The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-20

spoken of as "a critic who never wrote
| one unkind line" Charles Henry WeDo,
| the poet in his tribute of verse, falls into
/ a military smile:
Dear Edmund, when I count the years
! That over US have rolled,
| 1t seems TO me l must be young,
! And only thou art old:
| For still a private in the ranks,
At best ! close the rear,
I Whilst thou, bestarred dost ride in front
a mounted brgadier.
am truly glad that my old friend. Col
| Mark A. Hardin so long clerk of the
Georgia House of Representatives, was
| ole to celebrate in Atlanta, on Wednes-
day, his golden wedding. On Jan. IS. 1851,
| in South Carolina. he welded a lovely
/ young woman of noble ancestry and many
/ accom- lishments. But when the society
editor says, Lieut.. Mark A. Harlem
/ fresh from West Point Military Acade-
my" was the groom. am led to
! offer an amendment. Mark a. Hardin CT
/ North Georgia entered West Point in 1873
/ but he did not finish the course, nor
/ graduate, hence he could not have been
| lieutenant fresh from West Point" as
| stated. However, Mark was a Jolly good
| fellow" then, as in later years, and he
had the honor of being roommate with
J Phil. II. Sheridan of Ohio in 1S4S the
!
I Grant and Sherman became a fun gen.
eral before he died. Sheridan was about
| half as tail and heavy as Hardin, and
/ they were called the Tong and short of
! it" by the cadets During Sheridans
/ visit to Atlanta, while commanding gem
eral of the army, he asked me
| bout Cadet Hardin. and when ! re-
! piled that he was living in Atlanta, then
the General expressed desire to meet
him. 50 l found Mark and took him to
Sheridan's room at the KimbaI House,
where these former "plebes" enjoyed
most delightful talk about old times at
The Point" I do not know why Mark
failed to graduate but I do know that
Sheridan spoke of him TO me In terms of
high praise, and was glad to be able to
renew their old acquaintance. The class
OF 1S4S gradual ting in 1852, and 1853, con-
tained several cadets who became noted
generals. Sheridan, Stanley, Slocum,
Bell, John s. Bowen, c. S. A, of Geor-
gia, Crook Kautz. Myers, A. Med. Cook,
Swaine, j. H. Forney, Chas. 'R. Woods,
Hartsuff, George b. Cosby, c. S. A, Has
call, George 3. Anderson, c. s. A. and
| Thomas L. Casey. Jerome Napoleon Bon
aparte OF Baltimore, and Marsh T. Polk
of Tennessee, were also in this class. Gen.
Sheridan and Gen. Bowen were both
turned back" and did not graduate IN
iii 1853, but they made fine records in
the Civil War. Col Hardin was in good
company while at the Military Academy,
and he has been an honored and useful
citizen of Georgia. both in private life
and public station, for a half century.
Cardinal Gibbons has been preaching
Peace sermon in Baltimore, in whi h
he asks, rs it not a mockery of justice
and scandal to the Pagan world to see
two Christian nations cutting each others
Threats in the name of Chr stian civiliza-
tion?" I should answer, Yes; hut at the
same time demand of the Cardinal to
know how this condition of things can
be remedied. When compromise and ar
bitraton fall is too often the case
shall one nation sit quietly down and
let the aggressive nation destroy it?
Again, the Cardir al says. 1--WE listen with
rapture to the clash of arms "but
we take no note of the shrieks and ago.
MES Of the sol iers weltering in Their
blood on the battlefield" Now the Bible
tells us that great men are not always
wise, neither doth age bring. wi DOM or
words to this effect. Cardinal Gibbons Is
a great man In his church. but he over
draws the picture. We listen with pride
and qualification to the report Of vic
tories in behalf of right and 17sice or
holy cause, but we do not go into rap
ture over the mere clash of arms. AS to
the agonies of S l1iers an! me- what a
world of deep, self-denying, heroic SYM
rathy do our blessed women bestow up0n
sick, wourdsd and dyi7g soldiers. not
only in camp ard hospital but on the
battlefield. And none Drawer or more de-
voted than the S sters of Mercy in the
Cardinals own Church.
No sensible man. priest or layman, can
stand up against solid facts and say that
war is not necessary evil; and it is
not just to us as a Christian people to
charge that we delight in it, and are deaf
to the sufferings of, its victims. During
the Civil War says Cardinal Gibbons 81
served as a volunteer chaplain at Fort
McHenry and Fort Marshall, and I had
many occasions to contemplate the fright
full calamities occasioned by war" So did
l serve as a chaplain, but on the field Of
battle with suffering and death all about
me, and myself a physical wreck for life
from wounds received But did not bring
on the war: for my voice was for peace;
but when my country called l responded
with a rifle upon my shoulder. That l
exchanged il for a sword was not of my
own seeking, and l held onto and used
1t after my promotion. Gen. Sherman"
adds the Cardinal, remarked in his own
blunt and expressive language that war
was hell Happening 90 converse with
Gen. Sheridan, l questioned him about
his Virginia campaign. his face assumed
an expression OF SADNESS, ana with
mournful voice he said he hoped never
to witness another war" And we'll might
Sheridan look sad and assume a mourn
full voice at mention OF his Virginia cam
paign. In his own official, uncontradicted
reports, he has given the world a picture
of desolation and destruction along h S
victorious line of march in Virginia that
should make a Nero blush with shame.
Sadness" in his expression ought to
have been blended with grief and contri-
ton for the desolation of that campaign.
Sidney Herbert.
-One of the most beautiful legends re-
lating to the stars is that of the lost