The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-26

AN ohAlta Ia blo q VI lhC
distinguishing characteristics of Americas
grand senatorial triumvirate. Websterian in
ms masterfui grasp of great constitutional
as Calhoun In the stately and steady march
or his logical processes, he could at will
ommand the imperial eloquence of Henry
Clay In the illustration and enforcement
Southern representative after the war to
rl1t the darkness Of our national skies and
bring light into the despairlng parallels.
The voice that spoke over the dead Sum-
ner, like another prophet in the wilderness,
proclaimed the day.dawn Of our national
eral Immortality. Well has he been called
the inspired pacincator."
But time would fail me to tell of David
Holmes, Mississippi's first and one Of her
for whom this capitol county was named,
who was as confidently trusted in civil life
as he was proudly followed by his brave
dragons OF George Poindexter, the first
codifier of Mississippi's laws, a great gov
ernor and a greater senator, a figure of
massive and majestic mould, the hero of
and capable general of armies OF William
n: Sharkey, the Chief Justice Marshall OF
Ma,aSsFpp +b JurisPPrudennce OF Edward c;
Southwest, a brilliant cavalry commander
and an ideal senator; of Ethelbert Banks
dale. the Sir Robert Peel of Mississippi, a
net. a peer In any realm, who In all his con-
spicuous political career never compro-
missed a principle or betrayed a cause or
fed a field or deserted u friend of James
u. George, the great commoner and able
senator, the Trainer and expounder of con-
stitutions. of John Marshall Stone, whose
granite character was as majestic in the
councils OF peace as in the storm of war /;
and hundreds of others, in church and
State, who are worthy to be held in high
and everlasting honor. Theirs are the
deeds which should not pass away, and
names that must not wither though the
earth forget her empires.
Through all the %eventful years of our
history Mississippi manhood has stood
many severe tests and INDICATED every
high confidence. As another is to speak
especially of that conclusive quadrennium
which began with the bugle blast OF 1851,
! am only permitted to say that the brill
liant courage of our heroic legions was the
establishment of one army and the admira-
ton of the other. And for the brave souls
who bore the flag Of their faith, with un-
faltering steps, over every beleaguered
height Of battle plain, we have a reverence
that is little less than alteration. Veterans
Of the grandest battalion in all history,
now war-worn and growing old, we uncover
In your august presence and crave from
each a hero's blessing.
The final test Of Southern character was
not displayed in laying the broad founda-
ton of a new civilization not In the sol
emn but tumultuous councils out of which
was evolved our great system of govern
ment not In the historic halls Of State
where Titans struggled for the mastery
over national principles and policies; not
III the Splenulu FdlOI Oh ner sons In the
storm and red rain of terrific battles not
in the military genius Of her peerless cap
tains, pronounced by critics to be the great
est marshals Of modern times, but in their
serene fortitude and unyielding heroism
and uncOnqueYable spirit after the storm
of battle had ceased and they were left
with only 1.-The Scared and charred remains
of the fire and tempest" Surprising the
splendor of their courage In battle was the
grandeur of their fortitude In defeat. The
sublimest hour In the Southern soldiers
1tfA rrnG thn 4toan 90 "A l~---
coming. ] have seen paintings representing
the returned Confederate soldier. which. In
my Judgment, Is not true to the facts of
amid the ruin of his home. the gate fallen
from its hinges, weeds covering the door
step, leaning upon his old musket, with a
matter of fact he only waited long enough
to greet the faithful wife whom he had
not seen for four stormy years and kiss
the dear children who had grown out of
his recollection, and then with grim deter
mination put his hand to the stern task Of
reconstructing his once beautiful home and
rebuilding his shattered fortunes on other
and broader foundations. Men of principle
never falter, though they fall. They felt
the bitterness of defeat. but not the nor
rors OF desDair. How these brave men, the
to the grinding condition of sudden and
humiliating poverty, can never be described
by mortal tongue OF pen;
struction! Worse than the calamities of
war were 1.-The desolating furies of peace"
No proud people ever suffered such indig,,
mites or endured such humiliation and
degradation. More heartless than the rob
Der bands that infested Germany after the
Thirty Years War were the hordes of plum
derers and vultures who fed and fattened
upon the disarmed and helpless South.
Their ferocious greed knew no safety, and
their shameless rapacity sought to strip
us to the skin. AS Judge Jere Black, with
characteristic viridness and vigor, said,
Their felonious fingers were long enough
to reach into the pockets of posterity.
They coined the industry of future genera
ance from children whose fathers are I'M
born. A conflagration sweeping over the
State from one end to the other and de-
stroying every building and every article
visitation of mercy in comparison to the
curse of such a government"
But no brave people ever endured op-
nifty and splendid self-restraint. And by
dint of their own unconquerable spirit and
t~ireless toll they saw their beautiful land
signs the mIserere." She has risen from
poverty and smiles at defeat. Out of the
State has come undaunted in spirit and In
unfaltering faith in the future. 1t is said
that the green grass peacefully waving
the famous battle suggested to Lord BY
ron, In his "Childe Harold" to exclaim !:
How this red rain has made the harvest
grow ~
So every battle plain that was once fur
rowed by shot and shell and wet With the
blood of brothers, now waves with the abun-
dant haryests of a new and larger life.
The reiuent wave has set In. After a long
is daybreak everywhere"
The total taxable property In Mississippi
Is $241, 900, 900, and the rate of increase
never had such an accelerated movement.
Even within the mast thrpp wears the "a
sens', E ineqsassa St s54 g771et5iz real Ths and spP per-.
pdHaneed f ss4s sd 4ss' The in .b sns ssm isd esfisd
ness of the State has decreased $500, 900,
while the tax levy has been reduced from
81 to 6 mills on the dollar. The total
alton, devoted to education is 81, 1853. 1913 .97.
The educational history of Mississippi
Is worthy of the highest honor. Dr:Mayo
such matters. made this emphatic. state
ment mo other people In human history
have made an effort so remarkable as the
schools and colleges. Last year" he said.
speaking as far back as 1883, these six
teen States paid nearly $1,000,O0 each
aee edass' to the} Ral pesns, than san ten grimes timss
the amount now paid by most of the New
England States" According to per capita
wealth' Mi isis ranks ak fir first to among the
to education, and in the amount devoted
to this great cause, out Of the States total
appropriations she has no equal in the
whole world. Mississippi has been a gen.
uine friend of sound learning from the
days of her territorial minority. Her first
legislative act was to charter 9 college.
She built school houses in the footprints
of the retreating savages. and has trained
and sent out into the various walks OK
life some of the noblest names in our
national history.
And believing 1t vital to the very exist
ence of a democracy, there will never be
any abatement Of patriotic laws, and work
Ing out the mighty problems of a govern
ment of the people, Tor the people and oy