Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-02-17
Moral and Spiritual Qualities of
Z. III. Mccormick

Moral and Spiritual Qualities c
Z. III. Mccormick
Following are excerpts from tn
address of President Denny, o
the occasion of the centennial an
niversary of the birth of Cyru
Hail Mccormick, held Monday a
Washington and Lee University:
eff 1 forget thee, 0 Jerusalem
let my right hand forget her Gun
ming. Thus spoke Cyrus Hal
Mccormick, full of -houors and o
years, concerning his native Stat
in his inaugural address as presi
dent of the Virginia Society O
Chicago. virginia." he exclaim
cd, sis the scene of our most sa
cred ana cherished memories. ,
Whatever meaning the name Vir
ginia conveyed to the other mem
bers of the Society which he wat
addressing, TO the speaker ii
meant, first and foremost, this
beautiful Valley section where be
was born and where he spent his
young life. There" said he,
"stood the old home. There flowed
the mountain stream. There dubbed
the spring at hicA We qUenched
our youthful thirst. There
were the friends of our childhood,
LOW widely scattered or dead"
The true greatness of Mr.. McOOr-
mick nowhere appeared to finer
effect than III the fact that ne
never grew too busy or too famous
to remember in gratitude the days
ard the scenes out of which he
Was ushered into the world of
acton.
To-day we celebrate the centen-
NAL of his birth in the county
which gave him to the world, and
on the campus of the Institution
which is the nOblesr expression OF
the giulus and the civilization of
the stock from which he sprung.
The nation at large will share with
us our admiration of the genius,
the versatility and the achieve
ments of this remarkable man.
DR.. Depny then spoke of the
great 0verpowering purpose of Mr..
Mccormick as being a man of
n arvelous power of concentration.
He had the will to devote himself
10 essentials ana To master details.
He had one persistent ambition,
and was dominated by one great
purpose. He was indifferent 10 de-
feat. Back of him was the "hard-
lest breed that WAS ever mixed |
into the American blend" His |
Scotch. Irish blood told.
MIR. Mccormick was a man of |
untiring Industry in carrying out
his purpose. He knew how to
take pains. The flashes of his
genius did rot come from the
stars. They came from his own
busy pick. The idea behind the
work stimulated him end sustained
him. POlsee, confident, unyield-
ing, imperiOus, he met opposition,
not by argument, but by work.
Thus lie gave to the human race
the Instrument whose "click has
tecOme the music of an interna-
tiCnal anthem
Mr.. Mccormick was a man who
did not walt for opportunity to
come to hin or to be thrust upon
Ein, but who created opportunity
and Was quick To seize it. He did
not believe that things merely (
happen. He was not the pro-
Dhet OF accident. Mem bershIp in
The nobility of self-made men
never coUes to the man who mere
y "waits fO- something to turn 7
lp." Action ana thought did go
land in hand in the case of Cyrus I
4. Mccormick. I
Mr.. Mccormick was a man who {
Knew not merely how to make {
money, but also how to use it. His |
lin was to use his time, his gen. G
US and his money for the benefit {
# mankind. He lived and loved +
he simple life. He endowed col c
eyes ard semipalies Of learning, C
'ad esta blisned great religious a
ournal. He knew that money L
nus invested would yield the
hlgest rate of interest in the
higher values of life, and would G
ever cease to declare a dividend C
o the ultimate good of humanity v
nd to the glory of COD. d
Finally, DR.. Denny spoke Of C
Or. Mccormick as a man of IN. Il
Javering Christian character. He t
vas man of faith. Religion was o
natural cOrolIeTy to his charac a
er. He shrank from the false and !:
he base. He accepted the old a
BIOLOGY, without amendment and t
'lthout apology. He was a man C
f faith in God; and his faith was t
apply characterized by common
ense and by service. ii
Such, in tarest outline, is pic Ii
IRE of some of the sterling moral n
nd spiritusl qualities of Cyrus c.
.all Mccormick. We believe that d
ne man whom we honor is worthy a
high place in the group of i'm CT
ortais. We herald this faith to
he world. We believe that his