Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1892-07-13
THE GALLANT KNIGHTS
THIS AFTERNOON AT THE
RACE COURSE.
The Field of the Cloth of Gold
Tournament Begins at 3 O'Clock
Who the COMtesting knights

ment occurred at the race track this
afternoon. The tournament parade
formed on Merrimon avenue about
O'Clock and marched through the city,
headed by Chief of Police Mcdowell and
a squadron Of mounted police. Chief
Marshal w. L. Breesc commanded. The
streets along the route of the procession
were packed with spectators.
Szr Carter's Charge.
When the parade reached the grounds
the knights formed in line and were
charged by Hon. Eug. ID. Carter i'll the
following eloquent words
"Sn KnightS,-The days of cbivalty
as we know them from history, tradi-
ton and song, arc passed away, let us
hope never to return. The spirit of
knight -crrantry was born in an intensely
heroic epoch Of human history, and was
in its purrst ideals, as it were, rainbow
of promise spanning the dark clouds
lowering oyer the age that gave it
birth. 1t was light beam in world
of moral, spiritual and intellectual dark
ness. To the strong-sighted and true
hearted, however, it was as The dawn
ing OF a better era, 'sweeter than day
spring to the shipwrecked in Nova Zem-
bla. In the language of the song it was
| a CLEAN of hope in 1nazcs OF danger, it
was the promise of higher destiny for
then beclouded humanity, it was but the
echo of a decp-toned voice in the heart
of mau crying aloud for something
higher and better, and which has rolled
from the soul of one generation of men
to another, and which has grown and
| will grow forever and forever.
"Blt, notwithstanding the fact that
heroic and valiant men, in therdark ages,
clung to the chivalric idea for the prom
se that is closed, and fair women hal
lowed it in loving hearts and sanctlfled
it with their sweetest smiles, neverthe'
less, to great extent, and in its forms
Especially, the chivalry of those ages was
a false chivalry, partaking almost en-,
tirely of bestial contests, in which brute
force almost always won. Saladn's dex'
terity in severing a silk scarf with a
scimitar was rcckoned a great feat and
called forth more applause than the
heroic Richards act of splitting his mace
with his battle axe. But even admit.
ting the iustness of the verdict of the
time, it is the only instance where the
victory was awarded to skill oyer
Drawn and muscle, The brutal lists
where mailed men charged upon each
other like wild stays in the forest, tor the
smiles OF sweet women and the plaudlts
of brave men, when the splintered spear
shafts cracked and flew, and horse anc
rider reeled, have given place to the
genter and more humane contests be
tween friendly rivals, in which the slight
est bodily injury to anyone would be th'
result of an accident and regarded by the
entire community as calamity,
Hunan lite and limb are held more sacred
now than in the days gone by. In the
age of knight-crrantry lite was
indeed brief candle, a tale told by ar
idiot, frll of sound and fury, signityine
nothing But the value placed upor
human life has enhanced since then. ant
the chief glory of this Nineteenth, thu
crown OF all the centuries that arc deat
and gone is the high regard we pay tt
human life.
While these contests arc not savaS
and fatal like those of wore, the rewards
axe greater now than then for the look
which ladies bend on whom their favor
fall, are sweeter now than in the tea
cup times of hood and hoop, and Will
the patch was worn Vac victis is III
| l.. ~, E,t, T>Et ba 4
him who worthily strives and loses, en-
lightened Christian Judgment awards ;
need of praise almost as great as to hin
who strives and wins. The shatterini
trumpet still shrillcth high, but it is tt
call to the contest men of gentle lives ant
: kindly manners. and to teats ot ski
alone.
"rhc holy grail, for which Sir Gala
had went in search, and 5eheld by him
rapt visions on lonely mountain mcres
in the hands of angels with folded feet
} in stoles of white" and sailing on slccI
ing wings, has been found by knights
gallant as he, but more modern an
: more sane, and consists i'll the sweett
manners and purer laws which make Ii
SO much the better worth living.
The spirit of the true knight st
beats its mortal bars as down dal
tides the glory slides and star-ilke mi
g SNs VIII 'ne s.als' ] ous ,l,,aa" ~ -,
. nusic oi d sWeelei sy"l,aony, l'is, a. IL,
lnri'ls WITH Inc luyais ol s'a'4Il tLa ui, ai
IL nc e,ouus ,''r sun n.."Hs I,s III . ON ON
f. ano 'hrough .ne mountain s".,Is M"'iS ., ~ ~,
~ e ,t.n .,tt =.
snahes ,lmu ia,.s' M'"ss , sun ~ +ha n"t,' ~
y voiegs SUI. l'ovea 'iin.s I'i1 SGu st;II sa;
n kn'snt IN lnc c ~oinus.s; ~ ;thG,I 10 FIX + , %"
C. as OF o'o on' Jus. n a,,'t - ,,,en'' ue". mug
ID OF Too' os r'ue Gm ame P''Ns ch,rGe 10 e vou
IN ~ on..u'lSn, s,, ~ "e t,s i,
hnlghts' 10 70 loI.a '',to , .ne iiL,l'e lm H., IL;
he TO-DAY, NOT hke Una. "A az ,., .hus, WY t,,s W.
&C. lahce at res; s.aL ao .h .u.ie " ol aou.
H. nent shot tlrous .Te d;es "s.s smd "' of a i;nO
pelore tne eyes u. lau,'I f i,ta anu nd VI ,,hnt s
~. Do Su. 81. -, and f,, ~ 9
tlli'e' IN '''enu'' ''''''' ''n' 'o' Nv .
o'u Gnu ;., .,,o o,;,,s