Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-09-27

The sad funeral day was appropriately OBJ
served yesterday in Knoxville. The mayor
had issued his proclamation, requesting that
business houses be closed and business sus-
pended from to o'clock, but many were
closed early in the morning, and nearly all
by II o'clock.
Beginning at o'clock the bells were
tolled for one hour and soon after they
began the streets were thronged with people
of all ages and conditions, vending their
way to the churches where services were to
be held. 1t is doubtful if ever so many
people before attended church in Knoxville
i'll one day.
CHURCH STREET NJ. E. CHURCH, SOUTH.
The large audience room of this beautiful
church was filed to it's utmost capacity.
The seats were all crowded, and
scores of persons stood throughout
the service, while many left when
they found there was no room within the
building. The servicesAopened with an
organ voluntary, Mr. Albert VanGilder at
the organ, after which the choir sung,
least thy burdens on the Lord" Rev. G.
C. Rankin, pastor of the church, then an
nounced the object of the solemn meeting
and read the Both hymn, in the collection of
hymns used by his church, beginning:
God moves in mysterious way
His wonders to perform"
He then offered fervent prayer, which
profoundly moved the hearts
of the very large congregation Rev.
f. Z. Sturgis then read selections
from the Scriptures appropriate to the &C.
casion, after which there was music by the
choir:
We shall sleep, but not forever"
Rev. G. c. Rankin then in very i'm
pressive manner said:
We stand to-day, my friends, in the i'm
mediate presence of a national bereavement
From East to West and from North to
South the American people, regardless of
political and sectional differences, are bend
ing beneath the burden of one common
affection. Every city and village and ham,
let throughout the territory of this vast re-
public is in mournful sympathy with the
far-reaching results of this untoward visi-
tation. 1t has actually assumed the charac-
!
though the angel of death had thrown his
ominous shadow upon the tender circle of
our own households Every noble instinct
of our nature is moved to lamentations and
TO tears. And not only SO but the heart of
the civilized world is offering its tribute
of sympathy and mourning upon the altar of
this our indefnable grief. But is there
no silver lining to the cloud under whose
dark shadow we are now silently passing !?
We unhesitatingly answer, there is. While
our loss as a nation is great and appalling
yet we do not mourn as those having no
hope. God, the maker of the universe,
| reigns in the heavens and upon the earth :;
and though clouds and darkness are around
about him, still righteousness and Judgment
are the habitation of his throne. In this our
national bereavement He is our refuge and
support. The illustrious dead has gone to
his reward; his struggles are over; he has
taken his position in history but he has be-
| queathed a rich heritage to the nation in the
many lessons of his eventful life, as well as
| those of his tragic death. In the roll of
Presidential names, destined to grow fainter
as the list grows larger, his is one of the
few that will engraye itself in everlasting
remembrance. Among all the rest
his name henceforth will be
the one most inspiring to the
poet and the painter. His historic career
| will be an episode of romance in song and
in story as the generations march by. And
while we cannot accord to his memory as a
private or as public individual absolute or
even relative perfection yet his laudable ambi-
ton, his patriotism, his Christian integrity
and his achievements are worthy Of the
emulation of ms youthful countrymen. The
wholesome lesson of his premature and
deeply lamented death is threefold in it's char
acter. 1t should inspire us with the recog-
milton of how much we are capable of doing
even in this shorv and uncertain life. With
out prestige or fortune he arose in less than
two score years from obscure poverty to great
ness and renown. The gradual progress OF
his ascension from the tow-path TO the
Presidency is marked by the steady strokes
of constant application and uniform effort
and exertion. AS a willing
instrument in the hand Of
of God, he was the architect of his own life
and character. In this respect he is 6
striking illustration of the genius and wis
dom of our American institutions They
recognize no social distinctions or prefer
ment except such as grow out of moral an6
intellectual worth. Our late Chief Magis
trate will, therefore, stand out prominent,
in history as a fit and worthy model for thu
study of the young men of our country
But his tragic death should also have seri
Gus and SOLDERING effect upon youthful am
bition, and bring home to us all, with Pc
culiar emphasis, the L substantial nature O
that short-lived dream which we call human
life. On the 4th OF last March James A
Garfield was strong and vigorous, and tn
central figure in the capitol of the nation
: He was the recipient of his country
greatest honor, ard gave promise of lon
and brilliant life. On the secon
of July he was stricken down by the assas
sins bullet, and to-day he is mangle
corpse, and the nation is dropping its tear
f upon his new-1nade grave. Is there any
!, thing more uncertain than human life?
there anything more absolutely sure thai
+ death?
G cart is long and time is fleeing,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still like muffied drums are beating
Funeral marches to the grave
1 And those wear the laurels of the natio
: are not exempt.
t The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power
' All that beauty all that wealth e'er gave,
4 Await alike the inevitable hour,
The path of glory leads but to the grave.
We are also impressed by this sad ever
| with the fact that God often uses vigorou
measures in arresting the attention of th
people, and in bringing them to an apprt
citation of their dependence upon Him.
n He has hushed into silence the voice {
j.. SANDER, the connections of political and SCI
tional strife and differences and as unite
naorIa oTr hearts and minds ara frrOed !