The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-02-04

welfare and development OF the CATHOLIC
Church In Germany.
The Views OF Congress ON Death and
Immortality.
On Thursday, Jan. Is, the United States
Senate gave up its entire session to ad-
dresses commemorative Of the public SER
vices and private virtues Of the late BEN
JAMIN H. HILL, the Senator from Georgia
who fell victim last August to that most
distressing enemy Of humanity, q cancer.
Tho House also interrupted its consideration
Of the most important subject before this
Congress, the tariff, to listen to further
eulogies upon the deceased Georgian.
In both Houses the lateMr. Hill was ex-
tolled not only as q statesman, but also as Q
Christian, who bore great and prolonged
suffering with sublime patience, supported
by his faith In the promises Of Immortality.
but, Senators" said Mr.. BROWN Of Georgia,
In concluding sketch Of the life and esti-
mate OF the character OF the departed Sem
ator, "but, Senators. our late companion Is
not dead. His body sleeps In the grave but
his immortal spirit rests In the paradise Of
GoD." "He believed" said Mr.. MORGAN Of
Alabama, "that the Master had called him
to other duties, which, as compared with his
duties in the Senate, would confer on him Q
far more exceeding and eternal weight Of
glory and, 30 assured. he departed hence
with rejoicing"
Such. indeed, was the general tone Of the
remarks In both Houses as the speakers
drew near the close Of their eulogies. Mr..
vooRHEEs Of Indiana went further, and, like
O clergyman at . funeral, exhorted the Sem
ate ITO be In readiness for DEATH" for mo
one knows In the great lottery Of life and
death on whose cole. dead, pathetic face we
may next look In this narrow circle" He
therefore warned the Senators Ito think and
speak and live In charity with each other, for
the last hours that must come to oil will be
sweetened by recollectlons Of such forbear.
ance and grace In our own lives as we invoke
for ourselves from that merciful Father into
whose presence we hasten" Mr.. EDMUNDs
OF Vermont had also his closing exhortation.
1.-THE life OF man." he said, "did 1t end with
this earthly career, would be the most mis-
cradle Of phantasms; but to those who see
with the eye Of faith beyond the narrow bor-
der Of our mortal life, the yoke is easy, and
the burden light"
Al Uuc lOWcT uOu60 0kT. OONSEE IVA WoS
even more hortatory. Describing the death
bed OF the late Senator from Georgia, he said
that 1.-THE immortal spirit looked to that
homo beyond In tho mansion not made by
hands," Eyes! oh, yes!" exclaimed Mr..
Cox, "he was almost there-his heavenly
home-where pain no longer tortures, whore
the world had no temptation and the grave
no terror, where, with the loved ones gone be-
fore and the loved ones to follow, he would
join In the song OF the Lamb forever"
And then, after the clerical manner. he drew
the lesson that cit remains for us that we
should 30 live that we be neither surprised,
nor leave our duties imperfect, nor our sins
uncancelled, nor our persons unreconciled, nor
GoD unappeased; but that when we descend
to our graves we may rest In the bosom Of
the Lord till the mansions be prepared, where
we will sing and feast eternally. Amen! 7s
Delm laudamus." These concluding words
he rendered more solemn by quoting from
"sweet JEREMY TAYLOR" In his Holy Lv-
ing and Dying" the following lines:
70 ths living, Follow Me-
And that voice stil soundeth on
70 Il. ' Centuries that shall BY s"""''
1t will be seen. therefore. that 80 far as tho
above-named speakers represent the Ameri-
can Congress- that body Is not affected by
the prevailing skepticism. The most ortho-
dox clergymen could not have better salts
fled the requirements OF the occasion by tho
tone Of their remarks with reference to death
and immortality, nor could they have drawn
its religious lessons In ways more consOnant
with religious feeling and the old faith OF
Christendom.
There was, however, an exception among
tho speakers. Senator INGALLS, OF Kansas
was manifestly not so confident regarding
the future state OF the deceased Senator as
the rest. He spoke as follows. with the un-
certainty Of ON agnostic who gives up i'm
mortality as a puzzle 1t u vain for him to
attempt to solve:
| "BEN HILL has gone to the undiscovered country.
whether hiA journey thther but step scross
an imperceptibs frontier. whether intsrminabls
ocean, black. undertaking. and vocssss stretches BE-
tween these earthly coasts and those invisible shorss
| we do not know.
whether on that August morning after death he
| more glorious sun rise with unmasnabls splsndoI
shove celestial horizon, whether his spsthetis and
unconscious ashes stl sleep In cold obstruction and In
| sensible oblivion-we do not know
whether his strong and subtle energies found instant
exercise In another forum whether his dextsrous
disciplined faculties contsnding In . higher
senate than for supremacy. whether his power
dsspated and dispsrssd with his parting breath
| We do not know.
whether his passions ambitions and affections still
sway attract and impel whether he yet remembers Vi
| a. remember hm-ws do not know
"rhsss are the unsolvsd the insolubls problems o.
| mortal life and human destiny which prompted IN,
troubled patriarch to ask momentous question FOL
which the centuries have given answer. III . mai
| die, shall he live againr
Every 10 the centre Of circle whose fatal OR
cumfsrsncs he cannot pasa Within it, narrow counus
he 10 potential; beyond II he psrshss And II immoS
tsy 10 splendid but dsiusive dream. the incemplsts
Of the Longest and most fortunate
b net supplemented end pssfsstsd after ~ ssnnassl