The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-09-25
WASHINGTON c. wHIrTHoRNE.
He Has Fought Good Fight, and
Lain Down to Rest.

(; shadows far in front, the living anC
7 the loving never feel its cruel pres
J. ence until its icy breath and cold EN-
brace have frozen the form they love
q The truth of this was never NOR,
/ fully felt than when ten,
OF thousands Of Gen. Whitthorne's
friends, scattered this broad land over
read in the daily papers three days
ago that he was dead. Two wears ACC
Death had marked him for its own
? AS time advanced more plainly did
the shadows show. And yet when
the end has come, tie dreaded word
sounds Just az han sh and the crueI
? summons just as sudden seems, as il
the bHghIing shadows had never vet
oe shown.
1t was, therefore, with sad hearts
J AID sorrOwful faces that the word
passed from one to another last Mon
day afternoon, that Gen. Whitthorne
was dead. He had fought Death as
he had fought the battles of life, with
earnest determination to resist.
Nearly two years ago, with heroic
courage and wonderful strength he
fought back the waters when they
bad almost engulfed him. Nothing
but determined courage born ofgreat-
ness would have kept MIN alive from
then until now. At last when pain
weakened and wasted him, and tired
nature was worn out, he lay down
ike child and fell asleep.
1t was last Monday afternoon at .
O'Clock that he breathed his last.
Plain, uuoStentatious, great man that
he was, he asked that his burial be
like his life, without pomp or show,
and that no costly gifts of flowers be-
deck his coffin lid. In compliance
with these requests, a. soon as his
children and friends could be tele-
graphed for and come, he was quietly
laid away to rest.
The funeral services were held in
the Episcopal Church Wednesday
morning at III o'clock conducted by
Revs. Geo. Beckett aud II. h. Met
calfe. The pail bearers were n. II.
Wilkes, z. H. SOuthall, Geo. G.. lay
Tor, Robt. Mitchell, of LynnVille, w.
]. Webster, II. 2. Figuers and l.. p.
Padgett.
The Honorary pail bearers, selected
by the bar, We're Judge w. y. Flem-
ing, Judge E. d. Patterson, Judge A.
M. Hughes, Col. A. NJ. LOoney, w.
S. Rainey and J. T. l.. Cochran.
After the beautiful Episcopal burial
service for the dead, the remains were
taken to Rose Hill Cemetery, where
q long cortege of friends followed
them to their last resting place.
During the funeral services all the
stores closed and business was sus-
pended, in token of the general love
and esteem in which the general
public held him, and the artillery
fired minute guns. Save these public
demonstrations, which was u natural
tribute to greatness, he was buried as
he had lived, without show or pomp.
On Tuesday the bar had met and
resolved to attend the funeral in a
body; which they did. A committee
was also appointed to draft suitable
resolutions to present at meeting to
be held the following day, after the
funeral services. In accordance with
this arrangement the bar met again
in the Circuit Court room at o'clock
| Wednesday. Col. n. r. Wilkes was
made Chairman and w. &. Taylor,
Secretary. The meeting was largely
attended, not only by the lawyers but
! by citizens in general. After the
reading of the resolutions a number
of appropriate speeches were made.
| The speakers were: Hon. n. n. Cox,
of Franklin, Hon. Flournoy Rivers, of
Pulaski, l.. p. Padgett, w. J. Web
ster, Geo C. Taylor, f.. w. Carnack,
Judge w. ). Fleming, p. II. Southall,
Jr., and Col. n. r. Wilkes.
| ITO loeOluJlbIl5 were
adopted by rising vote, and read as
follows:
Washington Currin Whitthorne was
! born in Lincoln County Tennessee
| April 10Th 1925. He graduated at East
Tennessee University in 1913, and
| studied law in the Office of President
! Polk. Was admitted to the Columbia
Bar May Sth 1915. He was afterward
elected and served several terms in the
Legislature of Tennessee and was at
one time speaker of the House of
| Representatives He was on the Demo
cratic electoral ticket in 1860 and made
| a brilliant canvass. He was in the CON
federate army and served as Adjutant
| General.
He came home and resumed the
! practice of law after the war, which he
| continued with great force and success
until he was elected to Congress in 1870.
| He held his position in Congress for a
great many years-about Is years. He
| had the warmest friends and although
! he frequently had to make hot can
vases of the district against able men,
his hold on the people of this district
was so strong that he was almost in
vincible, until he lost his health, and
even then he found the warmest sup
port from his old friends. His public
record is too well known to need COM
ment and too clear and bright and fresh
! in the minds of this people to need
eulOgV from US. He died on SepteIn Der
2lst 1891 and we are here to pay-tribute
to the memory of one more of the old
bar of Columbia. 1t is of his record as
a lawyer that il is most appropriate for
us to speak now. As counsel he was
able, prudent, cautious and learned
As practitioner he was astute, diligent,
careful and palnstaking. As advocate
! he was one Of the ablest, brightest, most
| eloquent and earnest men that ever adj
| peared at our bar. His distinctive trait
| in an argument was his intense earnest
ness. He had this faculty developed
i'll a marked degree and his success was
greatly due to this trait of character.
| He became thoroughly imbued with his
subject, and bad great force in an argu-
ment either before court or jury. In
| his demeanor he was courteous, polite
| and kind, always considerate of others,
and especially so of the feelings of the
| Younger members of the bar.
| Most of us have known him during
his career at the bar and have felt this
often, and we are greatly indebted to
| his influence and example, with others
| of the older members of orr bar, for tho
uniform habits of courtesy now exist
| ing here at this bar.
AS a man he was heightened and
| honorable, warm hearted and generous.
AS citizen always enterprising, and
| identified with the best interest of his
country, seeking by his efforts to add
to'her material prosperity and growth.
The United States arsenal located at
this point is monument to this trait Of
| MS
l. ReSOLUed that in the death of w. G..
WhitthOrne this bar has lost one of its
| ablest and most exemplary members,
the community one of its best citizens,
and the nation a worthy statesman.
2. ReSGLUed, that as members of this
| bar we bear testimony to his character
and commend his example to coming
generations.
3. RESOLVED, that we tender our
| sympathy to his bereaved wife and
children and relatives, together with a
copy of these resolutions, to be fur
nished by the Secretary of this meeting.
| 4. Resolved, that these resolutions be
published in our city papers and also
be presented by proper committees to
the several Courts of this country and
the Supreme Court at Nashville, for
entry upon the minutes as a testimonial
of our esteem for our departed brother.
VIM. j. WEBSTER.
GEO. e. TAYLOR.
l.. L. PADGETT.
N. r. WILKES.
Committee.
| PRESS COMMENTS.