Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-04-06
FUNERAL of SENATOR FOOT.
AT NtfTT ANN

RUTLAND, April /

SENATOR POLAND. Chairman Of the Com.
miitee Of the Senate TO attend the remains Of
Senator Foot to Rutland. addressed the Com
mittee Of the citizens Of Rutland as follows
Mr. Chairman and Friends
We come to you in the performance Of
sad and melancholy duty. | come nominally
as the chairman Of a committee Of the Senate
Of the United States, appointed to attend the
remains Of our deceased brother, he Hon.
Solomon Foot, to his State aud home. But
the real character in which come is thai
Of one Of his mourners, and / believe can
most truly say, that aside from those closely
connected to him by the ties Of kindred, there
is no one who more sincerely mourns his loss,
or feels more deeply the bereavement caused
by his death than | do.
The feeling Of grief is too deep and person
al to allow me properly TO express myself
upon this occasion, and | have therefore re-
quested one Of my colleagues Of abe committee,
Senator Dooittle Of Wisconsin. to act as the
organ of the committee in communicating our
sad message to you.
SENATOR DooLtTTLR, Of Wisconsin, said
| Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen -
As my colleague upon the committee has
/ truly SAID, we have come upon sad crrand.
We have been commissioned by the Senate Of
the United States to bear home to Vermont
all that is mortal Of Solomon Foot. These
remains, thu precious dust, will now pass
/ from our charge as Committee Of the Senate,
to yours, az representing the people Of his ma
tive state. 1t is no time or place for eulogy
Our hearts are too full for that A great sor
row has fallen upon the Senate and upon The
whole country. as well as upon Vermont.
That he was distinguished as Statesman
and Senator all the world knows, but what
desire 20 Say, and what my Heart most prompts
me TO say, is not that he was distinguished,
honored and respected, but that he was be-
loved by every member of the Senate Of every
political party. We were his personal friends
enemies he had none. The oldest member
OF the body in continuous service, he wa
revered as the father Of the Senate. Often
called upon to be its presiding cfficer,
aud always watchlul of its honor, he did mort
than any other TO preserve lis dignity and de-
corum. But he has left the Senate---his plac,
we cannot fll-hs like we may not looi
upon. Gentlemen, here in that c. fin is his
lifeless body, and we commit it to your charge
Our mission in behalf Of the Senate is ful
hlled-our sad, last sacred office performed
our work is done-we are now ready to re-
turn. But cannot take leave Of you with
out saying that | am here in another charac-
ter. and Is the bearer ofanother message from
him rs dying man TO you The people of Rut-
land and Vermont. Bear in mind that for
more than eight years we had been constant
ly in political and frt ndly intercourse, part
Of the time lodging under the same roof aud
most OF the time sitting at the same table
lie was TO me like father or elder brother
in those intimate relations. | came TO know
him well and to love him more. But did
not know how much loved him until, stand
ing at his bedside, the dying man streached
out his hand, and clasping mine in tis, said,
Dear brother, you have always been kind to
me--a dear, coed brother Senator, | can new
er reward you, but you know where your re-
ward lies
| could not speak, but he continued in a
clear voice, while his face beamed with heav-
emily light, to speak of the Gospel and of its
consultations in sickness and in ealth. Among
other things, | remember he said, " Gods
mercy has been great to me in this sickness
! have so many kind friends, so many angel
ic ministers all around me, it seems as though
a company OF angels were all about me t. besr
up my sinking spirit. have been trying to
recall if there is any human being upon earth
whom have Intentionally wronged or il ured;
/ do not now remember any. But il there is
enc pray that God will forgive me- will
not attemptto tell you all be said Before
left the room, however, he said in the same
clear voice TO another, "the Lord regns
Let the earth rejoice II is well hat he does
reign and the people have reason to rejoice
that be does reign. Yes. God rtigns over ali,
there can be no doubt of that We do not
come into the world BY chance. We ale not
creatures Of accident. We are born to an
eternal life" Here he paused few moments
and then uttered that dying message which |
now bear TO you. When | leave this cham
Der" he said ." wish no parade, no ostenta
uous demonstrations to be made, only the
ordinary proceeding which custom and pro-
priety imp-se,-l desire to be borne to my
friends and home in Rutland, Vermont, a
people who have always been faithful TO me,
more faithful to me than have been TO them,
fear, they have done so much for me-
have no house there, but they will prepare
everything neediul, and there, by them. among
} that people, let me be buried" This is the
message which | bring to you from your dy-
ing friend. | was not present when he breath
ed bis last, but from the account which | re-
ceived immediately after from those who were
present, his consciousness remained clear to
last and his utteranoe distinct almost to The
very last breath.
In his last words, distinctly uttered, he left
another message, which speaks not only to
you and to me, but to all men and for all time
In all history cannot remember to have read
OF dying Christian whose last words we're
more touching and heavenly, and more tri-
umphant over death and the grave Seeing
his lime was at hand the words of the 23d
Psalm we're then repeated to him by his wife /;
he called her to his side, folded his arms
around her for a moment, then, as his breath.
ing became ehoked, he said, what can
this be death p so easy :" HAS it come
already " In few moments after, his face
lighted up as, with soul just entering in to
Paradise, he joyfully exclaimed, ~ see it p
81 see il thogates are wide open ~ " Beau
tiful beautiful !" and in very few moments
after uttering these words he expired. As a
Statesman and a Senator we honor him-as
man Of noble character we cherish his memo
ry-as true and faithful friend we love him,
and as dying Christian, what glorious ex-
ample to all mankind
The services at the funeral on Monday were
very impressive and interesting The bearers
were Governor Dillingham;, Ex Governors
Smith and Hall, Judge smalley, Hon. A. L.