The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-01-02
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Zoo marc my ecxt for tonight
M Prcsffesrt and 0encaeu<n--Ict me express
20 JOS my appreciation Of the kindness by which
am permitted to address you make this ab-
rupt acknowledgment e6vtsedly, for felt that II,
whco rafseh nay provincial voice in this ancient
and august presence, l could find courage for no
more than the opening sentence 1t would be
well II, In that sentence had met in a rough
sense my obligation as a guest and had persisted
50 to speak, with courtesy on my lips and grace
n my heart Permitted through your kindness
70 catch my second wind, Ict me say that aupre-
eaate the Significance OF being the first southerner
to speak at this board which beers the substance
Il II s1rpasscs the sem5lance, Of original View
England hospitality, and honors sentiment that
IN tam honorS you, but IN which my personality
= lost, and the compliment 70 my people made
plain
besPeak the utmost stretch of your courtesy
tonight l am somewhat indifferent to those
from whom / come. Tou remember the utas,
whose wife sent him to neighbor with a pitcher
OF milk, and who tripping the top sten, fell
with such casual interruption as the landings
afforded, into the basement, and while picking
himself up had the pleasure OF hearing his wife
call out; John, did you break the pitcher?'
'So, didn't, ;" said John, but I'll be dineed il
don't"
So while those who call to me from behind NAV
inspire mo with energy, II not with courage, ask
an indulgent hearing from you beg that you
and frankness to Judgment upon what I shall
ssy There was an old preacher once who told
some boys OF tho Bible lessSa he was TO read In
the morning. The boys finding the place, glued
together the connecting pages The next morn
ing he read on tho bottom OF one pages when
Noah was 100 years Old he took unto himself
wife who was"-+hen tssrning the page-"l4o
cubfts long, 20 cubits wild. built Of gopher wood
and covered With pitch inside and out He was
naturally puzzled at this He read It again, veri.
fed it, and then said: MY friends this Is the
first time ever met this In the Bible but ac-
cept It as evidence of tbs assertion that We are
fearfuffy and wonderfully Inade.n II could get
you TO hold .>h,ii feith tonight could proceed
cheerfuily to the task otherwiss approach vita
a sense OF cons~ zatIon
Pardon me osss word Ar. President spoken for
tho purpose Of getting into the volumes that go
out annually frtzStited with the eloqueace OF your
speakers-the fact that the cavalier as well as the
Puritan was on this continent In its early DAYS
and that he was up aai able to be about l
have read your books carefully and l And no
mention Of that fact which seems TO mo impor-
tant for preserving sort of historical es;t,i-
librium
With the cavalier oaos established a, 4 fact Ia
yotlT charming little books shall vt him work
osis bis own salvation, he hes always done with
engaging gaiiantry, and we win hold no con
tPoversy as TO his merits Why sflsfh wei
such. The virtues and traditions of both happily
stan live for the inspiration Of their sons and the
saving OF tho Old fashions Beh both pirita. and
cavalier wcro lost IA the storm OF their frs s,-,r,
hutton, and the American citizen, supplanting
both and stronger than either, took possession Of
the repuhitc bought by thedr common blood and
fashioned IN wisdom and charged himself with
teaching men free government and establishing
tho voice OF tho people as the voice OF God Great
types like valuable plants, are show TO flower
and fruit. But fretn the union OF these colonies
from the strengthening Of their purposes and the
crossing OF their blood, slow perfecttng through
century, came he who stands as the FIRST typical
American, the first who cofnprehended within
himself an the strength and gent&eness all the
majesty and grace Of this res,sibhc-Abraham LIN
COIN He was the Hlm Of Puritan and cavalier
for IN his ardent nature fused the virtues OF
both, and ia the depths Of his great soul the faults
OF both were lost. He was greater than Puritan
greater than cavalier, in that he was American,
and that IN hts ho1neay form wege first gathered
the vast and thrilling forces Of this ideal govern
ment-chargiBg It with such tremendous meaning
and so eAevating It above human suffering that
martyrdoul though UNANIMOUSLY aimed, come as q
fitting 10 life consocrated from It's cadh,
TO human liberty. Let Us, each cherishing his ira
dftsons and honoFfng his fathers build with rever
ent hands tho type OF this simple bot sublime life,
IN which an types are honered and IN the common
glory we shall win as Americans there win he
plenty and 30 spare for your forefathers and for
mine.
IN speaking to the toast with which YOU hav,
honored me accept the term, ''the new south
as IN no sense dtspaTagfng to the old D<xar
30 ne, ssF, b the homo Of my childhood and the
traditions Of my people. There h new south.
not to protest against the Old but because OF new
conditions, new adjustments and If you please
new ideas and aspirations. 10 Is TO this that I'D
dress myself. ask you, gentlemen, to pSct<rre II
you can the footsore soldier, who, bustos,ine up
In his faded gray Jacket the parole which was
taken, testimony 30 his children OF his fidelity an
Faith, turned his face southwark from Appomattox
In April 1865 Think Of him as ragged half
starved, heavy hearted, enfeebled by waat and
wounds, having fought to exhaustion, he sur
renders bis gun wrfngs tho hand Of his csoxnraAe
and lifting his tear stained and palid face for tho
last time to the graves that dot the Old Virginia
htis, pulls his gray cap over his brow and begins
the slow and painful Journey. What does he ind
let me ask you who went to your homes eager
10 ind all the welcome you had justly earned,
fun payment for your four years. sacridce-yhat
does he find when he reaches the home he left
four years befor>es He finds hts house In ruins.
bis farm devastated, his slaves trecd, hts stock
killed. and hts barns empty, his trade DESTROYED.
his money worthSesA his social systen fesld.a In
its HagnificeOce, swept away his people without
law or legal status hts comrades sfain and the
-.
by defeaA his very traditions go0a Without
money, credit employment material for training
and, besides all this confronted with tho eravest
problem that ever met human intelligence the
establishing Of status for the vast body Of his
liberated slaves
what does he do-thk' hero IN gray with heart
OF Roh-does he sit down in sulIenness and de-
spatr! Not for day. Surely God, WHO Ind
eco'rged HIM in his prosperity, inspired him in
MS adversely: AS ruin was never before so over
whefmrngs never was restoration swifter. The
soldiers stepped from tho trenches into the f,,r-
row; horses that had charged Federa. guns
marched before the piow, and fields that ran red
with human blood tn April weae green with the
harvest in June; womea reared IN luxury cut ND
Their dresses and made breeches for their b,,s-
oahfSa, and with y patience and heroism that fits
woman always al garment, gave their hands TO
work. There was little bitterness in ali this
Cheerfumess and fraRkness prevailed 'Bdn Arm
struck the key DotS when he said We'll killed.
as many OF thorn as they did OF me and now am
going to woik"-Or the soldier, returning home
AFTER defeee and roasting some corn on tho road
skle. who nate the remark to his comrades.
You may leave the south, if you want to hut
am going to Sandervie, kiss my wife and raise a
crop and II tho Yankees fool with me any mora
VIII whip en- again" l want to say 10 Gan
Sherman-wiSo 10 considered an ablo man tn oar
parts tht{trh pAOgla thsrk ho l.,