The Atlanta constitution., 1901-12-16
Bill Hrp'S Letter


eral Morgan .hat graced the Nicarauga
headlines in The Constitution l could not
help saying to myself. There is great
man. i pray that he may live to see the
canal completed and be the honored guest
of the boat that makes the first triI'
across frcm ocean to ocean," 1t looks
like Providence reared him up to cham
pion that great work and has preserved
him in health and devotion until at last
the bill has passed and all obstacles are
removed. | know that he is happy aho
feels serenely triumphant. II / was an
Alabaman, / would feel proud OF Morgan.
If | was Tennessean, i would reel prouo,
for he was born there and there spent
ten years of his youth. But l am prouu
of him anyhow, for he is a southern man
and all his long public life has been un,
selfish and true to MS people. HIS goou
health and well preserved faculties en-
courage me to live on and on just as long
as | can, for he is just two years oluer
than | am and is still vigorous ana use
full. He is the old man eloquent ana hke
Nathaniel Macon never said AN ldle OF
foolish thing. He is as solid as a rock
self-poised and sef-prenared Oh all gEedt
questions. In 1861 he volunteered as a
private and soon rose to major and then
to lieutenant colonel: next he raised ana
equipped a regiment and became its COLO
mel In 1868 he was nominated tor brlga-
dier general by Robert E. Lee, Dut de-
cliued it. Later on he was constrained I'd
accept the honor and was with General
Johnston to the close. In 1876 ne was
elected to the United States senate and
reelected in 1882. in 1883. in 1891, and again
in 1900. making his fifth successive term
He well deserves a monument after ne
dies and a place in the Hall OF Fame Ii Is
Il comfort to US all to be assured that no
man ranks him in the United states sell
ate, for he is a treasure-house OF KhoWl-
edge. and there is not a cloud over his
candor his truth or his integrity. When
he speaks he has something to say ana
knows how 10 say it and when to qlit.
Tom Benton said Of Nathaniel Macon,
'He rarely spoke but a few sentences,
but uttered more good sense in getting
up cut Of his chair and sitting down again
than was contained in the long and eltb-
crate speeches of most senators Cen
eral Morgan's long career reminds me oil
Macon, for he. too,waS a private IN the
revolutionary war. lie held pubic ofuce
for hfty-seven years and John RandClph
said Of him. He = the wisest. the puTest
and tie best man | ever knew Twice ne
declined a place in the cabinets of two
pr1 sidents, but after he had retired and
was - years old he accepted the office
Of Justice of the peace in his home dis
trict. lie never recommended any OF ms
kindred for appointment to Office. re
refused pay for his service as Il Solule!
and refused to receive a pension after
wards-and voted against all pensions or
rewards or gratuities. lie died as calmly
as Socrates. but without the poison. and
his grave is on a high, barren ridge
marked with no MAJ rble, only pile oi
stones. which was according To MS VIII.
Nathaniel Macon was my fathers iCeal
Of a great and good man. He placed him
above all other statesmen, for he decl1r"d
that he was as wise as solomon ana purer
than David. When ! was in warren
county some years ago l was told that
NIacon's father lived in an old fashioned
1ouble log house and that he himself
hcwed the logs. For some years IT had
mud and stick chimneys above the ire
iams and was covered with boards oil ms
own make. In course OF time ne to:e
away the chimneys and rebuilt them OF
stone and brick. and tore away the Do'fuS
and covered with shingles. Later on rs
bo got able he we welther-boarded the out
side with plank and ceiled the lnslue -
f,...if-'us: ~ tho top Of .he wall ara lei-
ling the plank lap up instead oi down.
50 that lis wife could pour hot water IN
the cracks and kin the bedbugs. reckon
that Tom Benton. who wrote ms bloSrd-
nm. cot his anti-pcnsion principles from
Macon for Benton in great Speech III
the senate opposed a pension TO tieherai
Iarrison's widow and called II ne"
danarture that would lead TO the bot
toIrlcss Gulf Of penslC ms and gratuitics.
N,-JI II * a bottomless gulf both 10 the
state and the nation.
In this connection | ruminated on VINO
were our greatest men IN GeorSla-"ho
most deserves a niche in the temple OF
f,me Bv common consent Oglethorpe
seems entitled to the first place but .
dozen or more have advocates ior 'h@
second place. | reckon, however that
Cravyford Long will get it-not as
a statesman or soldier or inventor
or phiIanthropist. but rather as a
thoughtful discoverer like Jenner,
who discovered the healing art
of vaccinations The quesSon is
very perpIexng one, for some are great
i'm one phase OF character and some In an
other My wife thinks that Bishop Pearce
was the greatest man, because ne had
the greatest calling and filled 1t as no
other man has done, and she quotes that
verse from Daniel which says. Ihey VINO
have called many to Righteousness shall
shine as the stars forever and forever.
Nv wife grew up under his matchless
preaching, and is a pretty good Methodist
vet This reminds me of a delightful
sketch / find in the proceedings OF the
last Georgia Bar Association held ut
Warm Springs in July. The subject Is
THE Georgia Lawyer" viewed Dy wom-
an. The woman is Mrs. j. Render Ter
reH, of Greenville. The papers generally
read At these annual meetings are dry
and prosy to everybody s2ve the lawyers.
hut this paper is charming, entertaining
and instructive from beginning TO end.
The first sentence attracted me, and I
kept on to tie last and my fe sling at its
close was-ytell. that woman is trump.
she is a historian, a philosopher and
firSt-Tate lawyer. even though she be
woman. | read it aloud to my female
family She closes with a poetic apos-
trophe To the Georgia lawyer which many
an unfortunate defendant win appreciate:
The parson points the way to heaven,
And then with tender care
The doctor cOnsummateS the work
And sends the patient there.
but the Georgia lawyer would delay
Departure with such cries:
Holdi Can this man read his title clear
To mansions in the skies"
''In doubt he files a brief and seeks
TO hold the IgnOramus
And stops his tight to heavenly bliss
BY Injunction or mandamuS.
And so. while looking around for The
greatest man, we might well pause and
hear what Mrs Terrell says about John
Forsyth. She says, Forsyth was a
champion for the establishment of our
supreme court. and earnestly advised it
in his message in 1S2S." He said, 1T is
an awful reelection that life, liberty and
reputation are dependent upon the de