Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-12-05

WILLIAM G.. GRAHAM.-In casting our
| eye over the report Of the Coroncr's inquest,
had on tho body Of the lnmentcd William G..
Graham, the following sentence, contained in
the evidence of Mr.. John T. Boyd. particularly
arrested our attention.
"witness felt deeply upon the subject. and
| wished to have a funeral service performed, for
which purpose tho Rev. Mr.. CREIGHToN was
applied to; but the circumstance Of his death
being minated to him, he declined officiating,
but said he would not oppose his being inferred
in the church yard Of st. Marks"
We had no particular acquaintance with Mr..
Graham; we knew him by reputation, and on
more occasions than one, have listened with
pleasure to his conversation and pungent re-
marks. As a man OF sterling talents, and as a
ready and a happy writer, as one ofthe order,
we looked upon him with regard, and with his
numerous friends, lament his untimely fall,
whilst we deprecutc the existence Of the bar
barous practice which consigned him thus ear
ly to tho tomb. Ho was a gentleman, a scho-
lar, and pc. sessed the lofticr feelings of our ma
lures, and VIC are chagrined to learn that
the conscientious soruples of a clergyman,
should deny so excellent a man, the rites Of a
christian funeral, although VIC are not certain,
that the services Of the Reverend Mr.. Creigh-
ton, would lave promoted tho passage Of Mr..
Graham towards, the regions of the skies.
Graham it is true fell at tho hands Of a du-
e%llist; he was, If terms be Ia ken in the nice
sense of their meaning, the author Of his own
death! And yet, because he fell in a duel; be-
cause he was a semi-suicide, did he merit tho
disgrace which the Reverend MIR. Creighton,
would heap upon his memory!
When Alexander Hamilton, I'll at the hands
of Aaron Burr, his death couch was surrounded
by the clergy. and many Of the right reverend
divincs Of those days, made his dying words a
matter of pecuniary speculation; and, whilst
Burr was held up to the world in the guise Of
a murderer, Hamilton was sainted, and the pull
pit rang with his praises.
We are not the duellist's advocatc--we would
not encourage the practice, but yet. if a man
chances TO fall in private combat, We would
not have him condemned, or denied the rites Of
a christian burial; - rite that is even allowed
to the felon who expiates his crimes upon the
gallows. Tho objections Of the Reverend Mr..
Creighton were not good, though they might
have been based on legal as well as conscien-
tious scrupIes:-bnt had Graham been a man
who ranked among the most distinguished
statesmen OF the age, VIC doubt, if Mr.. Creigh-
ton would not have ~rcjoiced, had hc been cal
led Upon TO o~fficiate at the funeral. II Graham
had committed a crime against his country and
the laws of God, and if tho clergy could plead
anything in mitigation of his offences, Mr..
Creighton as q christian man was bound to of
fciatc. and deprecate the wrath Of Heaven,
which hovored over the PROSTATE remains Of the
fallen victim.
Mr.. Graham was an eccentric genius. as a
sketch of his history from the pen of Major
Noah, of the New-York Enquirer, will show.
"Mr. Graham was born at CatskilI, and was
a student at law, with the late Barent Garde-
nier. At n very early period he threw himself
upon tho world, and with a Quixotic spirit,
went to sea, and soon fonnd himself in London,
without money or friends Holding a ready
and sprightly pen, he wrote some articles in a
newspaper, which excited the attention Of a
gentleman Of fortune, who enquired for the au-
thor, and found him a youth of IL. Pleased
with his appearance and address he took him
home, and shortly afterwards, sent HIM to
Cambridge, where he completed his studies,
aud his patron dying, left him a handsome for
tune. With this property, Mr., Graham trav-
elled on the Continent-made himself master
Of the living, as he was of the dead languages
was a close observer of every thing relating 10
politics. arts, sciences, and literature, and par
t~icipated in all the amusements and attra ctions
Of the most polished courts. Returning to
London, and finding his means decreasing, he
sold an annuity Of 800 pounds sterling per an.
mum for a sum which he invested in some Of
the joint stock companies and lost. He then
attached himself to a newspaper either as a
writer or parliamentary reporter; and finally
he left England and arrived in his native coun-
as poor as when he left it. A short time af-
tor his arrival, he engaged to assist US in, our
editorial labours, which no continued to do UNI
til the day Of his doath."