The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1898-04-20
TRIBUTE TO GEORGE.
Memorial Exercises In the United
States Senate.
The Great Mississippian Loved by Ills
Comrades-senators waIthaIi and
Money Pay Their Respects
TO His Memory.


than Senator George, and few men have enjoyed
the same recognition OF ability, honesty and
courage in the United States senate as was the
| fortune OF the great Mssissippian. Representa-
tive senators OF every phase Of political factions
now composing that body spoke In eulogy OF
| Senator George. Senator walthall. the senior
senator from Mississippi, FIRST addressed the
senate. and In doing SO said:
In the Congressional Directory VIC find the
following modest and necessarily meagcr sketch
of the late Senator George. prepared with his
| approval:
james z. George, OF Carrollto,. was born In
| Monroe county Ca, October 20, 1s26; his father
having died In his infancy, he removed. when 8
year OF age. with his mother, to Noxubce county.
| Miss, where he resided two years; he then re-
moved TO Carroll county, where he was educated
| In the common schools then existing; he vol
unteercd as private In the First regiment Of
Mississippi volunteers In the Mexican war, com
| manded by Col. Jefferson Davis, and was at the
battle OF Monterey on his retarn he studied law.
| and was admitted TO the bar OF Carroll county I;
| ne was elected reporter TO the High Court OF
| Errors and Appeals In 1871 and reelected in
1850. and prepared and published ten volumes OF
the decis. ons OF that court. and afterward pre-
pared aud publishe digest OF all the decisions
| OF the Supreme Court and High Court Of Errors
and Appeals OF that State from the admission
| Of the State into the Union 10 and including the
| year 1870; he was member OF the convention In
| Mississippi In 1851 which passed the ordinance
| OF secession, and he voted for and signed that
instrument; lie was captain In the Twentieth
| regiment OF Mississippi volunteers In the Con-
| iederate States army, afterward a brisadier
| general OF State troops, and later a colonel OF
the Fifth regiment of Mississippi calvary In the
Confederate States army; was chairman of the
Democratic State executive committee In 1876
| In 1879 was appointed one OF the JUICES Of the
| supreme Court OF Mississippi and elected chief
| Justice; resigned his seat on the Supreme bench
in February, 1885, to take his seat In the senate
The 4th OF March OF that year. and was re- elected
| ia 1886 and again in January, 1892; was a menu
| Der OF tho constitutional convention OF the State
| Of Mississippi which was held In 1870 and framed
the present constitution OF the State"
In these few lines are eplomlzed some OF the
| leading features in the life work OF man who
| was prominent figure and important factor
| through many years. OF our countrys history
| most OF them eyentiul years for that section of
| The Union in which he resided
Between these lines and without them we must
| look for the original capacities and their de-
| velopment, the will power and the work, the
| qualities and the principles, the struggles and
| ,uccesses, the conflicts AMI triumpns which
made up and filed out the well rounded career
so modestly recited.
| This little sketch tells us he was educated in
| he common schools OF that early day In Missis-
sippi; but II Is only by their fruits that we know
Of the patience and courage. the tolls and trials
| it cost him TO overcome his early disadvantages
and acquire that splendid intellectual equipment
| in after life exhibited in various arenas.
| We are told that he was volunteer In the
Mexican war and was at the battle OF Monterey,
| cuts but little figure in the record of the cam
| paigns In which he makes great names for other
men, Tradition, often juster than recorded
history, assigns 10 their proper PAGES of credit
| the namcless heroes OF the field and In the story
| Of this young soldiers service his gallantry and
| devotion are abundantly attestci.
| On his return from Mexico he studied law and
| was admitted to tht bar but In the fact that he
| soon established himself in practice where there
| was formidable compel ition, despite The draw
| back OF his imperfect education and the inter
ruption in his p eparation caused by his military
| service, we see the workings OF that element OF
| success which WAS illustrated In all his under
| takings. For such lawyer as he became to
| issue ten volumes Of reported decisions of the
| appellate court was of itself no great perform
| ancc. but when their completeness and the
rapidly with which they were prepared and
| published in the midst OF other engagements are
conSidcrei 4. it was a remarkable achievement
| My acquaintance with my late colleague began
| in 1852, when was imittei to the bar and he
| was We'll ON his way TO professional distinction
| Thereafter until his death we were citizens Of
| adjoining counties, and for many years were ac-
| tive practitioners in the same courts, always
| members of the same political party and gem
orally in agreement touching party policies and
| public movements in our State. For nearly
al, nj
and they were so when he died. There were
| some intermediate interruption none leading to
permanent estrangement. and all adjusted with
| out formal explanation, incident tn constant
contact beiwce two men who respected each
| other and themselves but whose opinions, tastes
| and interests (other than politically were not
| always in accord.
| These occasional disturbances OF a friendship
| which for large part of forty-five years was
| somewhat close and often confidential are re-
ferred to now, when there should be no aifecta-
| lions or false pretcnses, because the truth re-
qulrcs 1t, and they afforded opportunities no less
| Illustrative than others had OF estimating the
attributes and characteristics OF the remarkable
| man / would faithfully represent. He was a
| strong man, full OF resources and conscious OF
his power He was sclf-re liant, self approving,
self-asserting, and in self help he put his chief
| dependence. He knew his own capacity for
work, he had faith in the strong fiber OF his mind
| and body and he did not underyalue his intel
| lectual grasp and yisor. He was essentially a
| practical man, 4 reason in all things was his
| guide.
| lie read books for what he could get out OF
| them that couli be turned to practical account,
| and he studied men and things well as books.
| He dealt with substance and shadows neither
| diverted nor deluded him. In his fayorite pro-
| jec,s he was impatient OF opposition, and il at
| times he seemed inclined TO overbear those who
| sought to thwart him, it was due to the zeal OF
| an earnest man with fixed opinions striving to
| do something he thought should be accom-
plished. In conflict he was reSOute and I'M
| compromising; he contendeu obstinately and
| sometimes pressed his advantages unsparingly,
| but when defeat was inevitable he recognized 1t
promptly and without brooding or repining was
| soon engrossed in other work his hand found to
| do. independent in thought always, he was
| sometimes so in action when man more polite
| aad tactfu might have found reason for concert
| and CO. operation.
He was no more forgetful of his friends and
| their rights than of himself AMI his, and he
SANITY sought the advancement OF those who
| allied themselves with his fortunes He was
| capable OF any high act OF self abnegatlon II
there were cause enough 10 Justify IL, but he
brooked no posiponement of himself any more
than of his friends Oh any strained idea OF mag
nanImlty or other aifeciaton. lie considered no
preferment too good for himself or for them Of
which they were worthy and for which they
were ntted, and he openly claimed what he
thought was due to either. He had his own
/ standard of proper conduct between man and
man; IT was founded on a sound morality, and
he lived up TO 1t scrupulously and consistently.
lie was plain man, transformations, direct and
courageous He was rugged IN the honesty as