Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-09
SENATOR IBlTE DEAD |
Continual fran First Page.l

rose to such distinction as did General Bate
from the ranks can be named on the I'M
sers Of one Hind 1t was an easy matter
for the West Pointer to rise. but the man
who came from the ranks had to doubly
prove his merit at each step Of progress.
General Bragg. onee asked during his cam
Who is that driving the enemy TN our
left?
Bale was the reIiy.
L knew 1t, smiled General Bragg, that
rasca! Is never happy unless he is tearing
up the Yankees in some quarter No Won
der he is half the time on crutches."
GENERAL bate was 4 man OF the greatest
activity no breath of suspicion was ever
known in reflection ON his personal integ-
rity
General Bate enlisted in the confederate
army the day after the attack on Fort
| Sumter. Among other battles he served
with great bravery and distinction In the
battle of Shiloh. in which he was severely.
at TIE time thought to be mortally, wound
ed; the battle of Chickamauga. where he
had three hcrses killed under him and
lost % per cent of his men while driving
the federal soldiers from their positions; at
Missionary Ridge where he held the lire
to the right of Braggs headquarters,
he was the last to leave the field; the hum
dred days battle in Georgia, Murfreesboro,
Franklin. Nashville and finally Bentonville,
North Carolina. He was under the neceS-
shy VI Vail SiIlS cTulCneS the Whole tlUle
from his partial recovery after Shiloh until
the close of the war. He was three times
severely wounded, and had six horses killed
under him in battle.
Declined to Be Governor.
Nothing is more characteristic of Cen
eral Bate than the occurrence while he
was with the army near Wartrace. His
popularity being very. great, the convention
of his political party, being mindful that
he was suffering from his wounds and I'M
able to move about except with the use
of crutches. and therefore possibly more
fitted to serve the state in civil than in
a military capacity, rendered him through
its committee the nomination for governor.
The following is the brief but now
famous telegram by which he declined the
nomination. 1t was dated July IL, 1868,
and stated:
In reply to your telegram of today 1
beg to say that however fattering the
honor you suggest. and of which l am
most sensible, there is a duty that rises
above it. AS son of Tennessee and a
southern soldier l would feel Gishonored in
this hour of trial to quit the field. No, sirs,
while an armed foe treads our soil and l
can fire shot or draw a blade will take
no civic honors. L had rather, amid her
misfortunes be the defender than the gov
ernor of Tennessee. Let me eXhOrt to har-
mony."
The term of Mr.. Bates administration as
governor of Tennessee stands out as a
period of good government for that COM
mOnwealth. His administration of the
states affairs was pure and no one ever
questioned his absolute integrity. Among
the questions that he settled We're those
affecting the bonded debt of the state and
the Bank of Tennessee notes. General Bate
gave personal and careful attention to
every detail that properly fell within his
field.
General Bate has delivered number of
important speeches since he has been a
member of the Senate. The most notable
of these speeches are those on the tariff,
the force bill, repeal OF the federal election
laws. our bonded Indebtedness financial,
against taking the Hawaiian Islands,
against the ratification of the Spanish
American treaty of peace and the reten-
ton of the Philippine Islands He was
one of the most regular attendants on the
meetings of tie Senate. He rarely missed
all