Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-10-05

os oe sAio 10 oe constant quantity with
.ne american people. Its opportunities are
nos oi frequent occurrence. Except for ex-
.aordinary circumstances we might almost
forget that it was a ruling sentiment in human
nearts. And yet the American people are
intensely patriotic when they have the chance
10 be. They love patriotism and rise under
It's ennobling inspiration with surprising
readiness and unanimify, and with every such
rising the notion grows, the country takes on
noDler mlen, Is filled with a more exalted
spirit, and assumes a prouder place among
the honored nations of the world. Such is
our country's los to-day, such the higher pos
sibIifies whice she faces now The shot bv
which the President fell soreIy wounded
man, scarce three months since, was the sig
nal Tor fifty million appraised hands stretched
forth to annihilate the criminal, and to succor
and heal their stricken chief Not admiration
only for his noble career. his manly
gifts, his sweet affection. not sympathy
merely for his heroic fortitude through
weary days and long suffering nights,
made men hope while hope was hopeless, but
men dreaded and now bemoan their loss, be-
cause by 1t the noblest qualities of mind and
heart are severed from the noblest Office of
the nation. Great Offices call for great nien
to NIL them, and when the nation is SO happy
as to have them so filed, il feels and finds it,
self enlarged. The inspiration of greatness
at the head flows through to every member
of the body polite. Surely the noblest pride
OF nation is in its noble rulers Wealth
may advance. and conquest bring glosv; sur
rounding Eations may admire and emulate
and fear such greatness. But strong, CON-
handing goodness at the head of nation.
alone draws homage from them all. Our
patriotism then has received a mighty stimu-
In and ,Lal, Al IL 4
noble life of him, who, alas for so brief a
time, filled the place once occupied bv
Washington and Lincoln.
The growth of a nation goes on by a pro-
cess similar to that OF the Individual man.
A nation, as an individual, moves on the
worlds stage. through its several acts and
ages of development Pass the aye of infan-
cy and childhood, the period Of youth comes
on; youth passes and the age of manhood
succeeds. But the development Of manhood
proceeds, now by advancing steps, now bv
what appears to be a halt and retrogression.
The over-conidence of early strength. the
self-assurance of first efforts, meet with
shock. Success is won not through uninter-
rupted success, but through, occasional fail
ure. Losses occur with gains to make US
wary of our ventures. Suffering intervenes
and sObers our view, while it knits the nerves
greater conflicts. Affection spreads its cloud
over and turns the heart to graver
thoughts and upon the more real and solemn
issues of conduct and life. A sacredness
and sOehnity gathers over life and reveals
its high truths as gifts held from Col, to be
used and accounted for. SO we pass on to
the high noon of our individual maturity.
A nation likewise often finds its nobler part
through humiliation. The lines of steadfast
character are drawn on its face by suffering
and loss. 1t wins its greater successes
through and upon many rebukes of failure.
The shedding of its life blood, is the baptism
of Its regeneration. If ''the blood of the
martyrs is the seed of the Church. the
apothegm, also has its tragic yet hopeful
consistency in the development of a nation.
My friends, the iron that struck down our
beloved President has entered into the soul
of this people. No true martyr ever died in
vain. Neither has ours. His fall is for the
rising again of the people, in whose name
and for whose cause he suffered. to nObler
life and purer motives. and most worthy eff
forts Such is Gods way of bringing nations
to their proper mold and greatness, by the law
of sacrifice, often BY the imnlnation of their
most cherished hopes. Life is full of atone
ments. Their object is to uaiy and regener-
ate. May this our latest sacrifice, not be
lost upon us. As people.
In conclusion. let Us heed one lesson more.
While there is 81 much thai !. cons"latOry in
this our great afii ctior. while G ii in his
mercy has so ordered that the coantry has
not been suddenly bereft of its head, but
though by painful. yet by slow degrees, we
have been prepared for our loss, it never-the
less becomes Us not to forget ~ ignore the
fact that what we have .nt!rr. / AMI do suffer
IS a signal rebukc "f sin. Ii l. not only that
we stand to-day appalled, and Indignant at a
crime, which l,ts suddenly and cruelty cast
down one family into depths of life long
sorrow. not only that we, As nation from
each extremity of the land. have suffered
fragrant dishOnOr, but we have been rebuked,
we have been punished, we have felt the rod.
Though God has allowed such thing to
happen, we have in some real sense drawn 1t
upon ourselves. The blood of our President
rests indeed upon the criminal who now
covers in abject terror within the prison
walls of the capital, but neither can we plead
altogether guiltess of it. The depravity
of an individual man may prove to be
but the secondary cause or occasion
of this crime which shocks the world, and
makes US sad, while its first and underlying
cause, NAV, perhaps. alas! be found in the
INSCRIPTIONS perversion of the most sacred
trust that falls to the lot of nation to
WELD, viz: the government of itself, the
discharge of high governmental functions
not for personal ends and selfish gratifica-
ton. but for the public good duties which
can only be borne by the assiiuous cultiva-
ton of every high virtue. and in the fear OF
God. If smartness and material success have
been our chief crime. if the ability to make
and manage factions has in any large measure
become substitute in our methods and men
for true craftsmanship, then still more bit,
ter sorrow is ours. Then, we are indeed
guilty for this our brother. Let conscience
purified by sorrow and invigorated BY good
example, decide this, to us, momentous ques-
ton. Meanwhile let us humble ourselves
before God, in all sincerity of heart and in
all earnestness of purpose. So shall
good come out of evil. As all nations
gathered around Him whom wicked
men slew and hanged on tree,
finding in Him one centre of attraction.
common tie and moving force Of regenera-
ton for time and eternity, so may we as a
people. standing united again in common
sympathy, as it were, about the broken body
Of our martyr President, find as in his life, so
in his DEATH a sacred impetus to reunion OF
long severed interests and affection, pu-
rifcation of every national virtue, an en-
trance on a regenerate life. We are hu-
inflated and mourning people. Let DIS not
f,rgat II lost a worse thing happen unto US.