The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-07
Obituary.

Charles Wells Russell. the iur;st tho
scholar, and the Christian gentleman. de-
parted this life in Baltimore on Friday.
November I'D, at half-past 10 O'Clock P. Nj .
HIS beautiful career on earth is finished,
leaving Its impress, deep and durable, on
t?e minds and memories of all who knew
nm. Not one of these, we NAV safely
say, has ever known him to doan act or to
utter word Inconsistent with the eleva-
ton and purity of his life. There was
nothing mean, or low, or selfish, in his ma.
lure. In every relation of life, whether as
a son, as q husband, as a father, or as a
Trend, ne was indeed more nearly fault
less than we could have believed possible
to human nature if we had not been so
long, SO intimately, and so we'll acquainted
with him. Combining and harmonizing in
MS character the most opposite qualities,
we have frequently been at loss which
the more to admire-his humility or his
herolsm, his. gentleness or his generosity,
his charity to all men or his courage in the
discharge of all duties. He hated nothing
except wrong; and he feared nothing
except departure from right. His
suauiter IN mode never degenerated into
weakness or wore the appearance
of anything artificial or assumed. 1t
was, indeed, more substance than
form; spontaneously flowing from truly
genial and benevolent heart. His fortiter
IN re. was, on the other hand, simply a
calm and dispassonate adherence to prin-
ciple without the least admixture of the
violence Of self-assertion. No man was
ever more free from egotism, or more set
tied in his convictions Of right. Hence a
revolution that shook the foundations of
the world, and turned all things else out
Of their courses, failed to disturb the pur-
pose OF his will, or to cause him to deviate
from the strict line Of conscious rectitude.
Though often and profoundly agitated by
the trying scenes and terrible struggles of
the revolution, no unbecoming word ever
escaped his lips, and no indiscreet or un-
dignitied act ever marred the beauty of
his conduct. Surely, the man that "ruleth
his spirit " as did the deceased is greater
than he that "taketh acity." In union
with moral Qualities, 30 admirably bal
anced, and SO wonderfully calm, firm, and
equable IN their movements, he possessed
a high and beautiful intelligence, fitting
him to shine as jurist, as an advocate, as
writer of prose, and as poet.
The absolute purity of his public life
was simply reflex Of his private virtues.
The purest Of men in private life, he be-
came, in the service of his county, the
rarest and most wonderful of public cha
racters-a spotless politician. From every
point of view, indeed, he seemed to rise
like star, serenely beautiful, above the
angry elements of the lower world, and
ill his sphere with benign influences. The
low ambition Of kings and conquerors was
not his. He aimed at Immortality as well
as they, but he preferred it's substance in
heaven to its shadow upon earth.
He died as he lived. With simple, child
like confidence in God he went down the
dark valley of the shadow Of death and
without shuddering or fear, or the least
sign Of an ostentatious display Of courage,
he disappeared from earth. How irrepa-
rable the loss to his friends and to his
bcreaved family! But how infinite the
gain to himself! For, in the beautiful
words of the poet, "The day Of mans
death is the birthday of eternity"
We rejoice when man child is born
into this world of shadows. The
angels of God rejoice over his birth into
world of eternal realities. We, in the
blind agony of our grief, mourn the sud-
den departure of Charles W. Russell and
call it death. The angels Of God hail the
glorious event with seraphic joy, and pro-
nounce it life. We deplore his dcliverance
from the vain hopes, the vast delusions,
the crushed desires, the innumerable dan
gers, and the infinite wrongs of mans sad
To hn1 e npl
joice that his course is finished, that he
has fought the good fight and won the
victory. Henceforth there is laid up for
him crown of righteousness and san
eternal weight Of glory" No sin, no sor-
row, no signing, and no shadow of death,
shall ever more disturb his peace. Moth
ing that maketh lie shall ever approach
the throne Of bis exaltation and glory in
the kingdom of God.