The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-08-23
MANY SURVIVING
C0NcRESSEIEN.
Congressman EziraM P. BsM was NOs
Sole Survivor.

Sole Survivor.
Editor Times Union-I was astonish-
ed that Atlanta, Ga. should send out
such press telegram as appeared in
your issue Of Saturday: That Colonel
Hiram Parks mot Parker, as printed)
Bell was the ''last surviving member of
the Confederate congress-" And Twas
surprised that the Times Union printed
It without correction, In view Of the
fact that Col John M. Martin of Ocala.
Fla, was admitted to the frat Confed-
crate congress in Richmond, Va. on
March 25, 1868, and is still alive. Not
many months ago, April %. 1905. a
Florida paper referred to Col. Martin
as the only member left Of the Confed-
crate congress. A great bnnder.
Col. Bell was a member Of the second
congress, from May 2, 1854, until March
IL, 1866, and was, when he died, the
sole survivor of the three Georgia sena-
tors and thirty Representatives of the
confederate states. Hon. Mark H.
Blanford of Columbus, Ca, preceded
ago.
Now Georgia and North Carolina and
Louisiana and Arkansas and Missouri
and Texas and South Carolina, are an
without single survivor, senator or
representative. Virginia has two liv-
ing congressman, Judge r. A. Pryor
lof New York;, and John Goode; Flori-
da has Col. Martin; Tennessee has Ed
itor A. s. Colyar and j ID. G. Atkins,
and perhaps one more; Alabama may
possibly have two-J. p. Rails and H.
G. Jones, United States Senator j. L.
Pugh being the last to die; Kentucky
has one, Rev. DIR. S. II. Ford (of st.
Louis, | Think Mississippi has one,
Justice j. A. p. Campbell Of the SUI
preme court, now retired on account Of
old age. He is the sole survivor of all
the provisional convention that signed
the constitution of the provisional gov
eminent Of the Confederate States at
Ala, on February 8, 1861,
being representative from South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mis-
5issippi, Louisiana, and Texas. A. h.
of Florida, and George g.
Vest of Missouri were the last senators
10 die, and Postmaster-G General John
II. Reagan of Texas was the sole sur.
vivor, for four years, of the Conteder-
ate cabinet officers.
And what does itmean to be sole
survivor, and thus pass away from the
honOrs and labors Of earth To Senator
Vest, IL meant that he had 0utllVed
Confederate senators, and
finally died after serving as United
States senator with marked ability. To
Postmaster-Ge General Reagan Il meant
hat he had outllved the president, the
and all the cabinet Off
'ers, all the senator's, and all the great
generals of the war, In the
Confederate States, and died, at an adj
'anced age, as an ex- United States
enator. Well might he be called a
most remarkable old man, one whose
ears of activity and usefulness ended
My with his death.
As to Georgia's sole survivor of sena-
ors and representatives, Col Hiram p.
'ell, he, too, was a remarkable old man,
ctive, useful and honored up to the
losing year Of his long and busy life.
'efore the war he was one Of GeOrgia's
lost prominent public men, and after
ne war he served in congress and in
he state legislature. A conservative
a gallant soldier, a Chris
ian gentlemen, he has gone TO a rich
eward in a heavenly home. Col Mar
IN OF Ocala, the sole survivor in FlOri-
a, bears a striking resemblance TO Col
ell In his dignifed and courteous man
er; in having been both statesman and
older; as a sole surviving congress-
ian, and as having. like Col. Bell, a
'orthy son Of noble sire, prominent
J public life in Atlanta, Ga. = Hon. +.
'. Martin and Hon. G. l.. Bell.
Our women's history clubs need not
0 TO foreign lands for study subjects,
Ir they lie all about US in abundance.
'ith the poet, we say to such clubs:
Thy thus longing, thus forever signing,
For the far-oh unattained and dim.
lille the beautiful, all around you ly-
ing,
Offers up its low, perpetual hymn?
SIDNEY HERBERT.
Maitlu Flo TnnH