The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-06-15
NUMBER 16.
Philadelphia Convention.

ventlon at Philadelphia. Julian
Hawthorne, writing in tie Nortt
American, thus describes the South
ern speakers of the opening day:
CHOW it became the turn of the
Southerners TO reply to this out
pouring Of Northern good will and
invitation. Mr.. Hargrove, for the
association, read narrative OF
Southern possibilities and achieve
ments which made one feel that the
South stood ready to give, in her
own way, as much as she received
from US in ours, which, in truth, is
the crux of the whole matter. But
Mr.. Hargrove's delivery was i'm
perfectly heard, and his speech will
appear better in type than 1t did
from the rostrum. Mr.. Longino,
governor of Mississippi, followed
him, and here we had the modern
Southern orator, the legitimate de-
scendant of the great man who
stirred up Congress forty years ago.
He had humorous touch and
showed keenness of insight which
was refreshing. He is handsome
man, still young, though thought
has thinned away the hair which
adorned his intellectual dome.
He began with arms folded, but
as he warmed to his subject they
were released in suitable gestures.
He said a number of acute and SEN
sible and manly things, quoting the
remark of another distinguished
Southerner in eulogy of Charles
Sumner, If we knew one another
better we would love one another
more.'
ssHe then went on to provide
some of the data for this better
knowledge. He said plainly, and
with courage: sWe are anxious to
end, and to end forever, our quarrel
on account of the war; and the
sentiment was vigorously applauded
by the Southerners, who manifestlv
feel that way, though it is also man
ifest enough that they have not yet
forgotten what they are ready to
forgive. How could it be other
wise? Mr.. Longino also said that
the South lived with perfect har-
mony existing between all classes
and races of its population, and
possessed an honest and God-fear-
ing peasanty-an important and
somewhat unexpected announce
ment. He ended by paying high
compliment to the virtues and to
the influence OF Southern women.
and left US with the impression that
the South is very independent as
wei. as very we'll disposed. and that
while it recognizes our advantages
it has some of its own which it
values above gold, and would not
exchange for all that we could offer.
But let us get together, was the pre-
vailing sentiment, find out our
mutual interests and promote them,
and let the dead past bury its dead.
Mr.. Longino was worth hearing.
s'The last speaker OF the morning
was Mayor higgins, of Waco, but
if any failed to stay to listen to him
they lost some of the best features
of the day. Early in the proceed
ings he electrified at least part of
his audience to greater degree
than he suspected by turning to
Mayor Ashbridge, who had mod
estly retired behind some rubber
plants in the background of the
stage, and saying: you do things
differently here from what we do
down in Texas; there, when we find
a no-account, good-for-nothing sort
of fellow, we make him a mayori'
'sThis goes to show how large a
this is, and how very far
Waco, Tex, must be from Philadel-
phia. 1t is evident, I fear, that
The North American has not as yet
a large circulation in Waco; how
ever, the Southerners laughed and
thought the joke good one, and
none of the rest of us attempted to
open its darker significance to them.
'tMr. higgins went on in an easy
and charming style, telling stories,
and making excellent application of
all of them, and my only regret was
that was sitting too far back to hear
all his remarks, which were delivered
now in full voice. and again in so
low tone as to be hardly audible
save to his immediate encourage.
With all his humor, he was free
spoken and independent as a typi-
cal Texan should be. I'VE honor
Lee and Jackson as much to-day as
we did when the war ended said
he, sand if you did not honor as
much as ever your Lincoln and
Grant and Sherman, we would des-
pise your He said much more that
was good and significant, but I have
made this story long enough"