Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-08-07
ROBERT q. INGERS0LL.
Col. IngersOE Pays Tribute Of Re.
aPect TO the Rev. Alexander Clark,
d. D., Lately Decensed.-A Char.
acteristic Plea for Tolerance
and Charity for all Men.

y
Methodist organ, whose death was re-
Gently announced, has received most culo-
CYSTIC and tender tributes from the religi-
ous press of the country. He died in
Georgia, some two weeks ago. while he
was the guest of the Governor of that
State, Gov. Colquit. As a journalist Mr..
Clark has been somewhat conspicuous for
. his zeal in combaltin. the views OF Col.
Ingersoll, While treating that gentleman
with personal fairness. He once visited
him in his Peoria home. AMI in Il published
letter spoke in the very highest terms OF
the personal and domestic character of his
iliusirious theological opponent. Now that
Mr.. Clark is dead. Col. Ingcrsoll has paid
the following tribute (first published be-
low) to the Elanliness and kindness of the
ceased:
| REV. ALEXANDER CLARK.
Upon the grave of Rev. Alexander Clark
l wish to place one flower.
/ Utterly destitute Of cold. dogmatic pride,
that often passes for the love of God:
without the arrogance Of the ''clect'-sinl-
pie. free and kind-this earnest man made
me his friend by being mine. forgot that
he was Christian, and he seemed to for
get that was not, while each remembered
! that the other was Il MAN.
Frank, candid and sincere, he practiced
what he preached. and looked with the
holy eyes OF charity upon the f;nlings and
mistakes of men. He believed in the pow
er of kindness. and spanned with divine
sympathy the lidcous guilt that separates
the fallen from the pure 4
Giving freely to others the rights that lie
claimed for himself, it never occurred TO
him that his God hated brave and honest
nnbeliever. He remembered that even IN
intiel has rights that love respects; that
hatred has no saving power, and that in
order to be Il Christian it is not necessary
to become less than Il man. He knew that
no one can be n,alignel into kindness; that
epit!iets cannot convince; that curses are
not arguments. and that the finger of scOrn
never points towards heaven. With the
generosity of an honest man he accorded
to all the fullest liberty Of thought, know
ing, us he did, that in the rea..n of mind a
chain is but a curse.
For this man Icntcrtained the profound
est respect. In spite of the taunts and
jecrs of his brethren, he publicly proclaim
ed that he would treat iniilels with fair :
ness and respect; that he would endeavor
to convince them by argument and win
them with love. He insisted that the God
he wors..ipped loved the well-being even
of an atheist. In this grand position he i
stood almost alone. Tender. just and low
ing where Others were harsh, vindictivc
and cruel. he challenged the respect and |
admiration Of every honest man. A few c
more such c'ergymen might drive calumny s
rom the lips of faith and render the pulpit t
worthy Of respect.
The heartiness and kindness with which C
his generous man treated me can never ne I
,xcelled. He admitted that had not lost Il
md could not lose u single right by the ex- h
PRESTON of my honest thought. Neither n
lid ne believe that Il servant could win the
espec' Of generous master by persecut- q
ng an. n,aligning those whom the master p
would willingly forgive. al
While this good man was living, his Y
rethren blamed him for having treated me IL
nth fairness. But, trust, now that he IL
as left the shores touched by the mysteri- III
lis sea tat never yet has borne on any Il;
ave the image OF a homewars! sail, this
rime will be forgiven him by those who al
ill remain to preach the love of God. az
His sympatlies were not confined within oi
le prison OF a creed. bur ran out over the
alls like vines. hiding the cruel rocks and 10
lsted bars with leaf and flower. He could ye
1t echo with his heart the fiendish sem hi
nee of eternal fire. In spite Of book b'
I'd crceds he read '.between the lines" the IT
or,ls Of Tenderness and love. with prom tic
es for all the world. Above. beyond the wi
,yma Of his chnrch-humane even to the
rye of heresy-causing some to doubt ne
S love Of Col because re failed to hate TIL
8 unbelieving ftllow-inen. he Etboved for ha
e welfare of mankind. and to his work 4
We up his life with ill his heart.
ROBERT G.. INGERsOLL.
n. G.. Jaly II, 1879.
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