The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-01-09
HENRY WOODFIN GRADY.
THE DEAD EDITOR-ORATOR.
A Beautiful Tribute to the Memory of
the Lamented Dead.

Good mother. weep, Corneiia of th'
South,
For thou indeed hast lost jewel son;
The Gracchi great were not SO much be
loved,
Nor with more worthy deeds their honor:
Thy stalwart son deserves Romans fame
Augustus was not greater in the State,
Nor Brutus truer to the public trust"
In the death of Mr.. Henry w
Grady the South loses its brightest and
most useful man. He was the only
Southern man who really had the eal
of the people of the whole country,
and he had just reached the position
where he could be useful in the larges,
sphere. 1t is inexplicable why SO
young and robust man-(he was just
38 years of 'age)-a man SO brill
liant and so able, should be taken just
as he was entering upon the plane of
wider influence and greater usefulness.
TO the South it is the greatest loss
that it has sustained by death in a
quarter of a century. To the whole
people Of the country, which he loved
with bis great hearted devotion, it is
nothing short of National calamity.
Mr.. Grady had the ear and heart
of the South because he loved its his
tory and its very soil and because he
was the leading exponent of the idea
that is working to build up prosper
Gus manufacturing New South. He
had the ear of the North because,
while he had no apologies to make for
Southern actions and was proud of
Southern achievements, he had turned
his eyes to the morning and lived in
the busy world of to-day. He rec
ognized changed conditions and did
not bemoan fate. He stood up in his
manliness and his faith and went to
work to bring prosperity where pow
erty cast its blight. He inspired others
in the South with faith in the future OF
his section, and invited Northern men
of money, brains and Drawn to come
South and make 4 fortune and when
they accepted his invitation, as not a
few did, he gave them brotherly wei
come and made them feel that they
were at home. In this he showed
practical patriotism. Under no temp.
tation-even when speaking in Boston
did he ever so far forget his man.
hood as to
"Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee
Where thrift may follow fawning."
The people of the North also heard
him because of his candor. He never
deceived them about the race problem
or the difficulties in the way of the
South's future. He admitted theil
gravity, and sought a peaceful solu
tion in a just, fair and honest way
His speech in Boston was a lamenta
tion and an earnest appeal. He cried
aloud for sympathetic help. and hi:
cry, sealed with his life, we must be-
lieve, will not be heard in vain. Coo
grant that his prayer for Peace ano
Union may be answered!
Mr.. Grady's most attractive quality
was his warm great-heartedness. He
was generous to fault. No tale o
suffering or poverty was unheeded By
him. He had buoyant spirit and ;
light heart and deep affections. HI
was reverent in speech and with pen
He believed in God, had learned th'
truth of the Gospel at his mother!
knee, "the truest altar l have ye
found" ne said in his last speech. HI
was member Of the Methodist church
He had profound convictions and hi
eloquent speeches in favor of Prohibi
ton in Atlanta will not be forgotten
No man ever spoke more earnest word
for what he conceived to be the safet,
of the homes of Atlanta than he. The,
will long be treasured up with fond
ness by those who mourn that he wa
cut down in the zenith of what prom
ised the most brilliant career that la
out before any man in America.
| Henry w. Grady was grandson G
| NOIlu NdI ollHd. IAiS idlASA "do
native of Macon county, but early il
life emigrated to Rome, Georgia, t
make his fortune, and he made it. H
was one Of those men who succeed il
every undertaking. Everything h
touched seemed to turn to gold. H
prospered and made large estate
When the war came on he had pre-
sentiment that he would be killed
But Notwithstanding that idea too
possession of him, he. raised and equip
J ped AT HIS OWN EXPENSE a compan
of cavalry, and fastened to the fror
. as its Captain. His command was al
tached as company G to the a5th \
c. Regiment, commanded by Co
Thos. L. Clingman. Eventually Cap
Grady was promoted to be Major {
the Regiment. In the first battle h
fell mortally wounded showing ho
, true was his presentiment Of deatl
He was surrounded by his men, som
of them brave, sturdy North Carol
| mans. He left legacy of honor
his son, who always called North Ca
olina his grandmother and had
deep affection for its sons.
Mr.. Grady graduated with hig
: honors at the University Of Georgia
Athens. Then he spent two years ;
r the University Of Virginia where
T devoted himself rather to the study
= literature and to the work of the s.
q cieties than to the regular COLES
course. He won high honors there
J an orator and as a debater. He W
!. as well equipped and as ready and
effective as debater as he becan
later on as an orator and editor. +
was regarded there as universal &c