The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-02
WILLIAM L. DA YTON.
BY HON. JAMES NJ. scovEI.


of whom Carlyle would classify as 'chietly
stuffed clothes suits, have fretted their brief
hour upon the stage, and then turned TO dust.
But. when the millions who toll turn to-
wards the uncrowned kings of thought, among
whom were Lincoln and Dayton, these names
orc never nermitted to die. The "still sad
music of humanity" whispers their names
through the dim aisles of history, while the
common mind, with reverent affection, kin
dIes at and keeps alive in tender remembrance
the great deeds and the ightest words OF
"The simple great ones
Gone forever and forever by"
And biography means nothing unless it
saws, go my brother impart to me truly how
It stands with thee in that inner man Of thine;
what lively images Of things past thy memory
has painted there; what hopes, what thoughts,
affections, knowledge, do now dwell there.
For this, and no other object that can see,
was the gift of hearing and speech bestowed
on u.s." Fame no longer consists in having
ene's name repeated many times in the news
papers, else Vallandigham would be greater
than Aristotle. Greatness must think, and act,
and feel, and suffer. 1t must dare, and be
ready to die, remembering that, if wrong is
sometimes on the throne and right upon the
scafold, it is the dim splendor of the scafIold
where truth dies, and not the gilded throne
where wrong lives, that sways the future.
But to the subject of our sketch:-
William Lewis Dayton was a statesman, not
politician in the everyday sense of that
much abused word, which, by common con-
sent, describes the men who believe the hearts
OF the people are to be won by the most sue
cessful putfer, and that the people themselves
are like asses ready saddled and bridled, upon
which the most unscrupulous adventures can
safely and speedily ride into power. Mr.. Day
ton was a politician in the best and noblest
sense of that word; politician such as Cicero
delights to describe, dwelling in the higher
regions of political thought meditatng upon
the principles and policies which make up the
life of states and nations, studying and teach
ing the true foundations of lasting national
greatness. He belonged to the old school, the
ancien regime of anti-slavery Whig statesmen,
who had the sense to see and the courage to
declare that the American statesman's con-
trolling purpose was to make politics moral
by a union with natural and national justice.
William L. Dayton was born in Somerset
county (Baskingridge), New Jersey, February
II, 1907. He graduated from college In Sep
tember, 1926, and was admitted to the bar in
his native State, May, 1880. In pronouncing
his eulogy in the Senate of New Jersey, of
which body (then called HThe Council') Mr..
Dayton was elected a member in 1887, just
seven years after his admission to the bar,
Senator Little said:-'I have heard an emil
nent jurist declare that Judge Dayton tried his
first case as well as he did his last. He was
quick in arranging the facts of a case, throw
ing aside the weak points and seizing the
strong ones. Where a crime was to be
punished or wrong redressed, happy the
State or the man who secured the weight of
his professional strength and wisdom. As
friend, he never allowed political differences
to have feathers weight with him."
These are strong words of praise from q
lifetime member Of a political party adverse
to Mr.. Daytons views. No man ever better
illustrated the truth of the sentiments which
lya hp ba
gentleman; when carried into public life, the
hero and the statesman. We may differ in
opinion from those with whom we agree in SEN
timent.
After scarcely years service in the State
Senate, Mr.. Dayton was appointed associate
Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey,
and wore the judicial ermine, the youngest man
upon the bench.
This position he resigned in November,
1S41. Samuel l.. Southland, of whom New
Jersey and the country were justly proud,
man of real power and of wonderful eloquence,
died in 1912. William L. Dayton was ap-
pointed to fill this vacancy, and in lS45 he was
elected to full term for six years in the
United States Senate.
Here he was the youngest member OF that
body, and was one year younger than Phil.
Sheridan, though he served in the Senate the
companion of Benton, Silas Wright, Choate,
Crittenden, of Kentucky, and Berrien, o1
Georgia. In this body of great minds he was
the peer OF the greatest in intellect or elo-
quence, in integrity or in power.
Here, too, he justified the noble words o1
Minister Bigelow, who said over his grave:-
''Mr. Dayton possessed in a conspicuous degree
that first of all Christian graces-truthfulness
do not mean to say by this merely that he
would not say what was false. He could not
act falsely. He scorned all indirection. This
may seem too common quality among states.
men, and too much matter of course to be
selected for special eulogy. Those who think
so have had either more extensive or a more
fortunate experience than NINE"
Here, too, how can we forbear to give the
truthful and touching words of M. Laboulaye,
an eminent French thinker, who once said
there was one insanity incurable in a French
mantle love of liberty? M. Laboulaye said
at the funeral ceremonies in Paris, after stating
that it had been nearly one hundred years
since the bonds of an irrevocable friendship
had been signed between France and America;
after naming Jefferson and Franklin, GouVer-
neur Morris, Edward Livingston, and others
who had cemented this alliance ''Mr. Day
ton" he says, "will take his place worthily
upon this list of glorious names.
'.Gentlemen, call to mind the circumstances
under which Mr.. Dayton came, in 1852, ia
represent the United States in France. | dc
not wish TO wound the feelings of any one
At such time, and in such place there is
room only for amity and for sorrow, But
must say mat the great misfortune of civil
war Is, that II at the same time enfeebles ,
nation within and lessons its influence witbont
In such case, minister must feel great i'm.