The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
A Great Compliment.

It is also recorded that on the night of the assault the Texans engaged in it unanimously elected Pettus to be d Texan, and he always considered this one of the greatest compliments ever paid him.
 l remember well MT. President during the reconstruction period when a contest was on as to whether Lindsay or Smith should be seated as governor, and Federal troops were camped about the capitol of Alabama, and it was feared that a colli- sion would occur, that General Pettus was selected to guide and direct the demo- cratic cause, because of the universal con- fidence of the people in his unfiinching courage and wise discretion. The results justified this confidence.
 In figure he was tall, strongly built, with a noble head and rugged features. His integrity and sincerity were never questioned. He was angular in his meth- ods of thinking and language He was a strong lawyer, brushing aside immaterial issues and driving hard for the main points. He was a hard worker in his cases, preparing them diligently in ad- vance of trial He had few of the graoes of the orator and but little imagination, and yet few were more successful be- fore juries or on the stump, because he inspired all with absolute confidence in the candor and sincerity of his views.
 That he was fearless in the line of duty is shown by his leadership in the desperate charge at Vicksburg. Knowing him as I did, am sure that it was a strong sense of patriotic duty that put him at the head of the assaulting column and then made him incur the peril of handling shells liable to explode in his hands. He never weighed his own fate or future when duty beckoned him on.
 He was of rugged character, strong ;n his convictions, and aggressive in the maintenance of them. Yet those who knew him best knew that deep down in his breast was a heart tender and sympathetic, always ready to forgive an offense, full of human sympathy and prompt to kindly action. l have myself seen his eyes fill with tears on being reconciled to an estranged friend.
 It seems to me. MT. President, that a man who nurses an injury and brides himself on relentless pursuing an enemy may be an able man, but he can never be either great or a good man. We may not be able to rise to the sublime height of loving our enemies, these moun- tain tops of Christian character giving glimpses of the radiance of the coming world, may be too lofty for our attain ment; we may be unable to blot out the memory of a wrong committed against us by those who knew 1t to be without ex-
 
 himself against forgiveness and goes through life with resentment in his heart will never command the admiration of his people or deserve their leadership. How much nobler it is to have 1t record ed of man that he loved his friends and conquered his enemies by the gener- osity of his disposition, as can be said or this great man.
 He had no federation for timeseryer or trimmer. and no respect for a man not faithful to his convictions, promises, or duty.
 Read the Bible.
 He was a constant reader of the Bible and nothing delighted him more than to quote some text that would explain or illustrate his opinion or meaning. Re move not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have set" was frequently on his lips In this day of innovation and change, when nothing seems safe from the spoliator, it would be well that none of us should forget this divine com mand. Another text he seemed to love was, Thine own friend and thy fathers forsake not" Only a few days since re- port was submitted to the Senate for the repeal of an act and the commit tee in it's report quoted from report made last year to the Senate by Senator Pettus, in which he said:
 "rhe pardon of the President in tenn porary sense had the same effect as the pardon of our Master, as described in the Bible: Let the wicked man forsake his