The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-21
rHR MAN Mn. Hrrrrn AssArLs.

oeSiSthhy VI ctatc 1eHtu AuVefne speech will be remembered long after he at least desires 1t forgotten. It was be- yond the proprieties in many ways. It was not manly. because 1t wasNa blow at one whose position compelled him to re- frain from reply in defense, no matter how brutally or wantonly attacked. It was exceedingly improper, for 1t thrust politics upon A meeting of old Confeder- ates. who had met for social intercourse and to review pleasant memories of old. It was the egotistic parade of champion ship of rights which had not been vio- lated. and for whose vindication. If need ed, champions would have come forth from the ranks of older men and of more prominence in the profession. It was bad example for an attorney. whose du- ties to the court of justice forbade at- tempts to intimidate a court as to pending case. It was still worse because it maligned an absent soldier to his com he ought to have known. if he did not. gave only a part of the history of the case. and omitted it's most material facts.
 Here is the record as a soldier of the absent man, who was thus arraigned be- fore his comrades by Mir. Hefiin. The witness to the record Is no less a person than the illustrious Commander-in-Chie of the United Confederate Veterans. the peerless Gen. John B. Gordon. On the visit of President Davis to this city in 1886, to lay the cornerstone of the Mon- ument, Col. Thos. c. Jones was invited by the Veterans to deliver a lecture on ''The Last Days of the Army of Northern Virginia" for the benefit of the Monu- ment Fund. Mir. Davis, General Gordon, and a number of other distinguished men were present. The lecturer as shown by The Advertiser files of that date, was in- troduced by Gen. John B. Gordon, who said:
 Ladies and Gentlemen: Rarely, if ever. have I had a greater pleasure than the one assigned to me this evening. It Is my privilege to introduce to you one who was assigned to my stan when beard- less boy; who was with me in whatever trials I experienced myself, during the war. He never failed to discharge his duty. not only willingly, but gladly, what ever might be the promised cost. l think . ticle of exaggeration, that if the bare facts connected with his services in the Confederate Army were written out, it VI uld furnish as thrilling romance as
 Let me relate to you one or two in- stances which I recall at this moment: On one occasion I directed him as a. staff officer to carry an order several miles through an unbroken forest to another portion of the army, from which we had been detached The sun was just setting At nightfall he still found himself in the forest, and in the midst of the Federal pickets, and was captured by nine Feder- als; but by the instrumentality of his cool bearing-genius. I am pleased to term it--and I think I am doing justice to him in saying so-the captive became the captor and marched to my tent the nine Federals. As to how he did 1t, had his simple story at the time. I have often related it. and have never yet found a listener who did not say it was splendid exhibition of personal heroism. Chilly night came on, and he induced these Fed erals to kindle blaze and to stack their arms. No sooner was 1t done than he possessed himself of their guns and or. dered them to march to the camp.
 On another occasion, during the fearful attack on Hares Hill. near the close Of the war at Petersburg, it became necas- sary for an order to be carried to the troops, who were in front, and across the most deadly portion of that field, where it had been utterly impossible to move bodies of men. So fearful was this fire, that I hesitated to give the order to one of my staff. and 1 asked If there was any one who would volunteer to carry my order to withdraw If 1t became nec- essary to give the order. No sooner had uttered the words than this poy, not with the words: General, I will carry your order" He carried it; but left his tracks in his blood in doing so.
 l know that this audience does not need a young, gives promise of a great and use full future. It Is your young and bril- liant fellow-citizen, whom I now intro- duce to you. Col Thos. c. Jones.
 For years after the war Judge Jones was the life of our citizen soldiery. in the palmiest days of it's service. Thousands of young men were trained under his ban ner to high ideals of honor, solderly duty. and good citizenship. There are many men now walking the streets of this and other cities. who owe their lives to his coolness, courage and judgment, in dealing with the serious commotions, which he was called to quell, and did quell with honor and without bloodshed, in the years he served the State as a citizen. It is known of all his comrades that he has been generous in helping them and in relieving their necessities. It was due to him. more than to any one man, that the first special tax was levied for the needy old Confederate soldier. this is the man whom Mir. Hefiin pictures as insulting old Confederates on a jury, when he reminded men on the jury of the oaths they had taken, and what a broken oath meant. Our information is that no old Confederate on that jury was un- willing to enforce the law, or to punish the admitted violation of the law. Yes- terday Turner's attorney in open court admitted, upon the law as the court had declared it, that Turner. on the unds- puted facts, was guilty. and he pleaded guilty and received a merciful sentence.
 This is the most overwhelming answer to Mir. Hefiin and other critics of Judge Jones in this matter.
 1t is the gossip of the day that MT. Hetiin has aspirations for a higher office. He is constantly making speeches in vari- ous parts of the State, which give color to the gossip. Some say that he may run for Congress, while others think that he is pluming himself for Governor Jelks's successor. If this is the case, he will soon discover that neither the Gov
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