The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-23
Ex-Gov. Chamberlain's Tribute to General
Kershaw.

one of the finest tributes We have ye
seen. 1t was private letter, but th
,, friends of Mr.. Kershaw, through Maj
J. d. Blanding, requested its publica
ton and it appeared in the Columbia
State of the 6tb, and with your per
mission, Mr.. Editor, we reproduce TIL:
: graceful and deserved tribute from on
who was an opponent, but rises above
party to eulogize the character of mar
whom he knew to be truly great anG
good. Every young Carolinian shoald
read these golden words of praise and
emulate the principles which governed
| and adorned the work of the noble.
hearted Kershaw, the imperial trait Of
whose character was to be found in the
beautiful simplicity and urbane man.
ner - of his daily Christian life
r. b. G.
"Rev. John Kershaw, Sumter, s. c.:
My Dear Sir-My acquaintance with
your father, the late Gen. Kershaw, and
nay estimate of him in his late rela-
tions to the best interests of the people
of this State impel me to write you a
few words.
"My point of view of Gen. Kershaw
was so different from that of most Of
those who may characterize hir1, that
my judgment of him may have some
special interest for you and his friends.
In August last, I had the honor to meet
him in his own house. The high cour-
tesy and evident respect with which he
received me touched me deeply, and
left with me fresh impression of the
man which would not willingly lose.
| No one whom I have known has illus
trated for me more strongly the power
ofcharacter-simple character-charac-
ter without reference to abilities or
deeds. His abilities were large, his life
was full of many noble, and hot few
heroic, deeds, but one felt, when mark
ing bis personality, that the secret of
the power he welded lay in high,
firm, genuine, pure charaeter-a type
and habit of thought, feeling and life
which would have borne him safely
through any possible perils or trials.
"Of the strength and soundness of
this personal and moral outfit he gave
the final proofs and stood the sternest
tests. He was tried by the widest
changes of circumstances and reverses
of fortune-changes and reverses which
touched every interest of his life, as
we'll as every aspect of the social and
public life which surrounded him.
Who that knew him can forget how
calmly, patiently and cheerfully be
bore himself amidst all this wreck of
fortunes and of hopes? Mems aequa in
arduis might have been his lofty motto,
but he lived by a loftier than any Stole
or Roman precept. A simple sense of
duty-duty to family, to friends, to
fellow citizens-nerved and upheld
him-the sentiment of the great COM
mander whom he followed so hereical-
ly in war-'Auman virtue should be
equal to human calamity There is
no mortal achievement oS felicity great
er than this.
"And he was not without his reward
even here. Instinctively and univer-
sally his fellow-citizens saw and hon.
ored his spirit and rendered him their
love and confidence. 70 posts of un-
official duty and trust, tc Offices Of chief
honor and confidence they repeatedly
called him, and when failing health
compelled him to drop the robes of
office and cease from public labors, the
great love and veneration Of the whole
State attended him in his retirement
and to the last roment.
"He was, however, one of a group of
his contemporaries here-a group now
sadly thinned by death-who won
wide influence by no overshadoving
abilities or subtle arts, but only by de-
serving under all the dire strains and
crises of peace and war, of prosperity
and success as of. disaster and defeat,
the perfect confidence of their fellow
men. Not by brilliant parts nor by
dazzling deeds, not by eloquence so
powerful and so priced here, not by
high birth or station, or the power of
wealth so nearly omnipotent in the
minds of the foolish, but by clear
faith in things essentially high and
noble, these men prevailed and will
prevail. They have met Burke's test
1t is laid in the unalterable constitu-
tion of things, they only can aspire to
act greatly who are Of force greatly to
suffer- OF these Gen.. Kershaw was
confessedly one.
MANY lines of Wordsworth's 'Charac-
ter Of the Happy Warrior seem to me
to draw the picture of bis life and
nature.
"In thinking of him Burke's phrase,
"a finished man. at once occurs to me-
finished not only by the exposition Of
the highest qualities and phases Of
character during long and rounded
career, but now, alas! finished by the
calm closing Of the chapter of life itself.
So long as courtesy, gentleness, mod
esty, cheerful patience in adversely,
unselfsh and devoted service to the
public. sober aad unfaltering Christian
faith, are adjudged the highest and
sweetest human virtues, we cannot
doubt that Gen. Kershaw will be
ranked by the judicious among the
noblest men Of bis generation.
"By you, dear Mr.. Kershaw, and by
all who now claim or may hereafter