The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1896-01-13
THE GREATEST MAN
Arp Tells Of the Difference Of Opinion
Among His NeishbOrS
WHEN ASKED THE QUESTION
Half Century-Infiuences Caused
Some Answers.

! II was a goodly company and bounte-
Gus feast While enjoying both We DIS
| cussed the affairs of tho nation In phi
iosophic mood. and in temperate, con-
siderate manner expressed our opinions
| of men and measures-noting the differ
! encos that honestly ross 'sscd eacn o'Gei-
| ont guest. ! yentured TO ask i qI.stion
| HAT each might answer Who is the
| greatest American. living or dead. OF tho
| last half century? II would he surprising
| TO hear the answers to this question in
! any little coterie Of intellsent. wen edu-
Gated gentlemen. Almost every man has
| his idol whom he worships or admirea, not
without reason, but with more regard than
| is justly due. We are drffted into chan
| nels Of thought by circumstances, hy sur
| roundings, by hcredity. We become the
! creatures Of prejudice. both in politics and
| religion. This Is human nature and there
J is nothing wrong about II when il ia kept
within bounds Of liberation for tho opinions
| Of others. Only the intOleTant get up dis
cord.
who ia the greatest mann" l asked
Grover Cleveland" said Mr.. l'ito rob
! Toomhs and General Grant" said Mr.. Jaw
rail. "Dr. Atticus Haygood," said Judge
Akin, promptly. jefferson Davis SAID
| Mr. Carey. "Ah, there now" they all
/ responded. "Of course--of course, JeSer-
! son Davis was the greatest mantle very
greatest man" when 7 was called 10 r.
spond / said: "None OF you are old enough
! TO have seen the greatest man, hut ] saw
! him when was lad and he put his hand
uron my head and said kind ard tender
! words 10 me. lie was passing through cur
! town and my father took me 20 the hotel
/ That ] might see the greatest and best
man in the nation, as he Ca,l~d him. II
| may he that his bcnedicti0n upon me has
! had something to do with nay n TO wor-
! ship, my idolatry. but my occasional pc
! rusal Of hts biography and his speeches
! have confirmed mo In my opinions. lie nas
! hccn dead forty-five years, hut I sim be-
| l.eve that John c. calhoun was the gra at
| est man. lie vas the model upon which
| Jefferson Davis built his own great char
! acter.'
! Now, SEQ how our little party d Tered
| and their differences can be traced To
! some collateral influences. Emory college
! and John Wesley Method SIN had some
! thing to 40 with Judge john Wesley Al,iuss
/ 0olatry. l suspect that his second choice
1 would be Judge BleGkey, whom no loves
| TO speak Of. He visited Judge Ble-hl.y
4 at Clarke.yille not long ago and listened
| eagerly az he discoursed Of MS early life.
! My mother" said he. '~as not an ecu
Gated woman. She was not a beautiful
! woman. In fact, she was hcmely. / never
| saw her look beautiful hut once only
| once, aud that YVES when she was dead
aud was shruudcd fer the coffin. she look
I e' ike a. anger teCiihE til'tt a+tu i "
great tears Of sorrow. My heart was al
| most breaking. for she lad be n such u
! dear, good mother 20 me" The judge
! paused long enough 10 wipe the tears that
! came from rs taNernous eyes
! ana 10 recover his wonted
/ speech. Cut my friend. her life and
! hcr reE1 ion wax al concentrated in one
/ beautiful word, the most beautiful IN our
Z language md thatrsr 6uty-du-y. There IS
: no greatness thaE y fealy great without
/ il. Ally dear mothers daily lfe thought
! and deed Was one Of 6utv-duty 20 GOD and
| her family and ncigl'bors. she never spoke
/ Of 1t nor boasts1 OF it, but She acted Il
ana We saw II md loved her-yee, we
! loved every feature IF her cveet and horne
/ ly face ] do not owe all TO her, but 7
/ DO owe the better part-ycs all that is
tard,r a0d loving and true"
/ NJ. Jcrrau spoke az General Grants
| greatness as "a military commander and
his maenan.mity toward Us after we were
I conquered Ia that was thc aeroism OF ms
! character. Then he spoke of Tcomtss Wen
| dcrful cifts as an orator and statesman
/ and patriot but lamcutcd that for so long
/ n time he failed TO set a high neral exam
| Tlc 90 the young men Of the state. After
! me lad Joined tho church he occasionally
! was overcome by temptat.Gn-his bcscttirs
I desire for stiInalaut and IN all seriousness
| he spoke Of il 10 Bishop fcarcc. his life
iorg friend and wanted a Theological eX-
| PLANTATION.
"Now George" said he "if am really
converted. why is +. that l crave whisky
and why is IT that ! can't resist the
| desire. Vt seems to me that n true Chris
tian should have no urloly desires. May
bc / am not converted"
Mr.. Fite is an ONCE holder and On Office
seeker. both OF which are honora-
tle to al honorable men and
he has been following old Grover so
Nj. Carey is not troubled much with
present politics. Ills ideal is dead and he
loves 10 worship at hts shrira There are
many Of his mind but they make but little
noise in the noisy world.
| l. too, love TO worship there and at Nr.
| Calhoun's, TOO. [ love to read what the
| grcat men, his rivals, said about Nr Cal
hom when It was announced in The SON
I ate that nc was dead Mr. Webster said:
He was a man Of great genius and com-
handing talent. All the world
admits that when he last adj
dressed us we could imagine that we
saw before us senator from Rome when
Rome survived. Ills high character was
one OF un;mpeached honor and unspottcd
! integrity. ! do not believe he ever had
| selfish motive or selfish feeling" Henry
| Clay said His genius was of the very
| highest order and tho charm o. his pres ence
and his powers were felt by all who con-
| NprSCd with nm. EDWARD Fsfftfit S'+lN-
calhoun. Clay and Webster! l name them
in their proper order. The great thinker,
tho great leader. the great orator. Duty
patriotio duty, was his life work. I've
been wondering what he had to do with
tho Monroe doctrine. He was Monroea
secretary OF state when il was enunciated
and l reckon was it's inspiration. But af-
ter oil, Mr.. Calhoun's most lovahle quail
| ties were seen in his private life as hus-
band. father, friend end neghhor. In all
these he was pure and without reproach.
What more need be said of him. | wished
10 say this much in justification Of my
idolatry. ! have been to Fort Hill, where
he used to live and sat at the great table
that was made of walnut taken from the
friCate Constitution. l have handled the
books in his library and looked at the
| beautiful paintings in his picture gallery.
| I have walked down the steps and drank
! water from the fountain that he drank
! from and I feel like pilgrim feels who
! goes to Mecca.
New let younger men indulge In these
~ ss szs> 81 Co. - Rll
4 If you want sure relief fol
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