The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-01-04

The year that we have passed through
one thousand eight hundred sixty five,
stand. out In grand bold relief from all
its predecessors, a star of the first mag
nitude in times constellation.
II saw the end of the imperious slave
holders rebellion.
1t saw the end of American Slavery.
It's earliest flowers covered the bier of
a nation 5 murdered hero.
The sun and showers of it. young
month freshened the green grass over
the martyrs grave.
Its springtime witnessed the grandest
funeral pageant that ever honored the
dead or graced the living.
1t saw a nation, thirty millions strong,
drop scalding tears OF sorrow on the
tomb of their slain cheif
1t saw his murderers dishonored
corpse sink in an unknown place ere the
victim reached his grave.
1t saw procession of grief struck
mourners two thousand mile. in length.
1t saw the great dead carried TO his
home, by a nation in whose funeral train
cities were pail bearers. military chief
tains the corpse watchers, high civic
functionaries guardians of his bier, great
imperial states chief mourners, millions
of uncovered heads bowed in fearful
grief, the mighty cortege wound its
solemn march under the sunlight of day
and the torchlight of night, from the
scene of active duty to the quiet rest of
an honest man . grave
1t saw millions of down-trodden
race lifted to the dignities and respon-
sibilities of humanity.
1t saw those millions bowed down,
and their heads bent with grief rs sor-
rhil at at err
grave
1t saw villages clothed in mourning,
towns draped in deaths insignia, great
cities suspend their traffic, the busy marts
Of commerce hushed with awe, while
the silence of loving death covered an
Empire--fit expression of grief for 4
martyr.
1t saw the dwellings, of the rich cover
ed with costly badges of woe, and the
homes of the poor draped in the more
simple and eloquent symbols of
peoples sorrow.
1t heard holy ministers of Christ's
Gospel speak words of peace for the
murdered dead, and of comforting con
dolence for the living.
1t heard the heart prayers of sincere
millions for the rest of the departed, and
that his death might not leave the nation
in the utter darkness of desolation
1t heard a nation of mourners chant
solemn dirges in accord with organ peals
and the thunder of artillery, of the ma
ton s martyr.
If respectful. manifest sorrow for the
dead, be any proof of civilization, then
did Sixty Five witness greater and
more perfect civilization than any other
child of Father Time.
AZ tho DAYS nj Siyfv.fY rolled into
weeks, and the weeks wheeled into
months, the meridian of the year saw
the people of other lands meet in sorrow
for the stricken Union, heard their grief
utterences saw their anointed rules
bow their heads in the awe of sorrowing
sympathy, and for once a child of Time
saw
"a tcorld ,n tears"
Sixtv-fve saw the mourTled one the
incarnation of freedom loving, liberty
practcing people. the impersonation of
the capabilities and possibilities of in
stitutions based on the voice of man,
echoing the voice of God in the recog-
nitiou of human and manly duties, the
emancipator of a race and the guarantor
of their liberties.
It saw in the s.deep damnation of his
taking Off their possibilities and capa-
bilities of the barbaric system which the
great martyr had, with pen mightier than
the conqueror's sword. condemned TO
utter destruction.
1t saw the world old conflict between
liberty and slavery and in favor of hber-
" regulated by law, OF justice founded
on humanity of civilization based on
right
Was it ever paralleled ?-Ercha.ge.