The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-11-15
AN ADDRESS,

day Erening, Oct 28M, 1861, upon II,
death Of John French.
Babylon was a royal city, and, as such
attracted the attention OF the world
Perhaps no city ever existed possessing
more wealth, refinement Of taste, or pro
iciency in the arts and sciences certain.
| ly none ever existed more strongly forti
fed, or Sbetter supplied with sustenance
aud hence better able to Withstand oper
assault or protracted siege, than She
Around about her on either side, were
walls Of solid masonry, ST. high that they
might not be scaled, so strong that nc
known enginery OF war could make any
breach therein. Within her, were mos
extensive storehouses, filled TO overflow.
ing with all needed supplies, TO subsst
her many thousands OF inhabitants for a
century, and through the midst OF her ran
the waters OF mighty river. TO human
view, her supplies were inexhaustible
Who would suppose city thus fortified
thus supplied, could be in danger from
any foe, be it never so strong or vigilant:
Certainly not her own cilizcus-surely
not her king Resting in smplest secu.
rity, the King of this mighty city gave a
banquet, and the city was devoted to the
hilarily, the pleasures, and, it may be, the
dissipation OF the hour, in the midst OF
which belesguering foe turned the
waters Of the river from their wonted
course, and marched through the channel
of the stream, under the walls, into the
heart of The city, and, 10 an hour, struck
the fatal blow which slaughtered her cili.
zens laid her king under the yoke, RACED
TO the ground her temples and her palaces,
her statues and her walls. leaving the site
whereon she stood deSolaled waste even
unto the present day.
And the record OF this sudden, complete
and terrible destruction is found in the
words OF Revelation -''lIer sun set while
it was yetnoon." No more expressive or
significant language could well be chosen,
TO express the magnitude or the sudden.
ness Of such desolation. "IIcr sun set
while 1t was yet noon"
Let us comprehend the thought. Let
us appreciate the full force Of the idea.-
Suppose tha; tomorrow, at high twelve,
while all Of yon were engaged in your or
dnary avocations. suddenly, without pre-.
monitlon or alarm, the mighty laws upon
the constant and regular operation of
which Universe depends, should ali at
once cease their operation, or take on per-
verse action, and the darkness of midnight
should fall upon you by the sun setting
"whie it was yet noon" As this would
be in the natural world. to you, so would
it be with a city. her very existence put
out at its meridian, in single hour, and
the night Of civil death brooding over her.
"Her sun set while it was yet noon !"
Having obtained full possession Of the
idea, let US, in the light of it. behold the
man who, having lived out but half his
allotted years-the "thr6e score years and
tenor when, by reason of strength,
they number "lour score )" by means of
industry and frugality, having amassed
a competence by years of sobriety,
honesty and high moral conviction, having
made fair and valuable character, q
spotless reputation ; his generosity having
made him the friend and almoner OF the
humble and the poor; his learning max
ing him the safe counselor of the rich
and the strong his loyalty making him
a pillar in the state; is suddenly arrested
in the midst o. ali these, by mortal ill.,
ness and death. and removed from all the
busy scenes Of life, the cold earth closing
in upon the loved form, and hiding him
from human gaze. OF such an one what
more fitting record can be made, than that
his "sun set while it was yet noon |"
Alas! my friends, you and I,this entire
community, all at once havchad thrust
upon us, in the most emphatic manner, an
Illustration of the great propriety and
force Of the train of thought above traced,
in the death Of our neighbor, our friend
and brother. JOHN FRENCH. Esq, who
was man in the noon OF lie, in the full
practice of an honorable profession, en-
joying the love and confidence of all who
knew him /; kind an! faithful husband,
a liberal neighbor, loyal citizen and
yet he died, died suddenly, has passed
away. How better can we express the
idea, the fact OF such an ones death, un-
der such circumstances, than by exclaim-
ing, His sun Set while it is yet noon |"
bSOduee OuT IIIcuu was mus Sltudleu,
because he possessed and exempli6ed so
many Of The virtues, and so few OF the in
6rmi,es of human nature. because of his
value to community and the state, and
because of your love Tor the pure. the gen
erous and the noble in man, is il that you
have met here tonight, as one great
family, to testify your respect for our
friend, and, in fitting manner, manifest
your sorrow for the loss OF one OF your
most valued members.
Most manifestly, an individual must
possess many virtues, must have lived a
blameless life, mani(esting many OF the
beatitudes and none of the perversilies
of human nature, who, after years OF
active public, official, professional life, is
able, in his death, to command tho re-
spect of an entire community, and the
commingling Of its tears over the grave
wherein he slumbers And what a re-
ward to virtue, to generosity. to learning,
to loyalty What an inducement to the
young. in starting out on the journey of
iIie, 10 choose only the highway of virtue
and goodness, and to persistently follow
it.turning neither 10 the right nor the left,
nor yet lettering on the way, but march |