Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-04-19

swelling the requiem over the shame OF the
act done beneath and toning the funeral
numbers over States dead name
1t was upon beautiful Sabbath day that
the venerable form of R. c. l.. Moncure
Judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia,
moved slowly; up the aisle of St. :James's
church in Richmond, where it was his wont
to worship God. The edifcc like the wor-
shipper, was unpretending and old in SER
vice. II stood near that mansion in which
once dwet John Marshall, Chief Justice of
the United States-John Marshall, lirst of
the Bourbon line ofjudges Of Virginia and
the man whose head was now bowed before
the altar was the last OF that line
As he prayed the Junta was planning his
downfall and the disruption of the Judiciary
of Virginia.
The scene and man were striking and fit
ted forthis last chapter in his life Though
his doom had been named and he rested in
the shadow Of the political guillotine, he
stood there greater than all his enemies aud
nearerthe completion ofhis triumph. No need
then for shouting cohorts to chant his glory;
no need for man 5 arm to sustain his droOp-
ing frame. That assembly worshipped God.
The cringing OF man to man, and grorelng
for earthly reward, thus intriguing for 9TH
ers ruins; these had no place before that
| hallowed precinct ofthat altarat which was
now presented the grandcst symbol of
country's strcngth--the Christian Judge in
communion with his God
Standing in the grandcst assizc, tho Siuiac
code of Gods laws written upon the wall
before him, when the notes of the peoples
gloria Of praise to Jehovah were hushed that
venerable form was stopped in humble sup
plication, and the judge surrcndcring his err
mine kneeled before the bar Il pleader.
i In earnest voice he sent UP his petition for
dclvcrance from sin, from the crafts and
assaults of the devil, from pride, vain glory
and hypocrisy from envy, hatred and NAL
ace from all sedition, privy conspiracy and
rebellion, and from hardness of heart and
contempt Of God'sword and commandment
He plead by the mystery of the holy in
camation; by the holy nativity and circum-
cision; by the baptitm, fasting and tempta-
ton he plead by the agony and bloody
sweat; by the cross and passion; by the pre-
cious death and burial; by the glorious res
direction and ascension, and by the coming
of the Holy Ghost he knelt earnestly, hum
bly, beseeching his Muster to bless ana pre-
serve all Christian rulers and magistrates,
giving them grace to execute Justice and to
maintain truth to comfort and help the
wcak-hcartcd, to raise up those who fall. to
defend and provide for the f,therless child
rem and widows, and all who are desolate and
oppressed; to have mercy upon all men he
asked forgiveness for his enemies. persccu-
tors and slandercrs and that their hearts
might be turned; he asked I'LL in voice
swelling with the intensity of its earnest
ness above the appeals of the congregation,
showing how pure, how strong, how bea,l-
titul, how simple the faith, and presenting
to the awe-struck wording the ncver-to- be-
forgotten picture Of the Christian Judge
lnccling before the throne Of God.
He rose TO his feet. The petition had
been filed, the evidence was in, the are,l-
ment had been heard, and the decision Of
the Great Judge reserved for the Last Day,
when earthly courts shall be dissolved and
all men called up to seceive their sentence.
As he stood before the altar the sun swinging
nj its meridian shot fires through the chancel win
dow with glass OF red. yellow and blue and tho.
col"rs dropped i'll united rays upon the whitened
hair, ami the aureola resting over him was as
mingled liquid lights-gOlden, vermlion and
bue-likc the water of the sea. Three hundred
years ago the Navarro knight fell before the ban
ner Of red yellow and blue, and kissing the cross
of his sword.hi yielded his body to his country,
his soul to his God. And now it was meet that
the last Of the line of Bourbon Judges should in
+ the day of his doom, 60 down under the same col
orS before which the first OF the line of Bourbon
warriors fell
The service of prayer was over. The service Of
praise began: Again the voice of Richard Mon
cure sounded full and rich in the icrvor of his
adllati0n of his Maker, and rose clear rs he led in
the responses and repeated the words OF the
Psalms for the day His tones heard above the
aggregated utterancc Of that congregation carried
with them all the strength Of faith resting on
solid rock; Ill the tender beauty Of music for the
voice Of old age, often falls like the yrsper bell
for IFS sweetest tones go out in the evening of
life
Aud so reading he read the inspired song of
triumph of the Prophet David:
They have laid 1 net for my feet, and pressed
down my soul they have dggcd pit before me-
and are fallen into the midst of it themselves
The cycle OF time had again rolled round; his
tory was repeating itself, and the prophecy of the
prophet went forth in the revercnt rcverbcration
OF K. {. l.. Mnncurc, last of the line of Bourbon
judges Of the Court of Appeals of Virginia. When
his bowed form emerged from the shadowy portals
Of the tcmplo-tha Junta had pronounced his
doom and the Dictator was naming the Judges of
Virginia.
Days hive gone by since that time, and the DAYS
have woven themselves into weeks and the wool
of the weeks has grown into months. Now from
where the Serrlcd mountains rise and grdlc Eir-
ginia. rush is heard rs of the coming of armed
hosts, and the mighty voice of the people sweeps
on III rcsStleSS current and its thunder tones are
caught up rs it speeds over the valley and plain
until it daSheS in tremendous wave upon the
scli-crccted throne of the Dictator who trcmhlcs
Is he hears the maddcncd shout of delnded peo-
pie for the funta knows the hour of its tissou.
ton draws near the day of reckoning is at hand
And the true patriots rising upon the debris of a
rarishcd treasury and re-cchoing the cry of Vir-
ginians for freedom, refused to stand nanacled,
the supcrserviccahlc mendcants for their own
rights and the .Iunta and the Ruler who csSaycd
to cover other men with disgrace and to entrap a
States multitude as victims, cover and cry as the
blaze of discovery reveals the assumed patriotism
and in the midst of all, above all the voice of the
prophet comes rafting down the aisles Of ages
and in the grand power of that last reiteration
! toretes the doom of the damned:
They have laid net for my feet, and pressed
down by soul; they have digged pit before me-
and are fallen into the midst of it themselves"
Even Greater than Doctors.
RICHMOND Va Jan 81 1881