The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-03-30
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Ia Fort STREET Church. Sunday Evening.
March IT, 1867.
90 many years Il judge unto this nation."-
Acts xiv. 10.
There are personal affections which all human
sympathies seem unlvailing to relieve there are
private domestic gricfs which seem to Us too
sacred to share with the multitude. The more
sincere and deep seated our sIrrow. the more re-
fined and delicate our wounded sensibilitics, the
less d. we, at such seasons, seek any cOn>picuity
of grief We feel the rather that our only re-
source is to look directly t. Him who can afford
US a divine sympathy, and who is the highest
source of spiritual cpnsulatiIn. When death
breaks in upon our family circle and takes away
from our fond embrace those who are as dear to
Us as our lives, we almost feel that il i bat Il
mockery Of our grief for any mortal tongue To
attempt 10 mitigate our sorrow by speaking the
praises Of the departed. We find no relief what
ever in all the pomp and parade Of u public
burial. We feel that the public. however kind and
sympathiziug. can know but little and appreciate
still less our unsp,zIkIhIe dcsolaiiOn. Each heart
at such = time kuDweth Its own bitteruc>s-and
n stranger may not iHtermeddle with our grief.
IL j. not with the purpose. then, Of Obtruding
upon the sluctity of private sorrow, CT Of Off
ciDusly rendering CONSOLATION To those who know
how to look directly 10 a higher source of COLT
fort. that ! call your attention tonight t. that
solemn di~peusatiDn Of Providence which has -
Suddenly caused the whole nation to mourn.
This Is not n merely private grief; it j. q great
public loss. Ii l. not 4. limited and local allie
ton, but a fIr-reaehing. national calamity. And
az such it l. not a transient and temporary be-
rpavcilent. but. a. We have reason to fear. "a pct
manent .nd irrcparible loss. We all claim the
privilege, then. Of ~mingling our -JrrJws with
thUse who are more Immediately and most sJrely
beTeavCj. For he, whose mortal remains were
yesterday dsp,-itei in the t,mb, was not only a
kind father, = devoted husband and a duuifuI
son he WIS an eminent, i long tried and gen
a juIye untp tins nation.
Paul. when falsely accused Of sedition and tur-
bu,ehcs BY the orator TgrJuIIus and put upon hi
defence before Felix. the Roman Governor Of
JuIel. opened his speech with this courteous
address; - For as much as | know that thou hast
been Of many years = judge unto this nation, |
DO the more chrsr!uily answer iJr myself Paul
certainly esteemed it an advantage TO b. tried
before a judge Of large experience. familiar with
the forms OF Law and accustomed to weigh the
evidence, rather than before u mere novice who
might b. ~ arbitrary rs hc was ignorant. Il II
Is . blessing TO a P-pPl, t. have. in the most re-
spon,iblc and honorable. position Of jud-es, men
Of Large experience, Of tr.ci integrity, of mature
Judgment, calm. careful. discriminating and dis
erect. not easily swcrveI from the right, nor
readily deceived is to what l. right, it Is ccI-
tainly Il great public calamity to have such men
removed by death, whoever may be their success
orr. The fact that one to "A good degree enjoys
the public confidence is of itself a power for good
70 any people. For it gives to all a sense OF
public security. and it, the settlement Of disputes,
where men honestly disagree, 4 decision neces-
sarilv adverse u the one or the other will the
more readily b. accepted as just by both, If they
have in common perfect confidence in the wisdom
and integrity of the judge, which either might be
ready t. reject il this confidence were wanting
At such times. when men selfish interests are at
stake and all their selfish passions are reused.
they are tempted to question the AoHesfy As well
n the triSd1m of an adverse decision, if those
qualities in Il Judge are not, after Il fair trial,
commonly accounted as established and unim-
peaciab!e. This public confidence is ut all times
a pledge of public security Is the lack Of 1t Il
always q source Of danger and an incentive to Sc
ditiJu " IA all Its sad tram 81 evils " hateNer
dangers might befIll Us from incompetence or
corruption in the coordinate branches Of the
Government. It i the first essential to the secur-
itv Of the State that the Judiciary be kept pure
and IL i hardly les essential that the people
should believe it 10 be 50. The Sovereign may
b. wise aud the legislators may b. honest but
Of what avail j. this if we lack confidence
IN the competence or the integrity of those who
are &, interpret the laws and administer justice.
Ir j. no empty aduIaticn Of the dead. but 4
grateful admission Of his personal and public
worth. to say that these were characteristic quail
tiles in him who of many years has been a judge
unto this nation. We suspect that no one ever
vet was presumptuous enough, even indirectly,
t. approach him with tie insulting offer Of a
bride. We doubt whether any native OF foreign
rc-iIeut ever seriously thought Of the possibility
that be might, by any improper influence. bias
biz Judgment or shape his decision. And GER
tainIy a. t., competence there was no possible
ground for a question. While his carefully pre-
pared decisions always commanded the respect Of
Iitislnts and Of the legal profession in this King
dun. they were seldom If ever di-honpred abroad.
even where they might adversely affect the inter-
e-t4 of other nations. It is NOT uniting that. IN