The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-12-25
uE is AN OLD mANELoooRNT
Bill Arp Says Senator Morgah, of
Alabama, is a Great Man
Atlantis Constitution.

Alabama, ts Great Man
Atlantis Constitution. -.
Az I Looked upon tho likeness u
General Morgan that gtaccti the Nicm
rau.a hc.rIlInes IN The Constitution
could MT help saying to myself
"Thcic sa great u,an. I pray that
he may 'i-r tO ace tho canal completed
anil be N,r hon red guest of Tho boat
that makes tho ihst tlil across from
ocean l." a., can" IL looks like Provl-
denco rchr'd him up To champion that
great wmN and has preserve, him in
health aud devotion until at last the
bill has passcd and all obsta:ies are re-
moved. knew that he is happy and
feels scrcncIy triumphant. III was
an Alabaman, would feel proud oi
Morgan. Ii l was Tennrsscan, l
would feel proud, for he was born there
and there spent ten years of his youth.
But am proud OF him nyhow, for he
public life has been unselfish and true
to his people. His good health aud
well preserved faculties encourage me
to live on and on just rs long as 1 can,
for he is just two years older than am
and is still vigorous and useful.
He is the old man eloquent and like
Nathaniel Macon never said an idle or
foolish thing. He is as solid as rock,
self-poised and selt-prepared on all
great questions. In 1861 he volunteer
ed as private and soon rose to major
and then to lieutenant colonel; next he
raised and equipped regiment and
became its colonel. In 1868 he was
nominated for brigadier general by
Robert E. Lee, but declined it. Later
on he was constrained to accept the
honor and was with General Johnston
TO the close. In 1876 he was elected
TO the United States Senate and re-
elected in 1882, in 1888, in 1894, and
again in 1900, making. his fifth success
sive term. He well deserves monu-
ment after he dies and place in the
Hall OF Fame. 1t is a comfort to us
all to be assured that no man ranks
him in the United States Senate, for
he is treasure-house Of knowledge,
and there is not cloud over his eau
dor, his truth or his integrity. When
he speaks he has something to say and
knows how to say it and when to quit.
Tom Benton said of Nathaniel Macon,
{" He rarely spoke but few sentences,
but uttered more good sense in getting
up out Of his chair and sitting down
again than was contained in the long
and elaborate speeches of most Sena-
tors"
General Morgan's long career re.
minds me Of Macon, for he, too, was a
private in the Revolutionary war. lie
held public Office Tor iifty-seven years
and John Randolph said Of him, "He
is the wisest, the purest and the best
man ever knew" Twice he declined
a place in the cabinets of two presi-
dents, but after he had retired and was
72 years old he accepted the office of
justice of the peace in his home dis
trict. He never recommended any of
his kindred for appointment to office.
He refused pay for his service as
soldier and refused to receive a pension
afterwartls-and voted against all pen
sions or rewards or gratuities. He
died as calmly as Socrates, but with
out the poison, and his grave Is ON a
high, barren ridge marked with no
marble, only pile of stones, which
was according to his will.
Nathaniel Macon was my fathers
ideal of great and good man. He
placed him above all other statesmen,
for he declared that he was as wise as
Solo mon and purer than David. When
1 was in Warren County some years
ago was t.ld that Mrcon's father
lived in an old-fashioned double log
house and that he himself hewed the
logs. For some years it had mud and
stick chimneys above the fire-jams and
was covered with boards of his own
make. In course Of time he tore away
the chimneys and rebuilt them of
stone and brick, and tore away the
boards and covered with shingles.
Later on as he got able he weather.
boarded the outside with plank and
ceiled the inside by beginning at the
top of the wall and letting the plank
lap up instead Of down, 80 that his
wife could pour hot water in the cracks
and kill the bedbugs. I reckon that |
Tom Benton, who wrote his biography,
got his anti-pension principles from
Macon, for Benton in great speech |
In the Senate opposed q pension to
General Harrlson's widow and called |
it ga new departure that would lead
to the bottomless gulf of pensions and
gratulties." Weii it is q bottomless
gulf both to the State and the nation.
In this connection I ruminated OH
who were our greatest men in Georgia
who most deserve niche in the
temple Of fame. by common consent,
Oglethorpe seems entitled to the first
place, but dozen or more have advo-
Gates for the second place. reckon,
however, that Crawford Long will get
it,-not as statesman or soldier or
inventor or philanthropist, but rather
as thoughtful discoverer like Jenner,
who discovered the healing art of vac
cination. The question IS very per-
picking one, for some are great in one
phase of character and some In anoth-
or. My wife thinks that Bishop Pearce
was the greatest man, because he had
the greatest calling and filled it as no
other man has done, and she quotes
that verse from Daniel which says,
They who have called many TO
righteousness shall shine as the stars
forever and forever" My wife grew
up under his matchless preaching, and