The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-15
CHIEF-JUsrICE CoLERiDGE.
An Eloquent Tribute to Eminent Americans
Who Have Passed Away.


Boston Herald.
The Lord Chief justice, in closing his
speech, said:
Passing away from the kindness. and
cordially, and generosity of General Butler,
how am to rise to the heights which the
recollections of Massachusetts, and of Boston
would fan invite me to aspire to? l speak
in the neighborhood of Bunker Hill, in the
neighborhood of T wharf, which a friend of
mine has told me since l came into this room
has nothing to do with the Boston tea fight
| scorn such strictly historic accuracy. l
believe faithfully that that admirable
beverage, which you have brewed ever since,
has been improved since the fight at 7 wharf
| have seen your old State-house with the
lion and unicorn upon it. | have seen your
noble building, in which your two houses
assemble, with General Burgoyne's cannon
in the ante-chamber. | have seen Faneuil
Hall, plain but magnificent building
have seen that most magnificent building
within a few miles of this place-the
Memorial hall of Harvard University.
Gentlemen, these things are full of interest
and history; and l don't believe men who
tell me you have no history. 1t may be you
have short history because you cannot
help it; but you have great history.
You have history of which any common
wealth may justly and rightly be proud
You know-forgiye my vanity if l say that
know, too-that yea ored Ben amin Frank
lin, and Daniel Webster and Joseph Story
and Theodore Parker. Daniel Webster
whose hand [ was privileged as boy at Elton
to press when he was in England as your
representative, and whose eloquence I have
humbly studied ever since; Story house
hold word with every English lawyer. Park
err, perhaps one of our highest and greatest
souls; Hawthorne, if you will forgive the ex-
preston of a foreigner, is, perhaps, taken
altogether, almost your foremost man of
letters; Longfellow, the delight and darling
of two hemispheres; Holmes, the Autocrat
of the Break fast Table-the autocrat, if he
chose, of every dinner table, too; but there
| am told, lie is content to play the part of a
constitutional sovereign. Emerson, as
broad and as strong as one of your long riv-
ers, and as pure Lowell, l am proud to say,
my own honest friend, your representative at
this moment in my own country. Like Gar
rick in Joseph Reynolds's picture, he excels
either in tragedy or comedy, and is delight
full whether as Hosea Biglow or as James
Russell Lowell, skilled with equal genius to
move the hearts of his readers, whether to
smiles or tears. And Howells, the last of
your American invaders who have taken
England by storm. These are your glories;
these are the men who make your history.
These are the men-forgive me for saying it
of whom you ought to be proud, if you are
not heartily proud.
Gentlemen, in the person of a very hum
BILE Englishman on one side and of this great
company on the other, let me think that Eng
land and America have met together to-
night; that they have come together, and may
ever stay together. Gentlemen, we are one,
as Washington Allston said, and most truly
said-the great painter and the poet who
worked in this city, and who lies not far off
in the Cambridge churchvard--we are one in
blood, we are one in language, and we are one
in law we are one in hatred of oppression
and love of liberty. We are bound together,
if may reverently say so, by God himself
in golden chains of mutual affection and
mutual respect, and two nations so joined
together l am firmly convinced, man will
never put asunder.