The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1897-06-12
Gen. Gordon's Visit.

Gen. John b. Gordon, delivered hi
celebrated lecture "The Last Days o
the Confederacy' at Baton Rouge las
Friday, and tho Advocate of the GIL
pays the noble old hero the followin:
eloquent and well merlted tribute
The visit of this distinguished South
ern leader and lofty spirited American
to our city, on Friday, and his stirrins
address to our people were events o
more than ordinary Importance in the
daily routine of affairs in Baton Rouge
The great popularity of this eninen
| citizen of the Republic is not entirely
due to his brilliant record as Il soldier
however much that may endear him t,
the hearts of Southern people, a fact
which is evidenced by the immense
| crowds he draws and the enthusiasm
he creates in New York, or Chicago %.
Boston, where they cheer hin, to the
echo whenever lie appears in public
We Of the South love Gen. Gordon be-
cause he stood true to us in the dark
est hour of our existence. We love him
because he attested his fealty to prin-
clple, to home and friends wherever an
enemy OF the South was found, whether
on the field of carnage or in the halls of
legislation. We love him because Lee
and Davis loved him and honored him
us one in every sense worthy of leader
ship among those who were the "rose
and expectancy of the fair State" We
love him because in the bloody days
that marked the desperate struggles of
our famished bands around Richmond
and Oh the terrible retreat from Peters
burg to AppomatoX, wherever danger
was there flashed the bright faIchion of
Gordon, where men fought and died,
p,.IInH fn ,l,tt ,I,.,,
Henry of Navarro inspiring his soldiers
10y the magnetism of bis presence and
urging them forward by deeds of dar
ing such as the world has seldom seen.
This Is why we of the South idolze
this man who was the friend and cOun-
sellor of Lee, but there must be rea-
sons other than these which turns the
heart of the North to him and causes
the vetaran In blue to vie with his
brother who wore the gray in doing
honor to this distinguished sou of the
South. We can readily understand
that as III the cases of lovers, SD all the
world loves IA gallant soldier, but bril-
liant as were the martial achievements
Of General Gordon and splendid as was
his courage upon the battle field, there
must bea something yet which causes
his late enemies to rally around him and
hang with breath'ess interest, il not
even with atfection,Supon his burning
words.
That something is, the lofty pat.io.
tlsm OF the man-thrysamo spirit wliir!.
prompted him ttr,r,aw bis sword l,Iu,-
tense Of his country, hut whicil(now
Leaps over The barriers which sectional
pre- ejudice has ere.,ed and ,nebraces
North and South and>4.a, st111 ..rr u West in
the bonds of ii common brotherhood
and a common purpose. Like his dis
tlngulshed prototype, Lee, when Cot
don laid down his sword at Appomatux,
the war in so far as he was concerned,
was ended. His gaIIantry upon many
a well fought field shed Iustre upon
American arms, but when he laid down
his sword he did not, as SO MANY
have done, renew tho war with
his tongue. AS chief executive of
great State, he set au example to his
people which has borne fruit and placed
his State in the trout ranks both as re-
CARDS civic virtue and material pro.
gress. AS u Senator of tie United
States his eloquent voice was never
raised in rancoruns debate, or in USE
less sectional controversies and finally
AS John b. Gordon, the plain, grand
American citizen, now painfully toiling
uoWn tile western slopes OF the hill OF
life, his sunset hour is made radiant
with the holy light of patriotism that
beams and glows from a heart that pull
safes with love deep enough and broad
enough tOeDcompass to the whole coun-
try.
1t is like a benediction to hear Cor
don speak His masterful pose, his
deep finely modulated, resonant voice
as of one born to command, his striking
face-mobile and responsive to the
strong emotions that move his heart.
his beautifully rounded periods, his
bursts Of patriotic senti-
contribute to enthrall the in
tellect, to capture the heart and to
make one proud that he is native of
4 country that produced such a magni-
ficently poised character