Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-11-17
ROGER W. HANSON.
Funeral Grafton by Elder J. q.
Pickett.

monies of Gen. r. W. Hanson, at Lex
ington, KY, last Sunday, the Rev. ]. d.
Pickett, chaplain of the brigade com
manded by the deceased, at present To-
Gated at Maysville, KY, pronounced the
following funeral oration:
My FRIENDS, Ny OLD COMPANIONS AND
FELLow.CITIzENs We meet to-day under
unusual circumstances. We have come
here with one mind, with one heart, and
with one spirit, to pay the last tribute of
respect to the loved, the lamented and
honored dead We come here, my
friends, with high and holy purpose
before US. We come not here in the
pomp, pageantry, and the glorious cir
cumstance of war. We come here to
make no triumphant display with the
rolling drum, the pealing trumpet, and
the proud banner. We come herein the
depths of woe, but reproducing the spirit
of history, not in its outward color, but
in its inward influence. We have the
sad privilege of placing wreath over
the remains of the lamented dead. We
come here with the privilege of looking
around and beholding the tribute of wo-
mans sympathy, Of woman's affection.
And we rejoice when we see associated
with the symbols of woe, the evergreen
and the springing flowers, speaking of
that life beyond the grave, and hope
that survives defeat and disappointment
in this world.
What is history2 tits something more
than the mere record of facts 1t is as
he of ParEassus long since pronounced
it" philosophy teaching by example. "
We look not at the past through the mere
naked medium of facts We see no cold
and barren mountains rising before us.
We read not its triumphs in poetry or
song, nor do we pause to reflect upon the
conclusions of the moralist and learn
thus only that history is teaching by ex-
ample. We assume higher standpoint,
we come to higher elevation, and we
behold in all the changes of earth great
directing, controlling and experimenting
Providence. We read God in the his
tory of earth. We read it in a material
form. We read it in the starry heavens.
We read it in the great events of man,
and above all we read it in the volume
of Revelation.
Yes, reason and revelation all conspire
TO the same great and solemn end. We
transport our minds far back to the past
when nations first began to arise upon
The great theatre of this earth's history.
| We behold the great and solemn process
sion of mighty empires, the proudest
periods of the naughty Medes, and the
strugcles of the Grecians in their endeay-
ors TO obtain supremacy and power. We
alss read the history Of the mighty
Roman empire. These all rise up before
us. They pass in solemn procession,
and we behold successively their pro-
gress, their lives and their death. Herein
we have recorded, indeed, the whole
philosophy of history, as we look at it
through the logic of mans life. But the
| logic of this life, my friends, as we be-
hold Il. teaches us to look at the things
which are seen from the proud elevation
of Gods teaching; and we regard our
uosition in this life, and our progress
here, as the first step to that endless life
In which alone history has its part, and
\ its full and logical development
II would be strongly inconsistent with
the great teachings of Providence to
| suppose tilht VIC aic h'ihb hNtC "is'SNe
reference to some great purpose-as Prov
ideuce which, however inscrutable and
mysterious TO us, survives the darkness
Of the tomb. When we look around Gs
and behold the great disappoinimenis Of
ran. we find in these very disappoint-
menis Providence teaching us to HIT
onr affections above the things of time
and sense and to esteem the things OF
| life of no weight These very shlctions
teach us to look mp to that higher power
which will give us al exceeding and
eternal weight of glory. Aud here as The
great lesson that is taught US IN the vol
ume Of Revelation; and that lesson
which applies to the individual man, Is
applicable to the great national life and
the late great national struggle, when
! viewed in its true and proper sense.
| Can any one scan the page OF history
and not behold God working in 1t ? The
cause We lament and recognize as lost,
speaks to us with this irresistible logic.
The affection and piercing disapPoini-
ment was for our chastening and TO lead
US 10 recognize the great truth that this
world ia not the center Of liies grander
and better aims.
We read it in the great defeat that God
intended us to look at higher life, and
10 lead US there for good hereafter. Only
in this view can we reconcile this won
derfal Providence. Where can We look
Tor consolation in this beliefP Can VIC