The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-06-14
GRADY'S FAMOUS SPEECH


Henry w. Grady, in response TO an
urgent invitation, delivered al the
BANQUET of the New England club in
New York mastery oration in which
there was a prophetic vision OF the
New South, and the speech did much
to reunify the national spirit thao was
destroyed by the civil way. In con-
nection with the celebrations IN hon
or of Grady's memory now being OBJ
served, it is we'll to :-e-read tnat won-
derful speech of the creates. Sou
thern orator, and it follows:
"There was a South of slavery and
secession-that South is dead. There
is a South of union ard freedom
that South, thank God, is living,
breathing, growing every hour. "
These words, delivered from the i'm
mortal lips of Benjamin H. Hill, at
Tammany hall, in 1886, true then and
truer now, l shall make my text.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen: let
me express to you my appreciation
of the kindness by which l am permit
ted to address you. make this abrupt
acknowledgment advisedly, for l feel
that IL, when L raise my provincial
voice in this ancient and august pres
ence, could find courage for no more
than the opening sentence, it would
be we'll if in that sentence l had met
in rough sense my obligation as
guest, and had perished so to speak
with courtesy on my lips and grace
in nv heart. Permitted, through
YOUR kindness, to catch my second
wind, let me say that l appreciate the
significance of being the first South
erner to speak at this board, which
bears the substance, if it surpasses
the sem5lance, of original New Eng
land hospitality-and honors the SEN
timent that in turn honors you, but
in which my personality is lost, and
the compliment to my people made
plain.
l bespeak the utmost stretch OF
YOUR courtesy tonight. l am not
troubled about those from whom
come. You remember the man whose
wife sent him to a neighbor with
pitcher of milk, and who, tripping on
the top step, fell with such casual IN
terruptions as the landings afforded
into the basement, and, while picking
himself up, had the pleasure of hear
ing his wife call, out:
"John, did you break the pitcher"
"No, 1 didn't" said John, "but III
be dinged if / don't
So, while those who call me from
behind may inspire me with energy,
if not with courage, l ask an irdul-
gent hearing from you. l beg that
YOU viii bring your full faith in Am
erican fairness, and frankness to
Judgment upon what l shall say.
There was an old preacher once who
told some boys of the Bible lesson he
was going to read in the morning. The
bows, finding the place, glued to-
gether the connecting pages. The
newt morning he read on the bottom
of one page, "When Noah was l2O
wears old he took unto himself
wife, who was then turning q
page-"14O cubits long, 40 0euolts
wide, built of gopher wood, and COW
cred with pitch inside and cut lie
was naturally puzzled at this. He
read it again, verified it, and then
said. friends, this is the first time L
ever met this in the Bible, but l ac-
cept this as an evidence that we are
fearfully and wonderfully made. II
l could get You to hold such faith to-
night could proceed cheerfully to a
task l otherwise approach with a
sense of conservation.
Pardon me one word, Mr.. Presl-
dent, spoken for the sole purpose OF
getting into the volumes that 60 out
annually freighted with the rich elo-
ouence of your speakecs-tha. tact
that the Cavalier as vel as the Purl-
tan was on the continent on the early
days and that he was ''up and able to
be about" l have read you: BOOKS
carefully, and l fna no mentlcA OF
that fact, which seams 20 ME an M
portant one for preserving a sort OF
historical equilibrium, if fo: nothing
else.
Let me remind you tat the Vlr-
ginia cavalier first challenged France
on the continent-that cavalier, John
Smith, gave New England its very
name, and was so pleased with the
lob that he has been handing his own
onI that