New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-17
At dslIl1d, July To 80,
n. Rev NJ Brazr-r Of Christ Chrcb. Lerirgsn


~ Rev 81. BrazLrr, OF CHRIST chrch Lsxirssa-
A nations griefs are bursting forth at the
fall of one of her noblest sons.
mighty man in wisdoui-in truth,
lies in our presence to-day, insensible, nanimate
end cold.
The heart which once be at with pure and loe-
ty patriotism shall beat no more.
The renowned statesman, who was learned in
the laws Of diplomacy and government, will never
again give his counsel in affairs of state-and the
voice which was ever raised in behalf Of truth and
liberty, is silenced forever.
Indulge me in a remark or two while speak Of
him, and in consideration Of the personal comfort
Of this immense assembly, my words shall be few.
This is neither proper place nor a at occasion
to dwell on the peculiar and striking incidents of
his public life, and mean to say n few words only
of his character az viewed ia connection with reh
gion.
We have not come here to weave a garland of
praises for the fallen statesmen, or to throw the
incense OF adulatiOn upon the urn which encloses
BIS ashes-but we have come here to pay the last
8 ices of respect and affection to a negh6or and
a friend and to draw from the visitation which
has stricken down one of the mghtiest of our
mighty men such lessons "a are calculated 20 teach
us what shawows we are and what shadows we
pursue"
Our venerated friend has been before the public
eye for half century, and for nearly the whole Of
that period in the occupancy ofhigh public places.
lie has done the State great service. lie COM
bined in his character such elemeDt, could
make him 10 other man than ne was, except that
he might have been as great soldier, as he was a
state sman and orator. But the GROWING excel
lerce Of all his virtues, was this-he was a Christ
ian. As he was eminently open, candid and hon
est in his long public career So he was deeply sin
cere in bis adoption, the rule Of his life, of the
principles OF our holy religion.
Although the sunSof seventy summers had shOno
down upon him before he made public proess sion Of
Christ, yet when he did make it, he did it not me-
chanicay, and, as is matter OF course, because
he was an old mamie did il heartily, and upon
conviction, because he felt himself TO be sinner,
and because he felt the need of Saviour. And
when he came to make the inquiry, " WHAT shall
| do 2" and it was told him what he ought to do
he did it gladly-he made haste t. fulfill the pur
poses of his heart. And his great mind being
brought to the investigation OF the pure aud sim
pie doctrine of the crOss-new beauties, in new
world, broke in upon him, sfthe existence (which,
70 their full extent, he had not dreamed before.
And | know that in times when he lay under
the hand of disease, and Of great bodily iniirmlty
here at home he chung to these doctrines by
lively faith, as the highest consolation of his
soul.
Although he had his church preferences, yet the
power and Influence of the teachings of ChristIani
ty, rightly understood, gave rise to sympathies in
his nature, which extended to ell Christian people.
Surrounded, as he was, by the allurements and
Vaccinations Of high public place, nevertheless,
be stroye to walk in the pure and perfect wa
and, by a steady maintenance of tie principles
which bound him to religion and 20 God-like the
eagle, with his eye fixed Ion the sun his course
was Onward and Up. ard.
And these pranciples, which our illustrous friend
ioHnd 20 comforting and consOling in life, did not
io,,eaKe him when he had nothing else on earth to
cling to. In reference to some of his last hours,
lady, connected with him by family, who recently
spent several day at his bedside, writes 90 lie
is longing TO be gone, and said something Of the
kind TO ne, which caused me to ask him, il he did
otfeel perfectly willing to wait until the Almighty
called him. He replied, O, my dear child, do
not misunderstood me. | supplicate him con-
tinually for patience to do so. | am ready to go
no, not ready but milling. We cannot trust in
our own merits, but must look to Him entirely"
The writer adds, a" lie is the most gentle pa
tent and afectiOnate sick person | almost ever
saw, thanks you for everything and is as little
trouble as he possibly can be-"
'nd this is the power of religion upon yigOr-
o,,a al r,mninatlng mind-a mind fully capable
oT ,naet;u al the great emergencies which have
sray a,ive6 IN ;,- collisions with other great minds
at the bar, in the ;, mate, and upon the FORUM
And .! the recoet, on - nlnI
and to mourning country = biz Oori,,s mi
ing interest that as in his life b, Ills seI hI Snu
upon his cOunty-so, in his DEATH the glorious
Giyer Of grace and wisdom threw light and peace
and blessing upon hlm-bOme upward as he was
by the aspirations to Heaven Of million hearts.
But his earthly career is run. Full of age, and
full Of honor, he goes down to EARTH to ashes and
to dust a man OF extraordinary genius, a man
OF the highest practical wisdom, possessing the
largest powers Of true eloquence, pure patriot,
a since Christian and a friend Of his race.
His friends will grieyc ior him, the church has
lost him, his country will be wall him and hereaf
ter, when the passing traveller shall come to Ash.
land, and look for the bland hosptable and agree
able host, he will not find him here His aged
wife, who for more than fifty years has grieyed
with him in his sorrows, and rejoiced with him in
his public success shall 60 down unto the grave,
mourning; and men in every civilized nation of the
earth will shed tear at the fall of such man
But he is gone to a better and brighter world;
Wide this memorial shall remain of him here, that
be was simple and sincere in his religion, az he
was great in wisdom and mighty in intellect.
God ia no respecter Of persons Neither genius,
nor wisdom, nor power nor greatness can avert
the fatal darts which fly thick and fast around us.
lfpublic services Of the highest yalue-a fair fame,
which reaches TO the utmost habitations Of civil
lied man, and an integrity as stern as STEEL could
have done this-a nation had not been in tears to-
day.
But the great and the humble-the useful and
the useless-the learned and the ignOrant-the
mighty aud the mean-the public and the private
man must all alike lie down IN the cold chambers
of the grave.
Death is the common leveler Ofmen and of ma
tiops. Temples and monuments which have been
erected to perpetuate the achievements ofstates-
men and Of heroes in past ages, have been ruined
and robbed Of their grandeur by the Unsuitable
tooth Of time-not a vestige remains of the glory
that once covered the earth, and not stone to
mark the spot where the master Of the world is
laid.
And this is the end ofman. This the obscurity
and oblivion TO which he shall come at last. But
his end may be worse than this, If he have no hope
in the blessed SaViors death. For whoever con-
fdes in the world for the bestowment Of true hap
pness-whoeyer trusts in its gains, its pleasures,
OF It's powers to bring him peace at last, will find
himself niserably imposed upon and grieyously
deluded. He will find that this misplaced conf