The leader., 1905-03-08

/ government resting IN prejudice,
Ito be wrenched By passionate
hands and used bY The strong
against the weak. lie reached q
great level when he discussed be-
fore those twelve simple country
linen the Importance of maintain
ling, not only the spirit, but the
Iprinciples Of justice III dealing
with every body, and then be
4 brought it home to them. The
lspirit that would deny Justice to
this man, the despised prisoner at
the bar, might another day deny
Justice to one of them ID an hour
Iof trial, and IL We dissolve the
Esprit of justice, then we take
from orr own lives, and the lives
lof our loved ones, from our homes
land from our property of every
description, the shield Of protec-
ltion, for law, itself, is nothing, if
the spirit of justice has departed
from the country. Along this
broad line and on this high plane
The discussed the whole system Of
government, and finally said to
/ them: Gentlemen, in the trial
lof this humble and friendless and
ldespised prisoner you yourselves
Iare on trial, and this good coun-
lty in which we live is on trial,
land The State in which we live is
lon trial, and the white race is on
trial, and our civilization is on
trial. fit shall be demonstrated
that in these passionate and troub-
llons days In which we live, we
Iare unable to rise above passion
lin the solemn precincts of Justice,
land ID. right BY friendless man,
then it will be demonstrated that
1.-THE spirit of civilization has de
parted from us. y
i Mr.. Lamar was a grave man,
with solemn cast of countenance,
Hooking considerably more like q
preacher than like politician.
During this great argument,
which extended for an hour, per-
lhaps, he showed the deepest emo
Ition. He concluded his argument
land speech with words about like
these: Gentlemen of the jury,
when this humble prisoner at the
bar wrote me in my place in the
| United States congress in these
words, Mr.. Lamar, / am in
trouble and / have no friends and
Inc money, won't you come and
Isee that they don't do me any
wrong B when this humble man
Isent me that message, / was afraid
mot to somes lest when ] appear at
THAT great Judgment Seat, to
which you and / and all Of US are
thastening. and from whose right
enos decisions there are no ap-
peals, gentlemen Of che jury, i
was afraid that / would there hear
the letreating footsteps Of this
lfriendIess man, and be condemned
Eby the God of all the earth. =
i His voice was deeply muffied
| with emotion, his utterances were
Islow and solemn; the very atmos-
lphere was freighted with the spir-
lit Of the man who was pleading
! for the great principles Of Justice
land civilization. That was the
Egreatest speech ever heard.
I have read this morning, the
Ispeech of President Roosevelt, in
New York, on the anniversary OF
lthe birth of Abraham Lincoln.
Lacking the intensity, the pathos
land the power Of Mr.. Lamar's
speech, it's along the same bruad
Hines. Il can not fail to do great
good. Its generous spirit toward
the South ought to appeal might
lily to our people. No man can do
so much as our honored President
to make it SOMEWHAT easier for us
J Ito do right. He puts the whole
race question on the right level.
|.At the bottom, it is q question of
Justice and civilization. We need
mot torment ourselves about social
equality, the great question for
Il the dominant race ia the South,
Ion trial even more than the me-
lgroes, because having more re-
sponsibility, having more light
land more strength i say Che
great question for us is to show
ourselves the true guardians Of q
lciviIization built on the founda-
tion principles Of justice to all
linen. It is more to lis than any
people in the world to show our
selves magnanimous and great,
Sympathetic and charitable toward
those who are not ON social plane
with us, and all this, not as an ex.
preston Of weakness, but as the
expression Of strength and justice
and that charity that would help
aIl men. The President has made
"a great speech, at i good time,
land / shall be much mistaken if il
ldoes not have d line effect on The
Il whole situation. wish the
speech might be read BIZ all ouI
people
There is one part Of II. crafty
ling to al ex soldier of the South,
Ibis magnanimous recognition 0l
fhe courage, Che sincerity and
high moral qualities Of ex Confed.
erates. When he says that the
heroism md other soldierly qual.
tiles Of the North and The South
are common heritage of the
whole country, BE declares a truth
worthy Of All acceptance, and