The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-12
MONTGOMERY MC)URNS
 DEATH OF GENERAL GORDON
From the Bench Judge Jones of Federal Court, One of His Staff Officers, EulOgizeS
 s Great Soldier. r

Montgomery mourns the death of Gen. John B. Gordon.
 Since she news came late Saturday evening that the great soldier, statesman and patriot had passed away, there has been sorrow profound in the Capital City of Alabama.
 The flag on the State Capitol is at half mast, and many citizens of Montgomery will go to Atlanta to attend the fun eral.
 Judge Thomas G. Jones on the ad- journment of the Federal Court yester- day, paid a tribute to General Gordon, and announced that when the day of the funeral was fixed, the court would be adjourned out of respect to his memory.
 Yesterday afternoon Judge Jones re- ceived telegram from Governor Terrell of Georgia, as follows:
 Atlanta, Ga., Jan. Il, 1904. Judge Thomas c. Jones, Montgomery,
 Ala: --'
 "The funeral of General Gordon oc- CUTS next Thursday. Memorial exercises will be held at the Capitol from 10 to F on that day. You are cordially invited to be present and earnestly requested to make a ten minutes memorial address.
 "J. M. Terrell, Governor"
 Judge Jones at once wired his accept- ance and will leave for Atlanta Wednes- day morning.
 Jones and Gordon.
 Judge Jones became @ member of Gen eral Gordon's military family, after the latters promotion to Brigadier General, and remained with him to the close of the war. The two men were devoted friends. As soon as Judge Jones learned of the Generals death he sent the fol- lowing telegram to Mrs. Gordon:
 Montgomery. January 10, 1904. Mrs. J. B. Gordon, Miami, Fla:
 "The thousands who loved and fol- lowed the General think of him this not as dead, but promoted, and the throne of God. We cannot sorrow for him, but only for ourselves Every heart here goes out to you and yours and prays God to give you his sustaining strength. Outside of his own family no one loved him or will miss him more keenly than my household.
 Thomas G. Jones'"
 Eulogy from Bench.
 On adjourning the Federal Court yes- terday afternoon, Judge Jones said:
 While, the power which establishes courts must always stand behind them, their highest usefulness and best in fiuence come from the moral support of the people. Courts. therefore, ought not only to share in the just aspirations and noble emotions of the people among whom they dispense justice, but on all proper occasions should manifest due appreciation of their feelings, by some formal act.
 "A great and noble spirit has recently gone from among us. In the terrible strife which rent our land in 1881, and came to the generation of that day, as a heritage from the irreconcilable differences of our forefathers, the iilustrious man of whom I speak stood out pre-eminently as war rior and fought with superb skill and valor to the end, to make good the hopes of the South. In the closing hours of the struggle, next to Lee, it's people leaned on him as they leaned upon no other man. If his life had ended on his last battle field, and he had no other title to the affections of the people, his record as soldier alone,N would tell oi valor. skill and tender nobility of soul, which, as the mists and passions of the times clear away, may now be fitly claimed as a common heritage of the peo- pie of all sections, though in those days, he stood only for the South alone.
 Taught e Great Lesson.
 "Fate beckoned the South to new duties at Appomattox. On that field, ere the shattered legions of his despairing coun- trymen started to their homes, he called them around him, and, in a speech which ought to live forever, taught them that it was nobler to live for country than to leave 1t. or despair of 1t in its days of diversity and trial. That in coming times the warning sections would better understand each other, and peace, liberty and happiness, rising on surer founda- tions from the horrors and trials of war, would yet bless all our land, if the Con- federate soldier and his children met with the fortitude and courage which he exhibited in war. the problems which would come to him in peace.
 "A merciful providence spared him to the country for the life of generation which has grown up since then. In all those years, he has represented all that is highest, best and noblest in Ameri- can citizenship. He was all the while the conspicuous apostle of peace, and of a noble, self-respecting reconciliation, un- stained by unmanly concessions. He preached, all over this broad land of ours. In the North, East and West, as well as In the South. that it was higher. nobler and grander for the old soldiers to strive for some common, honoring ground for the past, so far as it concerned the fu- ture, than to beaueath dlscords and hat reds to their children. He spoke and stood for the thought. in dealing with the motives of the millions of his coun- trymen who engaged in the fratricidal that 1t was neither patriotic nor right to endeavor to mete out all the hon. or on one side and all the dishonor on the other.
 Truth of History.
 ''TIe insisted that the truth of history would teach that the masses of the war ring millions on both sides. fought, died and sacrificed. for high ideals of truth, liberty and right. He taught that the valor. sacrifices and high emotions of those days. whether in the North or South, should not be forgotten, and that proper contemplation of them would en- noble American life. and furnish inspira- ton to future generations to do we'll their part in the coming dave of the republic
 'He was indeed a great American. If therefore, we look only to his counsels and acts since the great war. 1t would he meet and fit that a IInited Stntns