The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-11-26
CIVILIAN LEADERS OF THE CONFEDERACY
GEORGE GRAHAM VEST
By JOHN GOODE

down the statue Of Liberty at the
mouth " New York harbor with the
lamp in hand TO guide the oppressed
~ all lands 10 this country: you
should tear down the statue. extinguish
the lamp and leave it To the gloom
and darkness OF eternal despotism-'
As a specimen OF his senatorial style
reproduce here a brief extract from
the beautiful and touching grafton de-
livered by Mr. Vest in the Senate at
the time of the lamented death OF
BENJAMIN II. Hill. the great son Of
Georgia. Mr.. Vest said. And
what can be said Of the heroism. the
accomplishing courage with which he
met the irony Of fate that brought
hin the torture OF a lingering death
in the destruction Of that tongue and
voice which had 50 often awakened
with their eloquence. the echoes OF
this hall. In all public and private
history there is no sadder spectacle
than this and from il we turn aWay in
silent awe and reverence. In his
speech on May 10. 1873, the greatest
speech. in my judgment, ever heard
here within the last quarter OF a cen
fury, who Will ever forget the tribute
to the statesman who can be justly
called the Father of the Constitution.
Ended are his conflicts, his triumphs
and defeats. the strong. aggressive in
telIect is at rest. The clarion voice
which could WELD at VIII the fierce
Democracy, Is nuSntQ forever. out
upon the shoreless ocean his bark had
drifted. but it had not carried away
all the life that has ended. Never to
mortal hands was ever given a legacy
more precious than left to the people
of Georgia in the emo of her great
son. who gave his lifelong service AND
his latest prayer to her home and
welfare. orator, statesman, patriot.
farewell. On her soil rest the ashes
of no one whose life has done more
to illustrate her manhood, whose
genius has added such glory to her
renoWn."
recall here an amusing story told
of senator Vest and the late eJames
L. Pugh, of Alabama, who at the time
of his death, had long since passed the
limit Of human life allotted by the
Psalmist. Mr.. Pugh and Mr.. Vest
were like Jonathan and David. They
were i~nseparable and their intimacy
commenced while they were members
Of the Provisional Congress at Mont
gomery. On one occasion it is said
that the two friends rode out together
and after visiting the Soldiers Home
and other places, stopped OF their re-
turn to the city to partake of some
beer and pretzels. Mr.. Pugh had
been anxiously expecting for a long
time an appointment by the president
for some of his friends to certain pO-
sitionS of honor and of trust in his
State. His patience was we'll nigh ex-
hausted and he had long hoped for
the fulflment of what he understood
to be the promises of the president.
this occasion a boy came into the
room where they were stopping, with
a copy of the Evening Star. Mr..
Vest read the paper through most
carefully and then handed it to Mr..
Pugh, who expected the same result
that he had experienced for many
months. He read it over most de-
liberately and quietly, and handed it
back to Mr.. Vest with the remark: "A
worthy successor of George Washing
ton" His friends had all been ap-
pointed without a single exception to
the places which they sought. He
returned to the city very highly elated
and from that time until the contro-
versv arose about the coinage of free