The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-06-13
Theodore Parker.
The following eloquent extract, is from
a recent speech by WENDELL PHILLIPS.

Another friend Is gone. N OF gone =
| No, with us, only standing one step high
er than he did. TO such spirits, there is
no death. In the old times, when men
fought with spears, the warrior hurled his
weapon into the thickest of the opposite
host, and struggled bravely on, until he
stood over it and reclaimed it. In the
bloom of his youth, Theodore Parker
flung his heart forward at the feet of the
Eternal; he has only struggled onward,
and reached it to-day. Profound sensa-
tion.l Only one step higherl
weep you may full well for Scotland.
| Let none dare to mourn Tor HIM.
How shall we group his qualities =
The first that occurs to me is the tireless
industry of that unresting brain, which
never seemed to need leisure. | have
been homo many ard many a time IN
the small hours Of the morning (my own
window commands those of bis study
and as was about to prepare for rest,
looked out and saw that unquenched light
burning, that unresting student ever at
work. and. half ashamed, said to my
self. The trophies of Miltiades will not
let me Sleep have met him on the
cars in the far West; he was preparing
an argument in behalf of the perishing
classes of his own city. Neither on the
journey nor at home did his spirit need
| to rest.
Why is he dead? Because he took
up the burden of three men, A faithful
pulpit is enough for one man. He filled
it until the pregnancy of his ideas over
flowed into other channels. l. was not
enough. His diocese extended to the
nraries. On every night of the week
those brave lips smothered bigotry, con-
querod prejudice, and melted true hearts
into his own on the banks OF the Miss
issippi. That was enough for two men.
But he said; 4 will bring to this altar
of Reform a costlier offering yeti and he
gathered the sheaf of all literature into
his bosom, and came with another mans
work, almost all the thoughts of all ages
and all tongues, as the background of his
influence in behalf of the slave. He said,
Let no superficial scholarship presume
to arraien Reform as arrogant and empty
fanaticism. | will overtop your candl-
dates with language and law, and show
you, by the spoils Of all tongues, the right
fulness and invitable necessity OF justice
and liberty Hearty applause Enough
work for three men to do, and he sank
under the burden!
When some Americans die-when
most Americans die-their friends tire
the public with excuses. They confess
this spot, they explain that stain, they
plead circumstances as the half justifica-
ton of that mistake, and they beg Of US
to remember that nothing but good is to
be spoken Of the dead. We need no such
mantle for that green grave under the sky
of Florence. No excases--no explana-
tions-no spot. Priestly malice has
scanned every inch of his garment; it was
eeamless, it could find no stain. History
as in the case of every other of her below
ed children, gathers in her bosom the ar
rows which malice had shot at him, and
says to posterity. Behold the title deeds
to your gratituder [Applause.l We
ask no moment to excuse; there is nothing
to explain. What the snarling journal
lists throaght bold, wha. the selfish politi-
clan feared as his ruin-it was Goes seal
set npon his apostleship. The little libel
. glanced across him like the rocket when
it goes over the yault it is gone, an@ the
royal ruin shines out beneficent as ever.
! Applause.
When returned from New York on
the twelfth of this month, was to have
been honored by standing in his desk,
but illuess prevented my fulfilling the
! appointment. 1t was eleven o'clock in
the morning. As he sank away the
same week, under the fair sky of ltaly,he
said to the most loving of wives and nur-
ses. Let me be buried where | fall 7
and with tender and thoughtful duty, she
selected four o'clock of that same Sunday
to put all that was left of bis dust into the
kindred dust of brave, classic Italy. -Four
| o'c'o;k!
The same sun that looked upon the
half dozen mourners that he PERMITTED to
follow him to the grave, that same mo
ment of brightness lighted up the arches
of his own temple, as one whom he loved
stopped into his own desk, and with re-
markable coincident, for the only time
during his absence, opened one of his own
sermons to supply my place; and as his
friend read the beatitudes over his grave
on the banks Of the Arno, his dearer
friend here read from his own hand-writ-
ing the text, "Trust God" 1t is sad
that in his last hours, in the wandering of
that mastery brain, he murmured, "there
are two Theodore Parkers; one rests
here, dying, but the other lives and is at
work at home" How true! At that
very moment, he was speaking to his usu-
al thousands; at that very instant his
own words were floating over the hearts
of those that loved him best, and bidding
them, in this the loneliest hour of their
bereavement. 'sFrust God"