The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-06-08 00:00:00

DEATH OF DR. CHALMERS.

(From the Edinburgh Witness of June 1s1.)
It is with feelings to which we can give no adequate ex-
pression, that we have to intimate to our readers the death
of this super-eminently great and good man. Dr. Chal-
mers died at his residence at Morningside on the morn-
ing of Monday the 31st.
The Doctor retired to rest at an early hour on Sabbath
evening in perfect health, as it appeared to his family, and
to a brother clergyman who was living under his roof.
Next morning, Professor Macdougal, who expected to
have received a packet of papers from the Doctor, sent, at
about twenty minutes before eight, to inquire whether the
papers had been left out. The house-keeper knocked at
the door of the Doctor's bed-room, but receiving no an-
swer, and concluding that the Doctor was asleep, sent to
the Professor a reply, intimating that the papers would be
sent as soon as the Doctor should awake. Half an hour
later another party called, when the house-keeper knocked
as before, and still received no answer. This, taken in
connection with the fact that the Doctor had not rung his
bell at six o'clock for his cup of coffee, as was his wont,
awakened the fears of the domestics, who agreed to enter
the chamber, and ascertain if all were well with their
reverend master. On entering, they were horror-struck
on discovering that the Doctor, partly erect, partly reclin-
ing on his pillow, had fallen into a sleep of death. Not
venturing themselves to communicate the mournful intel-
ligence to the family, they went instantly to the residence
of Professor Macdougal, immediately adjoining, and com-
municated to him the melancholy tidings. Stunned by
the intelligence, the Professor hastened to the Doctor's
residence, and entered his sleeping apartment, and, draw-
ing aside the bed curtains, saw, alas the lifeless form of
one he had so deeply revered, and with whom he had con-
versed but the day before. The Doctor, it appeared, had
been sitting erect when overtaken by the stroke of death,
and he still retained in part that position. The massy
head gently reclined on the pillow. The arms were folded
peacefully on the breast. There was a slight air of op-
pression and heaviness on the brow, but not a wrinkle,
not A trace of sorrow or pain disturbed its smoothness.
The countenance wore an attitude of deep repose. Pro-
fessor Macdougal grasped the hand. It was cold as mar-
ble. Life had been absent for several hours.

No conflict had preceded dissolution. As a proof of
this, we may mention that the bed clothes were gathered
about his person, and had plainly not been disturbed by
any struggle at the moment of departure. On the fore-
noon of Monday, the Doctor was to give in the report of
the College Committee to the General Assembly of the
Free Church ; and, in anticipation of that event, his pa-
pers and writing materials lay beside him in bed, so ar-
ranged that he might begin his work so soon as he should
awake.

It was only on Friday evening that Dr. Chalmers re-
turned from London, where he had given evidence before
the Site Committee. He preached on three several Sab-
baths in England, with all the fire and vehemence of his
former days, and to crowded audiences, including the
Prime Minister, and other influential members of the Le-
gislature. On his way home, he visited his sisters at
Glo'ster, and in doing so fulfilled the purposes and long-
ings which he had cherished for years. On arriving in
Edinburgh, his family and friends found him, as it ap-
peared to them, in excellent health and spirits. On Sab-
bath afternoon he attended public worship, in company
with Dr. Cunningham, in the Free Church of Morning-
side.
The announcement of the melancholy event made a pro-
found impression on the members of Assembly. They
had met expecting that day to see him amongst them,
but were called, alas ! to listen to the mournful announce-
ment of the Moderator, that " he was not, for God had
taken him."
Another paper says, that when the doctor was found,
" the legs of the body were crossed over each other, by
one of them being drawn upwards to the knee of the
other ; and betwixt them a basin was firmly retained,
which it is supposed the aged divine must have taken into
bed on experiencing the first access_of the fatal attack
from feeling a disposition to vomit, such as might be
created by any sudden apoplectic stroke, or even by
spasms. The body was quite cold when discovered by the
servant : Doctor Chalmers had been dead some time."
The remains- of the lamented doctor were interred on
Friday, in the Grange cemetery, Edinburgh, an immense
concourse of persons being present. A very long proces-
sion was formed, consisting of the General Assembly of the
Free Church, the professors and students of the Free
College, the ministers and elders of the Free Church, the
rector and masters of the High School in their gowns, the
rector pastor and students of the Free Church Normal
School, Free Church teachers, &c., and the whole was
closed by a large body of private citizens. After the
procession were about ninety carriages. The Rev. Mr.
Addis, the Free Church minister at Mormingside, of
whose congregation. Dr. Chalmers wa-s an elder, officiated
at the grave.