The Portland daily press., 1875-10-02
From the San Francisco CALI
William c. Ralst0n.
Sermon by DIR. Horafio stebbins His
Estimate of the Character of the Deceas-
ed Banker.

DR.. Stebbins on the occasion of his first occu-
pancy of his pulpit after his return from the
East, on last Sunday, delivered the following
discourse:-
In returning to the city and State to which
belong, 1t would be indeed dull indifference
and want of sympathy with my fellow men,
did not share the oppression and grief that
pervades the community by reason of recent
personal and financial events. These events
through their subtle pervasive power are the
exclusive trial of no particular class or voca-
ton, but bear upon all men by the pressure of
universal moral law. We are SO made that we
sometimes forget our personal loss in the more
august agony of common pain. In that COM
mon pain share, and in the common suffering
my moral sympathies bear their part.
1t is not my vocation to set forth the princi-
pies that underlie monetary affairs, neither to
enforce upon men OF business those considera-
tions which it is to be presumed they already
well understand. But the failure of great
financial institution, the personi6caton OF
commercial honor, the legitimate conservatory
of commercial faith; an institution, through
which aud by whose methods the most brilliant
fortunes of the country have been accumulated,
coeval with the life of the State, and baptized
into the name of the Commonwealth, enjoying
the vast powers and privileges of concentrated
capital in community of recent origin, wnere
all is new and not hardened into accomplished
fact; strong, proud, magnificent, stretching
forth its signals from the topmost places Oh tne
earth, LAYING its foundations beneath the noun
tans, girdling the world with shining oand
of honor, and careworn men slept IN peace De,
meath its mighty calm fidelity ty!-the failure and
dishonor of such an institution is indeed mat
ter of profound moral reflection. All the more
is it matter of profound moral rehection since,
were it not for the high responsiveness invest
| ed in II. il would be ridiculous and absurd in
the last degree As it is, midst all its pain,
| il must be contemplated by all discriminating
minds as a keen satire on the business spirit of
ali This western civilization. 1t were vain aud
| foolish TO vest this event in single response
bility. 1t is characteristic. Let no man try to
ease his shouldere by shifting his self-reproacb,
but let him accept its chastsements and bear
its reproof
The president of that institution, so cospicu.
Gus in affairs, cannot be considered as private
citizen. He was representative. consider
it of great import to us in this community, as
alike true and just to him, that some word
should be said, in which good men will find at
least the outline of truth, and which he him.
self, in moments of manly impulse, would con-
fess to be true. 1t sometimes happens tnat
period culmnatts in an inoViduaI,
| the individual interpre:s the time, e1
| plains society itself, and presents az sing'e
| view the forces that make the period ano tue
man.
William Chapman Ralston was s1cn an lnoi-
vidual He was the exponent oil Cahrofnia-