
woman. love is a woman--she closes our
eyes when the light is gone. The knight
Grants, long before the immortal Long
fellow sang the deathless lay of Hiawatha
knew that
''As the bow unto the cord is,
So unto man is woman ;.
Though she bends him stil she obeys him +;
Though she draws him, still she follows him;
Useless each without the other"
1 might recount the hardships and as
perities to which the knight, the squire
and the'valet were exposed. I might speak
of his running the quintaine, his fasting,
his religious duties; his attacks upon mimic
fortresses; but in that event would be en-
croaching upon your valuable time and the
patience of the audience; again, would be
,usurping the prerogative of Ariosto, of
Spenser, and Tasso, and feebly could
sing the songs of the mennesingers and the
romantic and beautiful ballads of the Trou-
badour. l might recall the history of the
First Edward, of Bois Guilbert and Rich
aid Couer de Bion: but then should be
invading and degrading the sacred pages of
Scott and Hallam.
The introduction of gun powder has
tened the downfall of feudalism; but thank
heaven the spirit of chivalry stillremains in
the breasts of all true Southern men.
Show me the knights of old whose name
and history are greater than Lees or Jack
sons, Washingtou's or Johnston's?
You have duty which imposes sacred
trust. know you will honor the position
you occupy to-day, and feel sure that the
successful knights will crown maidens wor-
thy of their honors, and in the words of a
distinguished Romad l will close: .sLet
him whomerits it bear the palm"