Daily Republican., 1879-10-11
FIRST EDITION.
REV. GEORGE q. GOODMAN.
A Reminiacence OF his Life Re-
published from the Weekly Ne.
publican Of some Twenty Years
AGO.

published from the Weekly Re.
publican Of some Twenty Years
AGO.
Published by request.
MEssRs. EDiroRs Il take the liberty
of sendirg you for publication in your
valuable paper, a sketch from the zen
of Hon. 0. H. Smith, on the life and
death of the Rev. g. G. Cookman. l
would like it published for two rea-
sons:
First-Because many of US who have
listened to that eloquent divine have
forgotten when the ill-fated steamer
president" was lost, which must have
occurred about the 5th or 9Th Of March,
1S41.
The other reason is you recently had
in your city, as pastor of one OF your
churches, worthy son of that illustri-
GUS man, on whom his mantle had
fallen. q. 5. u.
THE REV. GEORGE g. GOODMAN.
The following sketch from the re-
miniscences of the Hon. o. H. Smith,
published in the Indianapolis "Jour.
nal," will be highly interesting to all
who remember the eloquent preacher
and sterling man:
1t was Sabbath morning. Tho last
Of the city church bells was ringing as
l left my boarding house on Capitol
Hill, at Washington city, for Wesley
Chapel. 1t was quarterly meeting
The preacher had closed his sermon,
when there arose at the desk a slen-
der, spare man, about five feet eight,
dark complexion, black hair falling
carelessly over his high forehead, lean
bony face, wide mouth, round breasted
collar, black vest and pantaloons. Ad-
dressing the congregation he said
"We desire to take up small collec-
tion for the relief of destitute, worn
out Methodist preachers and their fam
lies. We appeal to-day to the hearts
of thel congregation" and he took his
seat. A large collection followed. l
whispered to P. g. Good, Of Ohio, who
sat by my side, "Who is that man ?"
Don't you know him 1t is George G..
Cookman."
The next Sabbath was at the chap
ell again. Mr.. Goodman preached. |
returned satisfied that he was no ordi-
nary man.
The election for Chaplain CT the Sem
ate came on a few days after, and
without the knowledge of Mr.. Cook
man, privately suggested his name
to the Senators around me. The most
of them had heard him preach. He
was elected Chaplain by decided vote
over Rev. Henry Slicer, against whom
there was no objection but We want.
ed to bring Mr.. Cookman more pro-
minently before the public. The next
Sabbath he preached his first sermon
in the hall Of the House, to avery large
congregation, from the text !: "The
sword of the Lord and of Gideon" "
He made profound impression on his
hearers that day, which seemed to in
crease with every succeeding sermon.
1t is not my purpose to sketch the
many sermons of MIR. Goodman during
the period he was Chaplain of the
Senate, the most of which heard. He
was clear, distinct and powerful
preacher. The remarkable clearness
: Of, ,his mental vision enabled him to see
and describe whatever he touched so as
almost to make Paul, Silas, Peter,
Mark and John stand before you as he
named them. His tone of voice, as he
warmed with his subject, and the tear
stealing down his cheek were lrresista-
BILE. As pulpit orator, take him all
in all, he had few equals and no snper.
iors, that ever heard. There was no
place for choir where Cookman sang.
} His voice was melody itself. | heard
him in the Senate Chamber on the funer-
. al occasion of Senator Belts, of Connec-
ticut. The Chamber was crowded.
The President, Departments, Foreign
Ministers, Senators, and Representatives
were there. distinctly recollect one
of his figures of speech:-" AS the hu
man family come upon the great stage
of life, they find at every fork of the
road the fngerboard distinctly pointing
to the grave. There is no other road
to travel from infancy to old age and
death but the road that leads to the
grave" There was not a dry eye in
the Senate Chamber when he closed his
sermon of one hour, and sang alone
the single verse of the hymn.
"And must this body die
This well wrought frame decay?
And must these active limbs of mine
Lie mouldering 10 the clay"'
The session of Congress was about to
close upon the administration of Mr..
Van Buren. The Inauguration of Gen
eral Harrison was soon to take place.
) Mr.. Cookman had all his arrange
ments made to visit England on the
steamer President. The first dispatch
of the new administration was to be
confded to his charge. The next Sab
bath he was to take leave of the men,
bers OF Congress in his farewell SER
mon. The day came. An hour before
the usual time the crowd was seen fill
ing along the pavement OF the avenue,
and passing up the hill to Representa-
tive Hall, which was soon filled to
OVERLOOKING, and hundreds unable to
get seats, went away disappointed. l
3 obtained seat early in front of the
. clerks chair. John Quincy Adams sat
in the speakers chair, facing Mr.. Cock
D man. The space in the rostrum was
. filed with Senators and Representa-
tives. The moment had come. Mr..
Cookman evidently much affected,
kneeled in thrilling prayer, and rose
with his eyes blinded with tears. His
voice faltered with suppressed emotion,
8 as he gave out the hymn:
: When marshalled on the nightly plain,
The vlittaring hosts bestud the sky,