The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-18
THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
Judge Emory speer's Eloquent and
Humorous Response.

Humorous Response.
Judge Speer began his response to
Georgia with a few "reminiscences. too,
but they were at the expense of Judge
Barrow. MY recollections of the first
time 1 saw him. said Judge Speer, re-
ferring to Judge Barrow, do not ex-
cite any lachrymose sentiment, except
possibly for the party of the other
part The place where met him was
a. shed room or a barroom that served
as a court room and he was cleaning
out the place.
HE fought the country justice Of
the peace, the bailiffs, the constables
and all the other court attaches, finally
smashed a clap-board across the
anatomy of a bailiff and then nike AL
exander wept for other worlds to con-
quer. l don't believe anybody doubts
his ability as a judge, and 1 can tes-
tify not only to that ability, but also
to his ability as fighter.
Referring to the banquet, Judge
Speer said: This anniversary is one
of the pleasantest of my life, Eighteen
years ago tonight l was welcomed
to Savannah by the members of this
never forget. f#
" When the dark stream I ferry DER,
AS the time, alas! it shall come,
In heaven at last, no more I'll ask
Than just an Irish welcome
Judge Speer called to mind the
friends he had met and known at these
celebrations and paid to each a tender
tribute of friendship and admiration.
He spoke of Judge A. Pratt Adams,
of the noble and gracious Falligant;
the graceful and cultured Harden, OF
distinguished ancestry, and many other
men, good and true and brave.
Such men," he continued. ARE the
ones who make a state: high minded.
they know their rights and knowing,
dare maintain. Such meh made Geor-
gia. Much of Georgia's greatness IL
due to Irish emigrants. The sweetest
poet of his time. if not the sweetest
poet Ireland ever produced--Gold-
smith, discloses the fact that Georgia
was peopled by the emigrants who left
Sweet Auburn, sweetest village of the
plain.
What state it has proved to be!
Contemplate it's orators-Hartridge
Toombs. Stephens, Herschel v. John
son and B. II. Hill: of its statesmen 1
need mention only John Forsyth. He
added to the country the empire OF
Florida, the riviera of America. OF
soldiers there is as the French say,
only / can't pronounce 1t in French.
an embarrassment of riches: Gordon,
Longstreet, Barlow, McLaws-need
say more of the heroes of Georgia who
have made the state what it is?''
Judge Speer told some characteristic
stories of Georgia and its people, then
referring to Col. Stovalls pleasantly
about Canada and the United States
courts, said that possibly one of the
reasons why the courts jurisdiction did
not extend to Montreal and Quebec is
to be found in the opposition to the
original plan Of the fathers OF the
country.
81 notice. he continued, that the
always graceful editorials of Col. Sto-
vail occasionally oppose expansion,
though expansion was so clearly the
idea OF the fathers of the country that
the First Congress was called the
Continental Congress, the soldiers of
the Revolution were called Continent
tails, and the evident intention of our
forefathers was to extend their juris-
diction over the whole continent"
In conclusion, Judge Speer said: Il
love Georgia with every fibre of my
heart and, IL you will pardon personal
references, since 1 entered public life,
twenty-seven years ago, / have never