The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-04-01
Hoar's Tribute to Harris.

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Mr.. President-The great career
of Senator Harris is well known to
his countrymen. He has been foI
more than a generation a striking
and conspicuous figure in our public
: life. His colleague, his successor,
the men of his own political faith,
the people of the great State which
he served and honored aud loved so
long, will, each in their own way,
portray his character and record
their esteem and affection. My
tribute must be that of a political
opponent. So far as | have been
able to exert any influence upon
the history of my country during
the long conflict now happily passed,
it has been in opposition to him, to
the party to which he belonged, to
opinions which he held, l am sure,
quite as zealously and conscientious
ly as l hold my own.
We entered the senate on the
same day. He was a SOutherner,
a Democrat and a Confederate. |
was born and bred in New England,
a Republican and an abolitiomist.
We rarely spoke in the same debate
except on different sides. Yet
have no memory of him that is not
tender and affectionate, and there
is nothing that | can honestly say
of him except words of respect and
honor. He was typical Souther-
ner. He had the virtues and foibles
that belong to that character in the
generation, the last of whom are
now passing from the stage of
public action. He was a man of
very simple and very high qualities
He was q man of absolute frankness
in public behavior and in private
dealing. The thought that was in
his heart corresponded absolutely
with the utterance of his lips. He
had nothing to conceal. was about
to say he was a man without the
gift of diplomacy. But he was a
man with the gift of the highest
Observation-Disclosures, simplicity,
frankness, courage qualities which
make always their way to their
mark and to their goal, over all cir
cumlocutiOns and antiquities. He.
was a man of brief, clear and com
pact speech. He would sum up in
a few vigorous and ringing sentences
the argument to which other men
would give hours or days. He had
an instinct for the hinge or turning
point of the debate.
He was a man of absolute integrity
and steadfastness. What he said,
that he would do. Where you left
him, there, so long as he lived, you
would find him when you came back.
He was of unfinching courage.
He was not afraid of any antagonist
whether in the hall of debate or on
the field of battle. He was an
acknowledged master of parliament
airy lava system upon which not
only the convenient procedure of
legislative bodies largely depends,
but which has close relations to
constitutional liberty itself. How
often few simple and clear senten-
ces of his have dispersed the clouds
and brought order of confusion in
this chamber. His great legislative
experience made him invaluable as
a servant of his own State, of the
country and as a counsellor to his.
younger associates. lie was a pleas
ant man in private intercourse.
He had great sense of honor, a gift
of portraiture, a good memory. So
he brought out of the treasurer-house
of his varied experience abundant
matter for the delight of young and
old. There is no man left in the
senate who was better company in
the hours of recreation. His in
fuence will be felt here for a long
time. His striking figure will still
seem to be lowering about the senate
chamber, still sitting, still delibera-
ting, still debating.
Mr.. President, it Is delightful to
think how, during the lives of the
men who took part in the great con-
fict which preceded and followed
the civil war, and the greater conflict
of the war itself, the old bitterness
and arrangements are all at last
gone. Throughout the whole land
the word 'countryman' has become
a title of endearment. The memory
of the leaders of that great conflict
is preserved as tenderly by the man
who fought with them as by the
man who followed them. Massachu-
setts joins with Tennessee in laying
a wreath on the tomb of her great
soldier, her great governor, her
great senator. lie was faithful to
truth as he saw 1t; to duty as he
understood it; to constitutional |
liberty as he conceived it. If, as
some of us think, he erred, his error
was that of a brave man ready to
give life and health and hope to the
unequal struggle,
To his loved cause he offered, free from stain
Courage and faith; vain faith and courage VAN.
And, Mr.. President, when he re-
turned to his allegiance, he offered .
to the service of his reunited country |
the same zeal and devotion he had /
given to the Confederacy. There
was no reserved or half-hearted 10y
atty. We could have counted on
his care for the honor and glory of