The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-08-15


| glory, returning from distant conquests, sur.
rounded by the spells OF war aud the tread oil
his triumphal procession. No; but an aged
well. He has fought no battles on tho bloody
| Held, but he has formed and moved the great
machinery by which battles have been fought
ne has not c9nm1nded armies, but he ha.
nation, on which all Its great political, "a well
as military movements, depended. lly the
wisdom and energy OF his eoursels, and by the
ted pre.emincntly TO produce moral revolu
| ton, which, In ite .outgoinEs, 10 20 change the
aspect Of the world. Iyerily believe that the
hero who finished his career at st. Helena
| extrao rdlnary as he was, is a far more common
| character in the history OF the world, and IL
the chapter OF Gods events, than he who
the worlds apostie Of human liberty, and well II
did he fulfli his commission. lie rested no,
In his work till he had given such an impulse
to the great ocean OF mind, that he saw the
This may not be the proper occasion, and |
am not tho qualified person to pronounce a
Il is most fittiss for me to say, our hearts are
smitten with grief; a great sorrow has fallen
upon the lsnd; the nation mourns; the country
has Loaf yigilant gusrdianj right, a staunoh
defender; the poor, faithful friend; liberty, A
brave chamrioni and the highest eouncils OF
the nation, an acknowledged, bold, and mas.
| tcrful leader. A nations mighty heart throbs
|
We all feel that mighty intellect has passed
| from among usi but happily for the country
and for mankind not until It has nccomplI sh ed
to some extent the exalted mission for which
! had been sent upon the eatthi not Until II
had reached its full maturity and power; not
| until 1t had shed bright and radiant llstte
over our national renown, and had beaueathed
the rich treasures OF ith thought and xpef co
for the guidance Of the present, and the in.
| struction OF succeeding generations.
How appropriate to the distinguished dead
before US today the pathetic eulogy pro.
1.-THE beauty OF Israel is slain upon thy high
places. How are the mighty fallen Tell u hot
In Gath-publish It not In the streets of Aske-
joice-lest the daughters Of the upcirrumrised
triumph. Ye mountain, Of Ciiboa, let there
be no dew-neither let there be rain Upon you
nor felds of offerings; for there, the shield Of
falen i In the &c midst of The Ssife, Sna I' ths
weapons CT war persisted ~ Next to the i'm.
mort II Lincoln, who fell 60 suddenly in the
midst OF national groatacss and national use
fulncss, will the people feel their great be-
reavement to-day. For twenty years has tho
voice OF this great statesman been heard In our
national cOuncilsj and in the midst OF rapid
change, and excitement and revolution, and
the clangOr OF war, his voice, above the strife
| otpHTty and the tumuits OF People, ever sang
out like trumpet for Justice and humanity;
for freedom md Tor God, and seldom have his
keen foresight and deliberate judgment been
At fault Offer, in his comprehensive plans,
Ike other great pioEccra, has he been ahead Of
| his party and his times, but tho developments
OF divine providence and the unfolding Or
events have usually proved him to be wise,
sigacious, and right. The browning excellence
OF his public life, however, was unselflshn css;
. disintercstcd desire to promote, and indie.
fatigable labor to secure the welfare OF all-the
high and the low, the rich and the poor. Has
any spot been left upon his character as =
legislator. Great Intellectual powers and
great acts often excite our admiration aud
command respect, but when tie light goes out
darkness gathers Around tho fallen hero, and
there Is much we would like to forget. but IS
y so In the case Of this illustrlous statesman
Has malice or hypocrisy ever stained the
purity OF his chArActeii True, his purposes
have sometimes been mlsnterpreted, when he
has thrown his whole heart and soul and
thoughts and energies into the work OF saving
his country or uplifting the degraded. True,
with n loyalty so devoted and uncomyroInie.
lug; with love ef cosntfy amounting to a
passion, he has everywhere denounced trea-
son ard Its aiders and nhettcrs with vehe ment
and holy indignation. But in all that he has
done there have ever been that transparent
truthfures and stern integrity and lofty pa
triotism that attract and secure tho confidence
Of friends, and compel the respect end even
admiration OF aiv"t-ar!r1. Love of man and
love OF country illustrated every act OF his
public career. No trace Of selfish aspiration,
Of unmanly dctractiop, Of sofdId Jealousy, hll
furnished his public character. The life OF
this man Ia proof that success In public ser
vice Is not Inconsistent with STRIFE: integrity,
and thHt advancement does not always wait
on Discrimination and corruption.
We are cftcn told that adherence to the
strict moral and religious principle, IL incom-
patIb!o with successful and eminent public
career; but such m assertion 10 libel On the
ycnerstcd fathers of the republic, d libel on
the honored living and ilustrious dead, n libel
against great and Christian nation, and
against 1oa himself, who has declared tn At
gollinass Is profitable for the life that now Is.
ofOstcntatlous display and elfeminate luxury,
distinguished our friend, lie rc'C ff5Gi oh.
scurlty among the hits cf TIE uroen Mountain
state. He wac Indebted to no Fictitious aids
or accidental circumstances Of birth or for.
tune, Or family patronage. lie owed nothing
to the pstlality of friends or the issue OF An.
pn!gns. but rose to Influence and station and
honor by his own superior intellectual rcwrts
| and integrity and industry. And ytt, not like
some others, raised frpri cB.carlty TO greatness
did no become vain and proud; hut amid all his
honcrs, TO the last, did he maintain rigid
devotion to American simplicity and unosten
taton. Ills presence In the halls of Legislation
oGcial pcera, Few meas o. tnIqrs were s6lsh'
reject 'G newer H to
| tricks OF mere oratOry to carry his point, hui
| he never failed In strong logic, convincing II
| iustration, and intense reason, to satisfy biz
hearers OF the justice OF his convictions, or The
wisdom CT his principles. speech In mia
rather served to sustain ttan command tn,
Judgment. He Mad other avenues to the grea
| throbbins Heart of the people than those o
| adyersaries aud sustained friends by nor,
| efieetlye, though It may be, less brilliant ap
| rienoo and kRowiplisc, Integrity OF principle
| constanc. 10 duty, purity OF character, BcTon
ity OF mind, correct judgment, uniinchinF
| courage, and iahofatigRblc and honest labor
| were chiefly the weapons by which he won hi,
| conquests and struck his blows. In him, rs
| the patriot and the statesman, spoke an earn
| est and intelligent mind, which carried with II
Incorporating rcctiludc and virtuous au'
| thority, which won euccess.
For the few past years Mr. Stevens has evil
| dently exertcd upon the nation more power
| full influence than any one man has done In the
| Government before. In him were united in
| tellect, sagScity Encourage indOmitabe Will, and
| sleepless activities, which combined to 1T him
| for leadership, which has well been said wai
| indisputsbly accorded to him. 1t was not his
| nature to lag behind, until measures were ma
| turcd, and then come forward to swell ma
iorltyi but on tho contrary, like bold and true
| statesman, he was one among the iirst to meet
| the peril and hazard his fame upon the remedy
| His entire absence OF equiyocation or dis
guise, In sli his acts, was his mhsterkey to tho
popular heart. The country WAS never In doubl
AS to HIS opinions or purposes. In all tn,
| contests Of his time his position on great pun
| lie questions was as closr ~ the sun In The
| heavens. No reverse could crush his spirit
| nor defeat reduce him to despair. Equally
| erect aud dauntlcss In prosperity or adversely
| Whensuccssiul he moved to his purposes VIII
| severe resolution; when defeated he rallied
his broken bands around him, and from his
| eagle eye, shooting through their ranks
spread the cont,gion Of his dauntlcst courage
| For the last few ycNfs, In shaping the destn
| les Of our Government, he has had more to de
| than any other man, Hence there Is q va
| cancy. Who among his peers can I'LL III
| Mr. Stevens was ever true to the instincti
of humanity. He believed that"ali men were
created free and equal" and yet he HuboFdi
mated all his theories aud acts 10 the Consti
| tuition of the land. lie opened his mouth FOL
the dumb, his ear was attent unto the cry o
| the poor, and the cause which he knew not h,
searched out. The cause which he plead mos