The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-04-28
THE GENTLEMAN FROM MISSIS-
SIPPI.
In the Senate:

| In the Senate:
From memorial address on the late
Senator Anselm J. McLaurin of Missis-
sippi.
Senator Lodge (Mass.)-Among the
many excellent words which have been
driven into exile, spoiled, discredited,
vulgarized by misuse, abuse and indis-
crimate and meaningless application,
none has Jared worse than those fine old
words gentleman" and "lady." They
have been flung about as if they merely
indicated sex and species, and most peo-
pie shrink from them because they seem
to have lost reality and become a kind
of cast off fnery. They have been treat
ed as they did not possess deep sig
ni6cance, all the deeper as theidea of
rank and artificial distinction has faded
from them and been replaced by con-
ception of character and conduct of man
ners and beliefs which no other phrase
conveys. f.t'ts - 1t~a
Yet it is something impossible to ext
press ones thought except by using the
word gentleman" although it should new
err be employed lightly or unadvisedly.
Even when it is properly used and Justly
applied it is too often narrowed by coup
ling with it qualifications of place or
time, like "a fine old English gentleman"
or "a gentleman porn" or "a gentleman
true,"o "a gentleman of the old school,"
To do this is to confuse the incidental
and accidental with the permanent and es-
sential. Manners vary with place and
time; they are important but after all
are only ''letters commendatory" as Queen
Isabella called them. Customs and stan
dards of behavior change, but a gentle
man in the highest and truest accepta-
ton, must always and everywhere and
at all epochs have been the same. for the
word could not otherwise fulfill the idea
which it conveys and which has been
slowly formed through centuries of time.
Take two of thegreatest of the sons
of men, Caesar and Napoleon. Though
it would require many pages to tell my
reasons | am none the less sure that the
Roman was a gentleman and that the
Corsican, with all his marvellous genius,
was not. The greatest soldier and one
of the greatest diplomats, produced by
the English speaking race, was the first
Duke of Marlborough; one of the great
est men of all time, was George Washing
ton. | am sure that George Washington
was also a great gentleman and that John
ChurcAlli was not. When Thackery sought
IN history ''The first gentleman in Europe"
was the reverse of everything that gen.
tleman ought to be, 50 contrasted the king
at his coming out ball as Prince of Wales,
with Washington resigning his command
at Annapolis. 1t is a very noble passage;
and then Thackery tried to define gentle
man.. Perhaps no one has come nearer
to the ideal we all have in our minds.
What is it to be a gentleman" he asks.
1T is to have lofty aims, to lead pure
life, to keep your honor virgin, to have
the esteem of your elbow citizens and
the love of your friends, to bear good
fortune meekly, to suffer evil with con-
stancy, and through evil or good, to
maintain truth always? Show me the
happy man whose life exhibits these
quantities, and him we will salute as gen.
tleman, whatever his rank may be-"
With these words on my lips let me
now say that what | felt most strongly
IN Senator McLaurin, was that he was
such a thorough gentleman. As | saw
him he was always kind, generous, gen.
tie, loyal friend. Some years ago / asked
him to do me favor, to give me an
assurance which would enable me to go
home on an errand of great Importance
to me. | have never forgotten what he
said and | never can. The words he
used in giving the assurance that | asked
revealed to me in fash noble. loyal
and generous heart; quick and COM
pretending sympathy only too rarely found
| felt that here was a man to whom !
could entrust my honor or my fortune
or the welfare Of those love better far