The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-04-29
NEVER
In, South's History Was Negro Hon:
va" .&}% ored Higher. .H..-..
Remains of Noted Educators Laid to
hest In Presence, OF 5000 Mourn
., " Ing Whites and Negroes for :.
-. Whose Benefit he Spent :, .
~ Major Portion of (. =
- - - u Life. 49,, -. 80. = ~
(By Horace D. Slatter:.) J

l
President of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College for Negroes,
located here, and who more than any
other one Negro did real pioneer
Work I'm the effort to establish the
Itdeao OF industrial education for the
masses or the race, was buried here
last Wednesday just across the drive
way from the beautiful Carnegie
Library, in the presence Of more
than 5000 persons Of both races from
f1ll parts Of the 1South. =:
e Never Mn the history Of the South
had SO much honor been paid to q
Negro man, born In slavery. 1t is
tsaid of i President Councill that he
Ibid more than any other single
character to help in the :uplift. Of his
fpeople.; Prominent Negroes were
here from all parts Of the South, who
could reach the school in time for
fthe, >obsequies, and special train
conveyed more than 400 people to
the campus from Huntsville -
The body of President Councill
lay in state in the Carnegie Library
from Saturday, April 18th until
"Wednesday, where 1t was viewed by
1.-THE students, members of the Facul-
ty, ,peighbors Of Normal, and visiting
graduates and acquaintances, be-
sides the vast concourse of people
assembled at the funeral. -
The exercises began promptly at
$3.50 O'Clock Wednesday afternoon,
when the march of students, began,
With the Institute band playing a
funeral march, all of whom took
their places in front of the CarnegieN
library. The independent Order Of
ilmmaculates, Of which Prof. CoatSSa|
lcill was. one Of the founders, Seags5S
Quoted the prelimiparies. The Rev
rs p. WATSON, pastor Z, of the sangt t,
lMethod1st Episcopal church, South,
prayed the. opening prayer. Rev. r.
=. Brooks, pastor of the African
Methodist Episcopal church, Hunts
Iyille, Rev. w. s. Johnson, presiding
elder of the. Birmingham district A.
M. E. church, and Rev. J. M. GoodIoe,
or North Alabama district, conducted
the religious opening exercises.
Appropriate resolutions from the
Faculty were read by Mrs IT: M. F.
Archer, from the Alumni by DR.. J.
turner Thomas Birmingham, Miss
lsora R. Garrett, Nashville, Tenn,
and Mr.. J. H: Poe, Huntsville, Ala;
the student body, Mahon Cooley;
North Alabama conference, Rev. w,
IB. johnson. -: r..
The funeral sermon was preached
by the Rev. DR.. J. M. Henderson,
president of Payne University, Sell
ma, Alabama, from the Text "For
since by man came death, by man
also came the resurrection from the
dead" 8 Cor. Is, xxi DR.. Hender-
Son paid high tribute to the mem
DRY OF President Councill} and deolar-
ed that he was right when he taught
| the members Of the race that in
order, to advance themselves, they
Imust~place themselves In position TO
frender the world good servica:
l. g. Addresses by Hon. s.. j.. Mayhem,
President of the Board Of Confmis
sioners, Hon: Ben P. Hunt and
David A. Grayson, members Of the
Board; the funeral Grafton by the
Hon. H. ", Cashin, of Decatur, Ala
bama, and the special music for the
occasion were the principal features
Of the funeral ceremonies.
Short addresses were delivered by
DR.. r. F. Boyd, Hon. J. G. Napier, A.
N. Johnson. and Ira T. Bryant, all of
Nashville and special musical 6um.
| bers were sung as follows: Solo,
| Face to Fade" Miss Bertha L.
Tate, Montgomery, Alabama; "One
SWeetly. Solemn Thought" A. and
NJ. College Glee Club; "In Thee, o
Lord" Miss Ellen Henderson, Nash
vile, Tenn; ''sCrosslng the :, Bar"
Miss Isora r. Garnett, Nashville!
Tenn; Somewhere" GIee Club
Quartette; and quartette composed
of Misses Virginia c., Sussannah w.,
Eloise and Mr.. w. l.. Clay, sung a
| requiem that was composed for the
funeral of their late father, Hon.
~. w.. Clay, once governor Of The
| state of Alabama anG editor of the
Huntsville Democrat. Many Of the
Beople present pronounced this the
most remarkable tribute ever paid
| to the Negro Of the South.
Hundreds Of kilograms and mes
| sages of coincidence were received
from all parts Of the nation, and o.
magnificent floral offerings from
many organizations, were displayed
and banked high upon the grave
where his body was consigned to
rest,
William H. Councill was born a.
slave at Fayetteville, S. c., in 1848
apd was therefore 81 years of age.
He was brought to Alabama by slave
Etraders In 1857 through famous
Richmond slave pen. He was a. self