The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-09-27
GENERAL GORDON'S SPEECH.
Delivered In Atlanta the Day Of tho
Burial Of President Mckinley.

"Nly fellow Countrymcn | am
not permitted to doubt that the
vast majority of tins great audience
arc believers in God and in his
special providence over this be-
rcavcd republic; and although We
stand today in the presence Of Il
great national calamity with our
nerves still quivcring under the
stress of that stroke which sent to
his grave the nations foremost cit
izcn, yet in the darkness Of this
valley ! think | can see beyond the
hilltops the coming of Il more glori-
GUS cifulgcncc to succeed this gloom.
" God moves in Il mysterious
way his wonders to perform.
These inspired and immortal words
were long ago pcnncd by England's
hcavcnly-mindcd poet, but their
truth has been illustrated only to-
day by Amcrica's martyrcd prcsi-
dent. William Cowpcr wrote
these words as he had escaped
from IL contemplated death at his
own hands. William Mex inlcy
has illustrated them when the icy
grip of the King of Tcrrors was
still upon him. Cowpcr in the &C
stacy of his estate said, God moves
i'll a mysterious way; William
Mckinley, with that grip still up
on his vitals, exclaimed, rs he look
ed calmly and bravely into the face
Of the King Of Tcrrors, is GODS
way, let his will, not ours b. donc.'
"And then as if catching Il
glimpse Of the glorics beyond his
saintcd spirit breathcd OF. the liv-
ing prayer, Nearer my God TO
Thee Great as was this illustri-
Gus American life, in my judg-
ment, he was infinitely greater in
the hour Of his death; superb as
you have already been told as he
was as young soldier in the field
Of blood and Of carnage, illustrious
as he afterwards became in the
civic arena, it was reserved for the
close Of his life to furnish the fit
ting climax, like halo around the
brow Of his glorious career.
Ut was my fortune to know this
man intimately for more than a
quarter of a century. My relations
to him during all these htrul years
were peculiarly close and friendly.
In the official intercourse, in the
freedom and abandon of private
friendship, | learned the trend Of
his thoughts, his emotions and his
scnsibilitics. felt. in a word, the
beating Of his great heart, and now
that those beatings have been still
Sb ioiSFSl, III llllS llOtl, us llltll
noble form is being borne to the
tomb, | want to tell you, my south
ern countrymcn, that no word Of
bitterness ever escaped his Ii ps,
and no sectional bigotry ever blind
ed his vision or dwarfed his great
soul. (Grcat applausc.)
"ls it any wonder, then, that
such man should have been hon
orcd and loved as few men have
been? Is it any wonder, Mr.. May
or, that this city should pay him
the tribute of respect while he lived
and Of her grief that he is dead q?
Is it any wonder that rs Confcd-
crates, we should honor the knight
ly soldier, who rising above the
passions Of the partisan, uttered IN
this central city Of the south those
memorable =. words, which rang
through southern hearts and homes
as the heavenly message, Peace on
earth and good will to men, rang
through the hills of Judca? (Ap-
plause.) Is it any wonder that as
disciples of the risen Lord, we hold
in our heart Of hearts that dying
testimony of the truth Of our glori-
Gus and cherished Christianity,
those words that shall ring in the
honest hearts till time shall be no
more? Peace, peace to his hororcd
ashes! -
lie ADDRESS OF Hen. IIor s
SMITH.
"Mr. Chairman, Ladies' and
Gentlemen We mourn a dead
president. We give thanks for a
Christian life. Mr.. Mckinley rose