The Portland daily press., 1885-08-05

tend to the worst of passions and to the cor
ruption of the best morals. But here in the
presence of the dead, whose ears are alike
dead to our praise or censure, let 1t be our
grateful duty to record that after five years IN
camp and field he returned to his home without
stain upon his character. Among ancient or
modern warriors where shall we find his
superior in moral elevation? Given to no ex-
cess himself he sternly rebuked it in others.
His sense of justice was equalled only by
his love of truth. He preferred honor to
wealth, and poverty to riches not his own.
Oh, Americans think of the pride of your ma
ton, the glory of your age and the object of
the worlds admiration, having nothing to be-
queath to those he loved, save his good name,
and that heaven admitted to probate without
| the whisper of contention.
Gentle, true and kind gratitude was one Of
the noblest emotions of his soul. His words
were few, but pregnant with a grateful recog
| milton. To one who had been friend in need
he declared II am glad to say that while
| there is much unblushing wickedness in the
world, yet there is compensating grandeur
| OF soul. In my case l have not found that
| republics are ungrateful, nor are the people"
| he knew his enemies and treated them with
| whitening silence that has passed into
| proverb. He knew his friends and, true 10
his knightly soul, supported them in ''good re-
| port and evil" But he was never the COM
| panion of had men; and when he discovered
in pretended friend deception or dishonesty
or immortality, he shook him off as Christ re-
| jeeted Judas. His was the language of the
| psalmist: ''In whose eyes vile person is con-
temned.' His private friendships were refined
and he found his chief delight in the society of
the true, the pure and the elevated. He dis
cerned character with the precision of seer.
| His great subordinates are in proof. His chief
associates in the affairs of state are illustra-
| tions.
! And who, in all these four lustra since the
| strife was over, in the decade since he retired
from the chair of state with name great in both
hemispheres, has ever heard him speak of his
deeds Of valor, or the success of his administra-
ton ."Let another praise thee, and not thine own
lips and day the people crown him. But
the world mistakes the character of our illus
trious countryman in supposing that he was
without self appreciation. He knew his power
and realized his strength. His humility was
not born of self ignorance. His self abne-
CATION was not inspired by contempt for the
reward of noble deeds. He was not
Indifferent to the appreciation of his fellow
men, nor was his ear deaf to the voice of
praise. He loved fame, but he did not seek it
he loved power, but he did not aspire to it;
he loved wealth, but he did not covet it. He
"oS AAAe1 with ll1S pdSSiOuS dllu dDpeIlI6S
of human nature; and to make him other than
well-poised, self mastered man, would be an
injustice to his memory. But he was wiser
than his celebrated contemporaries. in that
he would not suffer himself to be unnamed by
popular applause, or the exercise of power, or
the possession of wealth, OF crushed by mis-
fortune, or disheartened by suffering. Ambi-
ton could not corrupt his patriotism; calum-
MES could not lessen it; discouragements could
not subdue it. 1t was not sudden outburst
OF the imagination, but an intelligent con-
viction.
Is it true that his personal qualities were
not brilliant that his salient points were not
conspicuous; that in running parallels between
him and other men of fame a feeling of
disappointment is experienced because there is
not on the surface some prodigious element of
power and greatness: Yet he had this double
advantage over all this worlds heroes he
possessed the solid virtues of true greatness in
larger degree than any other men of renown,
and possessed them in greater harmony of
proportions.
But this foremost American possessed all
these and other virtues in happy combination;
not like single gems brilliant by isolation but
like jewels in crown of glory, united by the
golden band of completed character. What
humility amid such admiration what meek
ness amid such provocaton; what fidelity
amid such temptations what contentment
amid such adversely; what sincerity amid such
deception; what "Faith Hope, and Charity
amid such suffering. Temperate without aus
terity; cautious without fear brave without
rashness; serious without melancholy he was
cheerful without frivolity. His constancy was
not obstinacy, his adaptation was not fckle-
ness. His hopefulness was not utopian. His
love of justice was equalled only by his de-
lIoht and paifhor
feed to the other. His self advancement was
subordinated to the public good. His integrity
was never questioned; his honesty was above
suspicion; his private life and public career
were at once reputable to himself and honor
able to his country.
As he was the typical American, should we
be surprised to find that his was the typical
American homer May we lift the curtain and
look upon the holy privacy of that once un-
broken household? Of the mutual and recip-
rocal love of welded life within those sacred
precincts? Husband and wife, the happy sup
plement of each other, their characters blend
ing in sweetest harmony like the blended col
ors in the bow of promise. He, strength, dig
nifty and courage; she, gentleness grace and
purity. He, the Doric column to sustain; she
the Corinthian column to beautify. He, the
oak to support She ivy to entwine.
And such was the tenderness of his love
and solicitude for her and hers he surprised
her by letter found after his death. 1t came
as message to her from him after he had gone
When his spirit had returned to the God who
gave it. there was found secreted in his robe.
his last letter to her, enveloped sealed and ad-
dressed. He had written it betimes, written it
secretly, and carried the sacred missive day
after day during IA days, knowing that she
would find it at last. In it he poured forth his
love for her and solicitude for their chill
dren:
Look after our dear children and direct them n
the path of rectitude. 1t would distress me far
more to think that one of them could depart from
an honorable, upright and virtuous life, than it
would to know that they were prostrated on bed
of sickness, from which they never were to arise
| alive. They have never given us any cause for
alarm on their account and earnestly pray they
never will.
! With these few injunctions and the knowledge l
have Of your love and affection, and of the dutful
affection of all our children, bid you final fare
well, until we meet in another, and trust, bet
ter world. You will find this on my person after
my demise.
Mt. McGregor, July 8, 1885.
Reared in the Methodist Episcopal church,
and baptized in his last illness by one of her
minister's his religious nature was sincere,
calm and steadfast. The principles of Chris
tianity were deeply engrafted upon his spirit.
Firm, but never demonstrative, he was not
| man of religious pretence. His life was his
PASASooANAA'
nothing to gain from him beyond the in
fuence of a "well ordered life and godly con-
versaton,'' but that he had everything to gain
from the power and promises of our Lord.
| And where in all the annals of the church
| shall we find dying hour so full of divine re-
poses His calm faith in future state was
undisturbed by anxious doubt. His suffering
and wasted body was but the casket for the
resplendentjew of his soul, and when death
ruthlessly broke that precious casket an angel
carried the jewel to the skies to lay it at the
Saviour's feet In the early light of April l,
when all thought the end was come, the suf-
ferer said to me: doctor, am going
81 hope the prospect of the future is clear
and bright" was my response, and the answer
came: Eyes: oh, yes!" Then followed scene
of infinite tenderness. The honored wife, the
precious daughter, the devoted sons and their
wives each in turn approached and he tender
ly kissed them. 'Do you know me, darlings"
was the loving wife's inquiry, and he whisper
ed back Certainly do, and bless you with
all my heart" Such love melted the marble
heart Of death, and the skiing of terrors'' fled
affrighted. The sufferer revived. Heaven ad-
ded months to life so dear to us all. When
he had recovered sufficiently, asked him:
"What was the supreme thought oniyour mind
| Nvhny ofor II