New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-04
watch to learn and to fulfil hi. Oblig.tiou,. in the

watch 10 learn and TO fulfil his obligations, In the
/ less, particular 70 every human creature.
His conscientousneB was not more manifest IN
the undertaking rectitade of bis mercantile and
commercial career than in social aud domestic life
/ He was careful 70 pay honor where honor was due.
10 loose no opportunity Of msnIestlng respect for
worth and virtue. 70 avoid the least trifing with
the feelings or the reputation Of others, and 70
give at all times the least possible trouble on his
own account. How lofty a sense Of honor, how
/ pure aud strict integrity, what high-minded
/ principles ne carried with him into business. you
are far better able % estimate than an Bat Il the
testimony o. the commercial world Is 20 be taken,
his counting-roOm was 70 him sanctuary In
which he offered the daily sacrifices Of justice.
I truth and righteousness and sent up incense Of
| obedience % that great precept " Do unto others
. as ye would that others should unto you
| II was the pervsding influence and control Of
this sense Of duty which enabled him 70 say q, the
very close Of life, IL am not conscious that have
ever brought evil upon single human being
| And this suggests another Characteristic Of Mr.
Goodhue-his benevOence- hich when men
ton IT, seems, each Of his other traits does the
most striking Of all.
Kindness Of heart was joined 10 him with purity
Of feeling and loftiness and recttude Of conscience
IL did not in hin take the form OF public philsn-
thrOpy, although for thirty years he most
siduOus and deeply interested In the duties Of
Trustee Of the Savings Bank and a Governor Of
| the HOspital-otices which he would Dot relin-
quish sven amid the inhrmties OF his few past
years because he loved the intercourse Of the sick
and the poor. His benevoence was rather con
| slant unHesried and Bever-faIllng desire and ei-
fort 70 make all within bis reach happy. He loved
bis race. He was uneasy If cut OF, for ever 50
! short time, from the intercourse Of hls fellow
/ creatures. The human face was dear % him, and
bis heart overlooked with tenderness and good
| will toward every creature that bore Il. Perhaps
10 man in the community had liveer interest IN
Man simply as Man. IL mattered nothing what
bis station condition. faith, country or color be
loved bis klnd-lOved 10 make the human heart
| reioice-lOved 10 call up even momentary feelings
OF satisfaction in the breasts Of those with whom
be had even a passing intercourse. Who 50 scru-
pulous as he % discharge the little cOurtesies OF
life with fidelity whose eye turned so quickly b
recognize the humbest friend whose smile and
hand so ready 70 acknowledge the greetings OF bis
most extensive circle Of acquaintance know
nothing Of his more substantial services 10 the sui
| fering and the needy. He was not man 20 allow
bis left hand 10 know What his right hand did, yet
| who can doubt that his charities were az large as
| his heart and means. But we Overrate the
worth Of that besming goodness which Overiesps
the barriers OF station and wealth, and makes for
| It's pOssessor place IN the heart OF the humblest
and most obscure. Love creates lOve-nnd the
| unbOunded measure OF affection which this comma
nifty pOurs upon him shows how freely he had
| given bis heart % his fellow men.
| dare not speak Of the exemplhcaton his be
|
| he knew how 10 preserve the most manly dignity
while he lavished all the tenderness Of a worhsn's
heart.
Again, the love Of freedom was the most con-
| spicuous mental trait IN Mr.. GOodhue. h was the
earnest advocate Of political freedom or religious
liberty and Of free trade. Possessed of large un-
derstanding cultivated by careful reading, and
| early impressed with the principles that moved
our Republican fathers, he had exercised himself
upon all the political, religion, and Commercial,
questions OF his time, and upon most had worked
himself out into the largest liberty and the largest
| light
BY conscience, by heart. he the ardent sup
porter OF human rights He could bear restric |
| tons, tolerate no interierences here; he had !
full and unwaverng confidence In the value and |
permanenee OF our institutions, and was not dis |
mayed by any Of the discourseng signs of the |
times. He believed fully IN human progress, aud |
delighted In nothing so much as IN noticing or re- /
counting the proofs Of II. But his feeling In /
the Importance and necessity of religious liberty |
and perfect liberation. He came to this City be-
fore the Unitarian controversy had arisen at the |
East and was attendant for many years upon
Trinity Church, where, indeed, he became Sun
day-schOol teacher. BE was cOntented there,
and was not among those who started the first
Unitarian congregation in New York Ii was not
till the spirit OF persecution arose in this City aud
he men and opinions that he knew to be pure
charged with iDtdeity and branded with social
Opprobrium that he felt his spirit stirred within
him. Then his sense OF duty, his strong sentiment
of Justice, his love Of truth, and his adherence OF
intolerance combined 10 make him cast in his lot
with sect everywhere spoken against. In him
IL was a high act of moral courage and a triumph |
of conscience over interest and inclination. Tor he
was connected by marriage 18th one OF the most
influential families Of the dominant sect in this
City, aud compelled IN the iulflment OF his duty
10 iorsake the worship to which bis household adj
hered-a separation which, to the honor of all be
It known, never distilled drop OF bitterness into
his domestic cup.
Mr.. Goodhue was firm believer in the doc
trines OF Unitarianism and reoiced in every evi
deuce of their spread but his attachment 10 the
principles OF religious liberty was still stronger
lie would have left us as seon as any other body
OF Christians, had we proved false to the charity
We avowed. God save us from doing that
might speak, my brethren, OF the simplicity of
his manners, his modesty and humility, his great
dislike % Ostentstion IN modes OF life dress, equip
age and domestic arrangements. These were the
qualities which made him loved as well as respect
ed. No man envled his success or was Jealous OF |
his honors His wealth built up no barrier be-
tween him and his ielow-men however humble.
His circumstances however prosperous, his condi-
ton however elevated did nothing 10 conceal 10 |
dsiort 10 color the image of the man himself. |
He was manifest through all, and appeared in his
modest, simple, sincere goodness, from which none
felt the least proyocation 10 detrsct.
should wrong him and the place and ONCE | f |
admirable in Mr. Goodhues character was piety |
profound reverence aud love for God. was the |
pervsdng and central sentiment OF his heart This
was the light and strength OF his conscience. To |
please God. to render himself pure and accepta
bic offering ia his sight, to do his Makers will on
earth as IL IL done IN Heaven-this was the rule
and the impulse and the secret source OF his re-
hgous life
1t you ask Tor the shades IN a character So sin
gulsry shining, perhaps il might be said that Mr..
Goodhue valued the appreciation Of his fellow
men so much as TO njgre the decisiyeness Of his
estimates OF character, and the irankness Of his
expressions IA regard 10 men aud measures that
his cautoasness amounted to timidity and his
love OF peace 10 pusillanmity. He complained OF
himself that he had not the courage 10 say disa-
greeablo things when il was proper 10 do so-to
resist wrong 70 check encroacbment. His gentle
ness ana kindness OF heart doubtless affected his
discrimination Of character. while his veneration
for the opinions OF his early teachers IN politics and
religion gave bis mind degree OF confidence IN
the sentiments he hsd received from them unia.
Vorable 10 Progress or the development OF Truth
tie had perhaps, an oyerweenlng respect for his
own judgment IN matters which he had not fully
measured or exhausted A fault however which