The Hawaiian gazette., 1868-05-13

DEATH OF CoQUEREI, THE EMINENT d.
vISE-In January last, the French Protest
ant pulpit in Paris, has lost its most elo-
quent preacher, in the person OF the Rev.
Athanase Coquerel, who died at the advanc-
ed age of %. Very few pastors have run q
more brilliant career as an orator than the
deceased, and few of his hearers will deny,
however they might differ with him in opin-
ion, that In the clear and perspicuous expo
sition of text, from his own point of view,
NJ. Coquere had scarcely an equal, and no
superior in the French pulpit, either among
Catholics or Protestauts. Far inferior to La
cordaire in imaginative power, and to Ravig-
nau in learning and logical acuteness, NJ. Co.
querel possessed a lucidity, neatness and in
cisiveuess of style which put him very near
ly, if not quite on an equality with both, in
his hold upon the attention of an audience.
He was essentially popular preacher, gifted
in the very highest degree with all the quail
Hcations essential to that character, and as
was to be expected, with some of the defects
also, incident TO il. To hear NJ. CoqueTel,
when in his prime, for the first time, was a
great treat; and / shall not readily forget the
impression he made on myself on such an
occasion, many years ago, when his very
name and principles were alike unknown to
me- OF course, like most popular preach
ers, he had long ago preached himself out;
and moreover, the matter of his sermons
was not generally of that solid character
which can dispense with ornaments of ian
guage or compensate for the declining pow
ems of the orator. But all who have heard
him in former years, without prejudice, must
admit that he possessed unrivalled facility of
utterance and the very happest vein of
demonstration. The eliminating point of
NJ. Coquerers reputation, both as a preacher
and Frenchman, was so long ago as 1S4S,
when he was elected Deputy for Paris to the
Constituent and again reelected to the Legis-
lative Assembly by 10000 votes. He never,
however, distinguished himself as a speaker
in the Chamber. AT the coup detdt he only
escaped imprisonment, as he was fond of
relating, with the rest of the Deputies who
were carried off In omnibusses, by having
been chosen to carry the resolution of i'm
parchment and deposition first passed against
the President, to the office of the De6ats, In
order 10 have 1t published; but when NJ. Co
querel arrived 10 the Rue st. German Faux
errois with the document in his pocket, he
found the presses in possession of the mill
tary, and being unable to return TO the As
sembly, he went home and remained after
wards unmolested. As a man and a citizen,
NJ. Coquerel stood deservedly very high for
unsulied integrity and unhesitating indie
pendence of character and principles; while
by his family and intimate friends he was
most affectionately and earnestly beloved.
Very unfortunately, antagOnism was thing
he could least brook, and which exercised the
worst influence both upon his opinions and
conduct Us pastor Latterly he had to en-
counter much of ii and succnmb to it, and
cannot but think and hope that circumstance
es more than his real and better feelings aud
judgment, led him (and other members of
his family into acts and expressions which
would never otherwise have occurred, and
which many of his best friends deeply re-
GREETED. But if he said some imprudent
things, he did many generous acts, and will
be long remembered as a most kind and warm
hearted man, as most eloquent preacher.
Resquiescdt ia pace He was buried with the
strictest privacy, by his own special desire
Cor. ~ Y. Jour. Com.