Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-08
Remarks of Ralph waldo Emerson
at the Funeral service OF Presi.
dent, in COncOrd, April ID. 1861.

We meet under the gloom of a calamity which
darkens down over the minds of good men in
all civil society as the fearful tidings travel over
sea, over land, from country TO country, like
the shadow of an uncalculated eclipse over the
planet. Old as history is. and manifold as are il.
tragedies, | doubt if any death has caused so
much pain TO mankind as this has caused, or will
cause, on its announcement; and this, not so
much because nations are by modern arts brought
so closely together, as because of the mysterious
hopes and fears which, in the present day, are
connected with the name and institutions OF
America
In this country, on Saturday, every one was
struck dumb, and saw at ios only deep below
deep, as he meditated on the CHASTITY blow. And
perhaps at this hour, when the coffin which con
tains the dust of the president sets forward on
its long march through mourning states, on its
way TO his home in Illinois. we might well be
silent, and suffer the awful voices of the time to
thunder 70 us Yes. but that first despair WAS
grief; the man was not so TO be mourned. He was
the most active and hopeful OF men aud his work
had not persisted. but acclamations of praise for
the task he had accomplished burst out in a song
of triumph, which even tears for his death can
not keep down.
The president stood before US a man of the
people be was thoroughly American, had new
er crossed the sea had never been spoiled by En-
Slf-0 lu>utdIl'Ns UT TTtuCU ul-elpdtlOD, quite n ma
tive. aboriginal man. as an acorn from the oak
no aping OF foreigners. no frivilous accomplish
ments, Kentuckian born. working on d farm, a
iatb0aIman, a captain in the Blackhawk war, a
country lawyer, a representative in the rural leg
~islsture of lllinois-on such modest foundati ons
the broad structure of his fame was laid. How
slowly, yet by happy prepared steps, he came to
bis place.
A plain man of the people. an extraordinary
fortune attended him. Lord Bacon says: Man
Hest VT ues procure reputation; occuiet ones, for
tune. He offered no shining qualities at the
first encounter; he aid not offend bv superiority.
he had a iaee aud manner which Gisarmed suso:c-
ion, which inspired confidence, which confirmed
good will. He was a man without vice. He
had a strong sense of duty. which il was very
easy for him to obey. Then he had what farm
era call a long head; was excellent in working
out the sum for himself, in arguing his case and
convincing you fairly and firmly. Then it turn
ed out that he was a great worker; had prodig-
ious faculty of performance; worked easily. A
good worker is so rare; everybody has some dis
abling quality. Ia a host of young men that
start together, and promise so many brilliant lea
ders for the next age each fails on trial, one by
bad health. one by conceit, or by love of pleasure,
or by lethargy. or by hssty temper-each has some
disqualifying fault that throws hi N out OF the
career. But this man was sound to the core,
cheerful, persistent, all right for labor, and Ink
ed nothing 80 well.
Then he had a vast good nature, which made
him tolerant and accessible to all fair minded.
leaning TO the claims of the petitioner sffable.
and not sensible to the affection which the inpu
mersble visits paid to him, when president,
would have brought to any one else. And how
this good nature became a noble humanity in
many a tragic case which the events of the war
brought TO him, every one will remember, and
with what increasing tenderness he dealt, when
a whole race was thrown on his compassion.
The poor negro said of him on an impressive
occasion. "Massa Lincum am Everywhere
His occupying the chair of state was a triumph
of the good sense of mankind, and of the public
conscience. This middle class country had got
a middle class president, at last. Yes, in man
ners, sympathies. but not in powers, for his
powers were superior. His mind mastered the
problem of the day; and as the problem grew 30
did his comprehension of it. Rarely was man so
fitted Tor the event. In the midst of fears and
iealousies. 10 the Babel of coGnsels and parties,
this man wrought necessarily, with all his might
all his honesty, laboring TO find what the
people wanted, and how 10 obtain that. 1t can
not be said there IS any exsggerstion of his worth.
II ever a man was fairly tested. be was. There
no Isck OF resistance, nor OF SANDER, nor OF
rldicule. The tunes have allowed no state Sc
the nation has been in such a ferment.
such multitudes hsd 10 be trusted. that no secret
could be kept. Every door was sjAr. aud we
know all that befel.
Then. what an occasion was the whirlwind of
the war. Here was place for no holiday magis
trate, no fair weather sailor; the new pilot was
hurried 10 the helm in a tornado. In four years
wears OF battle dsys-his endurance. his
fertility of resources, bis msgnanimity were sore
" tried and never found wanting. There. by
courage. his justice, his even temper. his ter
tile counsel. his humanity, he took an heroic
hsure in the center of an heroic epoch. He i
The true history Of the American people in his
Step nv step be walked before them: slow
With Their slowness, quickening nj. march by
theirs; the true representative Of this continent;
IN entirely public man father of bis country. the