Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-04
LAST HOURS OF SENATOR FOOT.
His Farewell to His Friends.

neral sermon preached BY the Rey.D Dr..
Sunderland over the body Of Senator
Foot, giving an account of the last hours
of this distinguished statesman:
When Secretary Stanton entered the
room, some time about midnight he SEEM
ed very much gratihed, and said You
are kind to visit me Mr.. Stanton. l am
here yet, living and dying. l have no
accute pain, but a general sinking of the
system; the constitution breaking up;
but 1 am surrounded by so many kind
friends, they seem to bear me up as on
agels' wings. The Secretary said to the
Senator, "The President intended to come
with me, but was unavoidably prevented
by the pressure of business. If he could
get off he would call during the day, and
directed me to express his kindest re-
CARDS and sympathies." Not hearing the
words distinctly, some one repeated them,
to which he replied, "OE YES; if he
comes l would be pleased to see him. 1t
is twenty-three years ago since we first
met. If the President comes l shall be
glad to see him. The Secretary always
anticipates everything. He is one Of the
best men l ever knew. This world can.
not reward him but there is a God in
Heaven who can do so, and l am sure he
will not lose that reward. There is a
God on high who will not fail to reward
him."
AT this time Senator Fessen5en APP
preached him, tc whom he cordially
stretched out his hand and said. " My
dear friend, Fessenden, the man by whose
side / have sat so long, whom l have re-
marked is the model of a statesman, and
parliamentary leader, on whom l have
leaned, and to whom 1 have looked more
than to any other living man for guidance
in public affairs, the grief 1 feel is that the
silver cord which has SO long bound US to-
gether, must now be severed. But, my
dear Fessenden, if there is memory after
death, that memory will be active, and 1
shall call to mind the whole of our inter
course on earth" The Senator thus ad-
dressed, too much affected to reply in
words, stopped over and kissed the brow
of his lying friend, and turned away in
silence. Toward evening, when it was in
timated that the Senator had returned TO
inquire after him, and he was asked if be
desired to see him, his reply was prompt,
"Always; always" With hands clasped
snNg AGuihlA4c0 lOE EOult LAu4Et Tie Gil
feebled Senator repeating his grateful
sense of the friendship so long existing
between them, and being IN turn assured
of its valued estimation by his friends.
Some one Observing that though they
parted for awhile on earth they might
have hope of a reunion In the spirit world
hereafter: "Oh, yes" he exclaimed with
great emphasis, 81 believe in God and the
life eternal " and finally, in a tone of af-
fected tenderness, he babe his friends fare
well, saying, Goodbye, and may God
bless you evermore."
Afterward Senator Grimes approached
him, to whom he said, "Ah, my dear
friend Grimes, have you come to see me?
1 have been through a terrible ordeal here
the last six weeks" Then noticing that
all were deeply affected, he added, "Do
pot cease to talk, these things cannot
alarm me" Then taking the Senator by
the hand he said, "Yes, 1 know the man;
a man about whom there is no deceit; with
whom, neither in private or in public, |
was there q deceitful word His friend
then remarking that he must have suffered
very severely, he replied, II have sup
posed that the frailty of human nature
could not endure it so long and then re-
curing evidently to the cenes of thepast,
in which he had mingled with his friend,
as if ~soliloquizing, he added Ale was
n of the first and last and best of my
associates, and there wa no mistake about
him. Then turning to the Senator, he
said, as the latter was about to leave him, |
"You are not going out of the city" On
being answered in the negative, they ex-
changed farewells, and parted forever up
on earth.
To Senator Brown, who came in soon
after, he said, II am glad to see you my
dear associate. You know whatit is TO be
a disciple of Christ. hope We shall meet
in heaven. This world is a poor place for
saint or sinner to dwell in forever. Its
scenes are passing away, its fashion per-
ishes; there is nothing steadfast, nothing
stable here" And thus he continued for
some time, speaking TO one or another,
sending last tokens of love to absent kind
red and friends, and doing his last work
on earth.
At about half past two o'clock, all being
prepared, by his desire, and with the con-
sent of his physician, who was indefatiga-
bic in attending to every wish, in the
presence of his family and a few Christian
friends, he signifed his public profession
of faith in Christ by receiving the sym
bols of the Lords Supper, and joining for
the first and last time on earth in that
communion which all Gods children hope
TO renew in Heaven. On receiving the
bread into his mouth he uttered in a low
but solemn and r%everential manner these
wores "This bread is the symbol of the
broken body of Christ Jesus, through I
whom alone l hope for the mercy of God
and the gift of eternal life.p This most 1
affecting and solemn scene, only to be ap-
preciated and understood by those who
have known experimentally the life which
outwardly sets forth, was concluded by Z
the following lines, during which
MS soul seemed borne away, indeed, as on Z
wings: u
How firm a foundation, We saints of the Lord, :
9 laid for your faith in His exc lIeut Wordl
Shat more could Ho say than to you he hath said, !
lou who unto Jesus for refuge have hed2 t.
The soul tbat on Jesus leaned for repOse, Q
Will not. l cannot desert to its foes.
safe, though all hell should endeavort to shake, =
ii never-no, neyer-nO never iOrsake.'"
After this he seemed to be satisfied, and =
My awaited the appointed hour Of de- 4
'aTture. d.
To Mr.. Seward, Secretary of State, who N
him in the after part of the day,
" GAAAAAdA hOAOs VI AcAQEIAESh, =
nd exchanged with him the affectionate [
of their former friendliness. y
Blu his hours were rapidly running out,
nd he seemed only to linger for the con-
fusion. The day set the night wore on, s.
re morning came again, and all this time Of
e lay peacefully attended by gentle st
'omen-his kindred, whom he described "a
speatedly as ministering angels, sent to su
'othe and comfort him, and to make
ght his pathway to the tomb. At about
o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, da
lie 2sth of March, It was evident Of
lat he could not much longer
Then, as if admonished by
invisible attendant that his moments ~
ere few, he signifed his desire to see
Ice more the light of the sun in heaven.
i'd the Capitol on which it shone and Dc
here he had so long served the people of sg
s State and country, and where his as
would soon again assemble. They !
fled him up, but his eye was already :
N He sank back upon his pillow. See -
g that his time was at hand, the words y
the 23d psalm We're then read, and a II
lemn prayer then went up from the lips an,
one of the dearest to him on earth. He str
lid 10 =. -, IL. - A-1I-I L. - enc