The weekly American banner., 1855-07-06
Trnth about Dcatll.

M
Trnth about Death.
Il is great thing, unutterably awful and thrii.
ling, when for the frat time IN our lives Death,
the conqueror, makes himself knoua to u ii oil
the mystery Of his might and inexorabIeness.-
Every day the newspaper has il obituary; yoa
are well aware that fifty people die In minute;
You have been in the habit Of looking up k closed
blinds in the street with some sort Of awe; and
Indictments in the great squares have touched yon
as might abaronial ruin; newly made grave has !.
not baen without . voice and . moral; funerals
have intercepted yonr path Il the thronehlares;
|reo1ae have died next door Il vou. but 1rcn
distant terror, and note d X71lH ~ -
Stand, with suspended resplf1llon s1|| 81 1I1
temples, stand under the very aappings d
wings, as the inexorable stoops to breath tlle
chill uponAthe forehead of some beloved one
that tho solemn shadow in which yoa .st1a is
deepening; kneel- when the silver cord 3 snap1ed,
kneel by pale corpse in the hush Of an hour
fore dawn, with no So - H heard hut <s 8
sobs of passionate mourners and the ticking Of q
clock-kneel, and say to God the .Never more's
ofa bereaved heart, the HELP Lord, or perish,
of soul that has come into the deep waters; so
stand SO kneeI, socry to the Lord Of Iife aud you
will know what death is, and what celestial hope
may rise at last, luminous and large, out Of the
blackness of horror in that word--DEAD.
Wordsworth says:
"A simple child--a simple child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels ita life in every limb
What should It know of deatl?s'
And it is beautifully said. But I was long,
very long past the age ofchildhood beforcI could
bring myself to believein dying. To this day, I
can with difficulty only, and BY direct mental
effort conceive even Of one dangerously sick as dy-
|ing-deadl So completely does actual, present
life, even when faint and huttering, keep itz ne-
cation out Off sight. That the beautiful Hame
which lights up the eye, and glows n the touch.
should even SO outs--
| 10 lie in cold obstruction and to rotl
This sensible warm motion 10 become
| A kneaded clodl
And other pulses to 60 on beating; and the stars
to keep watch along the sky; and the south wind
to ripple the rivers arr stir the leaves Of the trees;
and little children to prattle and pray; and tho
lmilion-fold hum Of life to wake. anew every
lmorning; and the round impassive heaven to be
blue as ever-o il is strange, and was once
stranger still to me.
Fl GIDDINcs on rHE Know NorHrac PARTY.- In
Ian elaborate letter to the Ashtabula aSentinel"
lof the 18th uit, Joshua r. Giddings Is out witk
sensible and mani 61|zzl,ion Of The principles
! land policy BY NhieE = NJ = ha1e his party
governed In the approaching caI61 Ign. Heo
, IpIicitly and indignantly rejeck Ie pfopoz
Iof politicians for q union2pf tIka7 blica1
Know Nothing. declafl6g thas 10 vas
J Itakably opposed to an secret political
. ltionss and denonncing them Is be12H incou
|. and al war with equal rights a1o equal
! llegps.', We quote q passage ION bis lett
II ssThe doctrine Of excluding or natural;
. Iulation from Office would not ba n1eieI
7 degrading and offensive to them, but Il
: an act Of oppression On our part unN
. honest nen, s.
Our organization was founded on the
: Iof consecrating the support Of liberty,
il IL this glorious casl thirtyzfve thobsaL -
! rallied foreigllefs United IS Us; they afe ~
!, anxious to carry out the5e objects Io&>f1
y them we should act ii good fb II % We c6nnol
q vote for any man who Vo1 Sxcl1lE them ffd
T the same priV iIeges which n SiIf I6r ouree11
4 God forbid thatsWe should ptSEkIp5 n e6eo11
!! - Fssa lsitls ssatI!.ds shexs Il ..dsl