The Tupelo journal., 1913-05-16
abode

waste-wanderers they became on the
face of the earth, but an idea took so
concrete a form that from this '.pe-
culiar people" sprang the only embodi-
ment Of truth the world has ever had.
We too pray for truth and right. Shall
we leave the generations unborn no
fitting memorial of u struggles?
Walk through the art galleries OF sun
ny Italy, tread softly where England's
dead sleep in stored halls of fame;
and weep with stricken Poland. Climb
the rocky sleeps of bonny Scotland,
and listen to the thrilling call of Bruce
or Wallace; let the strong passion of
Ireland sweep over the waters of your
soul-all, all that is good, uplifting,
inspiring, will be found TO be shot
through with sentiment as drops OF
water are shot through with the golden
arrows of the sun-to make the rain
bow. And remember. friends, that
rainbow is the token of Gods cove
nant with Noah, with us, that he will
not again destroy with water the IN
habitants of the earth. The Old Capitol
is the token of Gods mercy in the
past, as the new is the token of our
prosperity now. Let nc ruthless hand
destroy the resting places of our dead.
Let nothing short of grim necessity
destroy this monument to past endeavor
and present worth.
A family rich in deeds of daring, in
heritages of unsullied honor and his
toric worth, possesses that which money
can not buy, or time eradicate. A ma
ton rich in story and song, in music
and art, in masterful things wrought
with her own hands is the only nation
that lives. Our government is spend
ing millions of dollars in preserving the
resting places of those who fought for
the integrity of the Union, in statues
of the men who have figured largely
in history making, and in keeping in
tact the places that mark the years we
have lived. Shall we be less patriotic?
Shall we let the flowers of sentiment
die for want of culture? Shall we
destroy the one building that marks
the stages of progress through which
we have passed? Shades of our honored
dead forbid! We would seemingly
despise our rich legacy to touch with
unholy hands our historic old building.
AS we would preserve the works of
our poets and artists, as we would keep
in memories archives the names of our
great men and women, as we would
keep sacred the memories of the past
with the same reverence we would
keep forever" this building of our
Hall of Fame"
In studying the history of the Old
Capitol we find it runs from grave TO
gay, through storm and sunshine.
Abandoned by the State Government
in 1903, it stands alone pathetic in its
aloofness, but appealing to all hearts
with its proud contribution to the
States history. Near it lies the small
but beautiful Confederate Park, in
which is erected one of the handsomest
monuments to the private soldiers of
the South. The park is owned by the
United Confederate Veterans of Missis-
sippi. The capitol grounds belong to
the State. and taken all together the
plot of ground would make a situation
worthy the historic old building.
Representing as it does 80 much of
Mississippi's historic past, no structure
preserved within its borders would add
more to it's dignity and interest.
To its historic precincts passing
generations would come to drink of an
higher aspiration. within its walls the
traveller and soiourner would linger to
hear the story of Jackson's rough
Democracy, of the presence of Kos
suth, the. Hungarian Patriot, as he
poured out his sons of freedom; of the
%pacification and ide~alization of the
great Clay; of the sublime patriotism
of Jefferson Davis, and of the impas-
stoned ~eloquence of Sargent S. Prentiss,
and as the graceful statues of the
Greeks and Romans tell the story OF
past civilization, so would this veneer
able pile teach in thrilling tones the
history of Mississippi.
The strength of Sampson was SUI
ficient to break the strong pillars OF
the dance hall' of the Philistines-
but he too died with his enemies. he
did the work of an avenger. Let us
not pull down the walls that mark our
greatness-but use our new found
strength in preserving the building that
contains not the living jewellers, butthe
shades of our great men who have fall
len asleep.