The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-04
" Who moves In q mysterious way,
His wonders 70 perform
who plants His footsteps IN the 80,
AnA rAeaAn man III - D

Ana T1oe1 upon gne 9t0Rm-
n To a character Of such Q scope to n mind
30 fertile, possessed of such resources and
God-g given powers, 1 feel myself unable to
do justice. Fortunately, the life%nd mem-
1ory Of such man require no eul0glum ct
INV hands. The shafts Of malice and the
tongue Of praise can neither detract from
nor add to a fame which was secured BY q
life long devotion to the interests Of 0p-
pressed humanity. His life is bis best pane
kgyric; his character his best epitaph, and q
glorious legacy. Essentially q self made
man, born in poverty and raised in Obsecu-
Iity, thrown upon his own resources in early
boyhOod, friendless and alone, BY his talents,
indomitable energy, and force Of character,
be came to be recognized Ss one OF the fore
most men of toe nation, and there are those
here who deem il no Asttery or fight Of
fancy to state that the prospects Of bis one
!. day securing the highest office within the
gif: Of the American people, was second TO
| that of no living man. Under these circum-
stances shall not attempt delineation Of
his character, but shall simply and briefly
hrefer to a few Of the more prominent traits,
which commanded and received the sdmira-
| tion of all. Prominent among the most
peculiar features of bis character were his
IndOmitable energy and perseverance, and
4 it is doubtless, owing in great measofe, to
4 the possession of these traits, that his re-
markable success may be attribUted. Failure
was q word which had been stricken from
bis vocabulary. Attempt meant success.
To dare was to do. The difficulties before
which others would have pulled disappeared
before bis magic influence aud exhsustless
res ources, and were invariably accepted as
incentives to more persistent effort. His
action, however, resembled more the bril-
liancy Of the fixed star than the hash Of the
meteor was based more on the principle
that it is the constant dripping which wears
away the stone than on that erratiC, dazzling
NapoleOnic genius which embellishes utopian
and impracticable schemes systematic me
thOdical, and eminently practical in all his
transactions, his faith was based on the
weapons Of truth and the intelligence and
independence Of the American people. HIs
simplicity, force, and independence Of char
acter, and his ability to transfer his views
and courage to those with whom he was
brought into contact was marvellous In the
extreme. William Il. Sylvis was no syco-
phant be courted neither the smiles nor
the frOwDs Of those in power. Conscious OF
bis own integrity and the successes OF those
principles to which his life was devoted,
with faith that never faltered and hope
that never died, he pursued the even tenor
Of his way, and pressed on to the goal of HE
ambition, the arrival Of that time when
/" Man to man the world o'erL
Shall brOShers be and q that"
when tyranny and oppression Of every kind
and character shall be uprooted and
destroyed, and when the lreemen Of our
country shall occupy that proud position
which God in His kind providence intended
they should occupy. Inexorable in the
right AS God gave him to see the right,
neither threats nor favors could swerve him
from his conscientious conviction. The
beautiful lines Of CowpcI may here be ap-
propriately quoted:
no meritrlcious graceS 70. .beKulle." 10.
His enlarged views, Ills comprehensive judg
ment, his splendid executive ability, his Ga
thol:c spirit and thorough knowledge Of hu
man nature-each Of which is worthy OF |
euIogy, all Of which be possessed in m emi
nent degrec-were qualifications which pc
culiaTly adapted him for the responsible Po
sition to which he was called, which be hliet
with SO much honor 10 himself and benen
to the country at large, and which 10 as vel
known 10 my hearers as to myself As
writer he was pointed and iorclele, and pos
sessed in an eminent degree the happy facu!
ty of saying just what he meEht, and end
bling his readers to comprehend bus. Hean
ing-features which any successful journal
ist can duly appr. ciA,e. He was no resPsc
tor Of persons. The wrong was denounce'
whether in high places or low, while man.
} and many WrODg-dOer has been expose,
, and many tyrAnt made to Vince beneat
his trenc5ant blows. In his social relations