The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-10-16

his black arms about the fallen form, reckless
of hurtling death, bending his trusty face to
catch the words that tremble on the stricken
lips so wrestling meantime with agony that
he would lay down his life in his masters
stead. see him by the weary bedside, minis
tering with accomplishing patience, praying
with all his humble heart that God Will LIT
his master up until death comes in mercy and
in honor to still the soldiers agony and seal
the soldiers life. l see him by the open grave,
mute, motionless, uncovered, suffering the
death of him who in life fought against his
freedom. see him, when the mound is heaped
and the great drama of his life is closed, turn
away, and with dOwncaSt eyes and uncertain
step start out into new and strange fields, tal-
tering, struggling, but moving on, until his
stumbling figure is lost in the light of this
better and brighter day. And from the grave
comes a voice, saying: Follow himl Put your
arms about him in his need, even as he put
his about me. Be his friend as he was mine"
And out into this new world-strange to me
as to him, dazzling, bewildering both-I fol-
lowl And may God forget my people-when
they forget these!
A mighty duty sir, a mighty inspiration i'm
pels every one of us tonight to lose in patriotic
conservation whatever estranges, whatever di-
vides. We, sir, are Americans, and we stand
for human liberty! The uplifting force of the
American idea is under every throne on earth.
France, Brazil-these are our victories. To re-
deem the earth from kingcraft and oppression,
this is our mission! And we shall not fail. God
has sown in our soil the seed of his millennial
harvest and he will not lay the sickle to the
ripening crop until his full and perfect day has
come. Our history, sir, has been constant and
expanding miracle from Plymouth Rock and
jamestown all the way-ay, even from the
hour when, from the vOiceleSS and trackleSS
ocean, a new world rose to the sight of the in
spired sailor. AS we approach the fourth CEN
tennial of that stupendOus day-when the Old
World will come to marvel and to learn amid
our gathered treasures-let US resolve to
crown the miracles Of our past with the spec
tacle of a republic, compact, united, indlSsolu-
BILE in the bonds of love, loving from the lakes
to the gulf, the wounds of war healed in every
heart as on every hill, serene and Respondent
at the summit of human achievement and
earthly glory, blazing out the path and max
ing clear the way up which all the nations Of
the earth must come in Gods appointed time!
1t was in the course of this New Eng
land trip, at the close Of 1889, that he in
CURED the illness which proved fatal.
After addressing the Boston merchants
he spoke before the Bay State club, and
then went to Plymouth Rock, where he
made talk in the open air in Decem-
Der. He was suddenly attacked there
with a severe case of pneumonia. He
returned at once to Atlanta, and despite
the best medical attention which could
have been had died in the course of a
few days. His funeral occurred on Christ
mas day, and was the largest ever wit
messed in Atlanta. The usual holiday
festivities were entirely suspended
throughout the city by all classes of
people FROM morning until night on that
day.
The very fac. CT Christmas festivities
being suspended in a southern commu-
nifty is sufficient evidence of the estima-
ton in which he was held by his fellow
| townsmen; but much more evidence fol-
| lowed. For many weeks afterward the
newspapers north and south contained
remarkable number Of personal tributes
to his character and worth from his per-
| aODa1 friends