The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-10-12
MEMORIAL ADDRESS
DELIVERED BY
His Lnrdship the Bishop of Honolulu
AT ST. ANDREWS CATHEDRAL,
ON SUNDAY EVENING, OCT. 9th, 1881.

K0N SUNDAY EVENING, OCT. 9th, 1881.
SAMUEL, 111:47-"K Know ye not that there is a
prince and great man fallen this day in lsraelT'
8 These words, uttered by David after the
ASSASSINATION of Abner by Joab, express
Ethe one prevailing sentiment throughout
EChristendom, as the mournful tidings spread
afrom land to land that the President of the
Hunted States had fallen victim to the
Eassassin's bullet, from which is was hoped
Ehe might recover.
q But God willed it otherwise. And if this
&dispensation of His Providence be inscrnta-
Eble to us, we know that our lives are in His
Hhand without whom not a sparrow falleth
ITO the ground; and we remember that it is
H written, What do thou knowest not now,
Nbut thou shall know hereafter.
n If we fail to decipher the handwriting on
Sthe wall, of this we may be sure, that by
Gan event such as this, which thrills the
Hworld with horror, God has a message for
us, and it will be well, if, while we treasure
1.-THE memories that gather round the grave
Eof the deceased President, we endeavor to
gread the lessons that our Heavenly Father
would have us learn by this dispensation of
|aHis Providence.
4 Before we apply ourselves to that task,
& let me briefly explain why we had no special
Nservice in this church on Thursday last.
AS soon as l learned that there would be a
Hgeneral suspension of business throughout
1.-THE city on that day, out of respect to the
Smemory of the fallen President, l felt it
4would be right that we as church should
Hstake part iu the days solemnities. For this
n anglican Church in Hawaii, whilst being a
4daughter of the Church of England, is in as
Aclose communion with the Protestant Epis-
Scopal Chuch of America as with the Mother
SChurch. We are not the church of one
ssnationality. But without regard to nation
atiOnality, we embrace among our members
jail who unite with us in holding the cath
1olic faith. Whilst the memory Of the late
IaChief Justice is yet fresh among us, let none
&suppose that this Church is not American
H5sas well as English, and has as close and
zdeep sympathy with the sorrows of our
gbrethren in the United States as with those
THAT may befall our brethren on British soil.
q And hence it would have been fitting
ssthat on the day set apart as day of
simourning for the late Prerident, we MS a
EChurch should have taken part in the day s
issolemnities. But on learning that the Rep.
representatives. of the Foreign Powers had ac-
*cepted an invitation to attend the memorial
aservice appointed to be held elsewhere, i
zfelt that it would be most In accord with
5fthe feelings of those most closely touched
ssby this tragic death, if it were made the
Mspecial subject of this evenings service.
n "Know We not that there is prince and
Ia great man fallen this day in Israel. y
aThese words of David may be fifty applied
I5to the deceased ruler of the American peo-
Sple. That he was "a great man" is uni
@versally testified. lie was great in private
Gas well as in public life, one who from
humble origin rose to lofty pOsition-a
ascholar, o soldier, statesman; one who
aIed a virtuous life, part of it spent in a
ascene surrounded by great temptations, yet
8abstaining from habits and vices only too
,3common to men in the many positions he
8occupied one who stood firmly in practice
49by the sound morals he was taught, and
Ihimself taught to men; good son, a noble
aexample Of tilia piety, a faithful and loving
ahusband, an affectionate father, conspicuous
for the felicity of his home in these; one
.swhose cheerful courage, brave composure,
3unfaltering contemplation of all possible re-
5sults were the manifestations of the influ-
Fences of a sound mind shrined in the temple
sof sound body one whose conscience was
Sclear as far as human eye could discern /;
Gone, who in an age when the foundations
5of morality are being sapped, and religion
sscorned, has left behind in the courage, the
acheerfulness, the faith, the preparedness
fisustained through weeks of intense suffer
fling, so many signal proofs of the influence
sand power of morality and religion-such
fan one is truly to be entitled Great. And
ssuch ''Prince and great man" was the late
4 president Garfield.
. Let us for moment reflect on the imme-I
Sdiate result to the people of the assassina-
9tion of Abner over whom this eulogy was
pronounced by David. Abner the son of
1Ner, Commander-in-C Chief of Saul's forces !;
land after the death of Saul, he supported
8the claims of Ishbosheth, Saul's son, to the,
q throne, and made him king over all Israel,
gand so limited the kingdom of David, whom
3 God designed as Saul's successor, and who
had already received the amounting oil, to-
Sthe tribes of Judah and Benjamin. There
twas constant war between the house of Saul
sand the house of David, "Abner made him.
! self strong for the house of Saul" But inI
consequence of a gross insult received from
Z Ishboheth, be resolved to transfer his allie
4 glance to David. $50 do God to Abner, u
Twas bis vow, land more also, except as the
T. Lord hath sworn to David even so l do
g to him. To translate the kingdom from
4" the house of Saul, and to set up the
4" throne over Israel and over Judah from
4" Dan even to Beersheba." No sooner had
Joab, who was Davids Commander-in-i
sChief, learned that Abner was in communi-
cation with David for carrying out his de-
4 sign of bringing all the tribes of Israel toI
own allegiance to David, than on preteneel
] of comforting with him he took him aside
! in the gate, and with one treacherous stab
! Abner lay corpse at his feet.
Well might David, as he pronounced the
geulogy over him which is now before US,
have added, land l am this day ,ceakI
LnouBn amounted ming ana these men tneI
I sons Of Zeruiah be too hard for me. The
Lord shall reward the doer of evil accord
1 ing to his own wickedness."
The indignation with which David re-
sceived the tidiDgs of his death knew mo-
bounds; bat with that indignation there
came sense of his utter weakness. HisI
Conmander-in-C Chief, the man on whom he
most relied, was stained with an abomiua-
BILE crime The hor.as he had inst cherisbed