Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-26


memory of the immortal Grady the
worthiest tribute Atlanta and the
South can 1ring is a rehabilitation of them
selves to the ideals he bore aloft and to
the labors through which his spirits splen-
dour was revealed. Only thus the nobly
great rightly honored and understood. No
wreaths of greenest laurel no trumpet words
of praise can render back our debt to him
unless think his thoughts and seek in
our own days darkness the vision that led
him in courage and in truth.
Grady wrought as a pioneer and thereby
spake as a prophet He came upon an age
when old things were passed sadly away
and a new life struggled to be born. Per-
plexities beset the South, such as no other
land or era ever suffered. Bitter war memo
ries blew like an east wind through the ma
ton. The North had yet to learn the heart of
Lincoln, and here in Sherman's trail we're
problems and perils for the graphing of
which history offered no precedent. new
economic order, new political order, new
social order all were to be built, and built
out Of defeats and distresses. A task it was
not for courage alone but for keenest de-
cisions and for insights which only steadfast-
devotion to principle as against expediency
could give. And on the wisdom with which
these bewildering issues were met depended
the veal not only of the South, but of all
America and, ultimately of the world.
Into those troubled times came a man of
rare responsiveness, eloquent alike of tongue
and pen, a personality that glowed and
warmed and drew multitudes. What if he
had discerned less clearly or had guided
less uprightly? What if he had played the
brilliant 1emagogue instead of living a bril-
liant patriot? What if he had cast his in
fluence for darkness instead of for light!
Popular with many he still would have been
in those years of windy confusion; doubt
less he could have won high office and rich
emoluments But today no pilgrims from the
four corners of the nation would gather
about his shrine, no work of his would live
to bless his country, no people would rise
up to call him noble. Grady is remembered
and beloved the Union through because
when discord and destruction threatened he
led for brotherhood and for forces that up
build; because when it was easy to look
backward and counsel reaction, he went
fearlessly to grips with real problems; be-
cause when new day called for new duties,
he faced the sunrise.
Therefore it was that under the warmth
and light of his words. the bleakness. OF
sectionalism first began to thaw, the just
solution of peculiarly difficult race prob
lem first to appear, and the beauty Of the
New South to bloom in Americas magma
ton. The city and the commonwealth he
loved as home can do no bett' for them
selves and bring no loftier tribute to his
memory than to follow the CLEAN of the
spirit he breathed into their stressful past.
To be liberal in mind and neighborly of
heart to be just to the lowliest and kind to
the unfortunate, to abhor the dema gogue
and hold up the statesman's hands, to build
rather than destroy, construct rather than
criticize, and to count good service the high
est gain-this is the way to honor Grady,
for this is to be like him.