Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-12
WATSON LECFURED
To PLEASED
HEARERS
SPOKE OF THE SOUTH AND PAID
GLOWING TRIBUTE TO JEFFER-
SON DAVIS, BEN HILL AND
BEN TlLLMAN.

The right of the south to hold up her
head with pride at the glory of her past
deeds was never more fully proven than
it was in the lecture of Hon. Thomas E.
Watson on 1.-The South" at the Tabernac-
Gle Baptist church Tuesday night.
About 800 people heard Mr.. Watson's
lecture, and when. after he had spoken
for nearly two hours, they were not APP
peased, but called for more. His words
held his hearers in a manner truly re-
markable, and he was interrupted time
after time with bursts of applause which
has never before been heard in the
church.
w. S. Weir. of the Henry Grady De-
batting society, under whose auspices the
lecture was held, was the first speaker.
He told of the work of the society, Of its
inception, and of the rank some of its
members had attained. One of the men,
bers of the society, according to Mr..
Wier had even reached TO the dir
ziness of chief Justice of Cooks district.
Hon. Clark Howell. who introduced Mr..
Watson in a few short words. said that
the Grady club was composed of self
made men, and that in Introducing Mr..
Watson he wished to introduce the great
est self-made man in Georgia.
Mr.. Watson began his speech at Sis,
and spoke for an hour and nifty minutes.
From his first words until his mastery
dience spell bound. His voice is smooth
and almost musical. His gestures are al
ways timely and when he gives special
stress TO any sentence, his whole attitude
is striking. He stands with one foot
slightly in front of the other, and leans
forward.
THE south." began Mr.. Watson, ''has
never received a very generous treatment
at the hands of those who write the
books The south has been relegated to
the rear, and has been placed in a peni-
tential attitude on the mourner's bench.
This mas been done so much that even
we of the south are inclined to take this
sighting estimate placed on our section.
Southern legislators have crept into the
white house in washington like the ne
gro servant in the old ante bellum house
when 'Marster' was taking his afternoon
nap.
but I thank God there haYe been two
notable exceptions-Ben Hill, of Georgia.
and Ben Tillman, of South Carolina. I
glory in the courage of Hill and in the
spunk Of Tillman.
"I shall speak of the south, not partic-
ularly the old south, or the south of the
revolutionary days, or the ante beIlum
south, or the new south, but of the south,
the whole south. God bless her, whom I
love with every throb of my heart"
Mr.. Watson then spoke Of the beginning
of religious liberty IN Virginia, while Mas
sachusetts was still burning peculiar old
men and women at the stake as witches.
He said Il was the work Of Patrick Hen
nv which began the active revolt against
England, and not the tea party of Boston.
which, by the way, he said, had been
more daringly carried out by the people
OF MARYLAND, without any disguise. The
fighting at Lexington and Concord was
not the first time blood was shed in the
revolution. Further back, at Alamance,
in North Carolina 5000 hardy backwoods-
men had fought English had given up
their lives. He told of how the northern
troops had lost battle after battle, had
nutinied and had deserted, and how the
turn of the war began with the battle OF
Kings Mountain. He spoke Of the ride
of Paul Revere in bitter end biting sar-
casn, and described it as ride of a we'll
fed man on an easy gated horse, over
we'll paved roads. end contrasted 1t with
the awful ride Of the backwoodsmen of
Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas to
reach Kings Mountain in time to stop
Furgerson's raiders. and turn the tide OF
the war.
President Roosevelt he said, had given
the south credit for that, and he thanked
aim for it.
'sRut I don't thank Roosevelt to single
out Jefferson Davis as an arch traitor.
I am afraid that the man who takes out
our leaders and classes them as arch
traitors, has not fully forgiven the rest
of US. But don't want to be in any 9TH
er class than the class of Jefferson Da-
Wis"
Mr.. Watson was interrupted with cheer
ing and applause which lasted for several
minutes.
He told, in glowing terms, Of the dar-
ing ride of John Laurens OF South Caro-
lima, who went to France after Ben
Franklin had failed and who secured
ships and men from France which made
possible the victory at Yorktown. Lau-
rens, he said, had never been given his
rightful place in history, and he intended
to see the young hero set Alright.
At the conclusion of his lecture, Mr..
Watson was given a great ovation.