Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-08-26
Judge Bcnedicts Remarks al the
Alumni ike-s MON of the nj
ver,iiy OF Vermont.

M PrlSMoA AMI Gel4tLemen If tie
1llntHG.' | hope it is not expected of me,
On this occasion, that | should enter into
any critical remarks upon the character
or career OF him whose seat is vacant.
You, gentlemen, may regret the loss OF
tho most distinguished member OF this
association Others may lament the bril-
liant literary man; others may Lament
him as "a great journalist gone, or de-
lIghtful acquaintance lost. But | mourn
tor my best friend. Grief for hlm hangs
round me like garment, and no words
Of cold criticisms can be heard from me.
! Nor shall | enter upon any extended eu-
( loyv. Why should | ! The air has been
tull Of concentrations and praise of him,
and no eulogy is called for here. | shall
only endeayor as one member Of a faml-
lv bereft, to deepen the memory of him
who is gone, to freshen the interest III his
reputation perhaps to remove errors
from the mind of some.
Nv relations with Mr.. Raymond were
peculiar did not know him in college !;
my first recollection of him Is when he
first stepped upon the stage 10 deliver his
masters nration, and snapped out III his
energetic way the opening sentence, " II
+ Is Inc mNltD Ui tHc bibUo ItNsI)Hpbi, tHdJ
fhe world is governed too much" | then
made his personal acquaintance. | WAS
afterwards for several years an inmate OF
his family. | have been his professional
adviser, his friend and his travelling com
panion. | have crossed the seas with him,
and have discussed with him almost all
the public questions which have been
mooted in the past twenty years. ought
TO know what he really was.
The first feature in his character, of
which | speak, is his integrity. To judge
Of this, one should understand his posi-
tion. He had the absolute control Of the
columns of the powerful paper of which
he was the founder. He could do as he
pleased. and say what he pleased in the
columns of that newspaper. Yet never
was that paper used by him for his private
interests or his pecuniary benefit. Dur
ing the war, when Government contracts
were scattered broadcast through the
country, no money of the government
ever touched his hands. Able to influence
varied interests he never sought to have
that influence enure to his own benefit.
| The Times in his hands could not, with
his knowledge, be used for any personal
interest.
| The next trait of which speak, is his
| freedom from vindictiveness. He never
acted from malicious motives. l know
not that he could feel malice-certainly
he never expressed it. He sought to
make his paper impersonal, unselfish, able
and fair.
Another feature in his character was
his courage. You all remember his ap-
pearance at the Baltimore Conven-
ton, and l shall not repeat the
story. The incident marked the courage
of the man. How many politicians do
you know who would dare to go through
what he went through, and to vote alone
| for his convictions. l don't defend his
| Judgment in regard to his course at Wash
ington, nor would he defend it but it
was deliberately at the time from the best
motives, and in devotion, not only to his
country. but to the party with which he
always acted, and it showed the blood
hat was in him.
mention also, his ever-ready generos-
!ity. His hand was always open TO help a
brother in need and this quality had at
tIacted to him troops of personal friends.
This quality intensified the feeling which
his death awakened. As the news of it
went through the city, everywhere went
the thought that noble, generous man
was gone.
When he died his mind was full of pro-
jects for the future. He had planned to
make his paper the greatest journal in
the land. He had power to make it such,
and the experience of his latter years
would not have been thrown away. Had
he lived, I doubt not he would have car
ried out his purpose, and make the New
York Times model of journalism for
this or any other country. But in mo-
ment, with his work apparently undone,
the summons came. The silver cord ;wss
loosened, and the golden bowl broken In
an instant the tireless brain was still, and
10 his work was done. The task he
thought still before him was accomplished.
For at once the thonsapd voices OF .thsl
press began to repeat the lesson which As|
had sought to teach. Words Of sorrow
for his loss indeed were heard on evssy
hand, but with them also words Of thank-