The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-09-27 00:00:00

NATIONAL MOURNING.

Tlit Duni Or FILEMINT GAMIELD.

On this 'abject the Raw. T. Nears preached an eloquent
pennon on Sunday morning at Nu Congregational Chapel.
He took for hie text

And .chs.i-Chlldr-e-n-Of. Israel wept for Moses in the plains
of Moab thirty day': Gent 'rely., 8.
There is something ineepreseriblv touching la the sincsre
mourning of • whole nation. It is but seldom in the
history of nations that such • spectacle is withered. The
most illustrious of sovereiwns or even of citizens is rarely
fortunate in commanding in life the affection and goodwill
of mankind, and in death there is too frequently a worst re-
joicing amid the outward tokens of reourniag. [the" fallen
to the lot of President Gatfield to awaken in the tragic
events which have closed his career, the honest team of the
millions of hi. own nation, and hardly less so the sincerest
grief of the English people. The intelligence of his death,
after a long and heroic struggle against his mortal wounds, in
which the piety and courage of the sufferer were alike
conspiouows, has awakened a grief and sorr iw In oar Ow,
nation, whose rode from the cottage to the throne, have
followed day by day, the vicissitudes of his iliness with
deepening interest and alternating hopes, little Weeder'
and sincere than that which is felt by the millions of his
own countrymen and women. Nor, can such an event
aa this have been permitted in the allwise, though threat-
able Providence, of the Almighty without good and grscions
ends, and we shall do well to try to find out what may
these good and gracious ends be.
I. In the outlet, in contemplating such an event
as has filled the world, we may ry, with grief and
mourning, we era brought face to ince with the
mysterious workings of Divine Providence. It is
one of the striking features in this mourning, note-
ably felt and universally exptered that it Ire been
occ taloned, not by the fall simply of • man filling one of
the greatest stations in the world, the chosen representa-
tive and chief matistrate of one of the freest and great
get peoples on the face of the earth, but by the fall of&
man, whose own traders and greatness were no leas die
tingniabed than the position which he was called to fill
Leh than • year, since few of us knew is conch as the
name white henceforth will take it. place in the great
roll of the \Midi Melt honoured and Wustrione names,
nor "on to his own 00entritense, unless to its more select
circles was it better known, and Yet within the brief
space of a few months, his own nation and the world at
1e have come to know how great and goof a man God
hd given to the American people in their martyred
President, whew Dower to IMO= men and to Mrs the
world IVY WWI else consproona than the greater of hat
IMO Pons- But tree simple facts only heighten the
warty which envelopes hi. death, and the "pert
darenation of his taklut off." We c moot forbear the
question how cornea it to_pgas that a life so gifted, to fitted
for universal good and Mowing has been suffered be the
hand of a dastardly and worthless oral n to be cut down
In the very opening of its powers and awfulness. Such •
q oisstion is not asked for the first time I n the world's history.
liity one which has constantly haunted the mind of man;
for which there is no adequate reason t 3 be found;
hmi hided there ist
A deep vivre 41 our thouchte are drowned."
nog theists • mem and a sonclent Freon for the Ghia*
action here as every when else, we inay will belie" and
one the Try triage of this mysterious realm we may tile,