Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-02

demption and rejoice over the triumph
Of q redeemed soul. And at such .
time as this, when the gates, perchsnce,
arc still ajar, and the place we stand
upon Is holy ground, 1t i'll behooves
any one Of us to attempt to voice forth
the common plaintiff express the
vast aggregate Of respect and love and
honor and to illustrate and enforce the
lessons of this hour and this scene. Ii
Is better, far better, that we let our
illustrious friend, on whose account
we are gathered here, impart to us
such instruction as his life and his death
supply, while we, with bated breath
and rapt attention, stand about his bier.
And TO this task we address our
self, foregoing all personal illusions
for there are such illusions, many and
tender and consoling-to concrete incl
dents in his social and religious and in
his private life as distinguished from
his public life.
His youth had q prolific lesson for
the youths Of our land. In the adjoin-
ing county, some fifty years ago, this
tutelsge began. Days so often spent
by thoughtless boys in pointless diver
sions from hard study he, with energy
and application, devoted to the acquisi-
ton Of usefulness and permanent know
ledge, laying, with painstaking earnest
ness and perseverance and zeal, the
foundations of that sturdy, indomi-
table character which in later life
carried him to the proud pinnacle
of exalted success; and with such
teachings the lads of our day
should not shrink from the daily task.
of common schools nor the sterner
studies of the university. And thus
be proclaims from his coffin, " What
soeyer thy hand fndeth to do, do it with
thy might; and work while it is called
to-day, for soon night cometh wherein
no man can work."
The years of his early manhood were
years Of trial and comparative priva-
tion-the common lot Of those who,
apart from the thronged haunts of
dense populations, stem the tide OF pio-
neer resistance to the hostile forces OF
nature and verify the adage that " West
ward the course Of empire takes its way"
To such spirits resistance is discipline,
growth, development; and with the
sturdy men who were his co-laborers
in aggressive work carved oat IN the
wilderness this great and prosperous
and happy Commonwealth-the work
of their own hands and our heritage
who follow after them. And we are
advised that as young man, while oc-
| cupied with labors Of character-buld-
ing, he was honest, brave, exemplary
a young man who sccrned to do mean
or unworthy actions, and taught his
fellows so; who recognized the re-
StraiDing influence Of moral obligations,
and by both precept and example incul-
Gated honesty and probity and purity OF
life. And so he taught and 50 he
teaches now to all young men of our
city and our State and our great
country this cogent injunction " Re-
joice, o young man. in thy youth,
and let thy heart cheer thee
in the days Of thy youth,
and walk in the way Of thine heart in
sight Of thine eyes, but remember that
for all these things God will bring thee
to judgment"
Then in maturer years we have this
sturdy, hearty man, with strong mind
and a warm heart in a sound body,
essaying an active, earnest, prominent
part in the affairs Of his State and coun-
try, as an able and successful advocate,
as a panstaking and conscientious legis-
lator, both helping to build new consti-
tuition of his State and adjust it to COM
plicated relations Of the whole people
and also enacting distinguished part
in national legislation and in both
houses of Congress. We have him as
the able manager Of the public landed
interests Of .ae country as the second
officer in the Administration Of this great
nation. He was everywhere and al
ways the same able, conservative, con-
sistent, and conscientious character
which he early illustrated when first he
started out upon life's arena Of trial,
and Of conflict, and of triumph, and
soiwed the precious seed of honor, vir-
tue, and temperance. And so he has
taught this urgent lesson BE not
deceived God is not Knocked; for
whatsoever man soweth that shall he
also reap-for he that soweth to his
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall
OF the Spirit reap life everlasting"
lie carefully chose his seed, and he
has abundantly reaped his harvest.
And, again, he would preach to us on
another head. lie would impress us
with the shortness and uncertainty Of
life. lie was in his usual health until
near the moment when the silver cord
was loosed and the golden bowl was
broken. He came faithfully and brave
" and confidently to the very dividing
line which separates between things
which are seen and temporal and things
which are unseen and eternal, and vet
he knew not that he was coming, and
in moment, without warning, he was
as one "who wraps the drapery Of his
couch about him and lies down to
pleasant Dreams" And this notable
feature Of his departure warns US all,
in emphatic terms, that in the midst Of
life we are in death, and admonishes us
that we know not the day nor the hour
when the summons shall come to us.
These things his good and great life
teaches US. And oh, that we might be
amenable to the teachings and oh,
that all might learn from his uniformly
graceful bearing, his polite manners,
his courteous Difference to others views,
his thoughtful consideration for others
FEELINGS, even while differing with them
in opinion or conduct-learn to
cultivate the amenities and courtesies
of life under the guiding inspiration Of
politeness and urbanity. | run no
hazard in asserting that such conside-
rate Difference to others feelings and
wishes, and such regard for their rights
and privileges, is the tombstone of all
true manliness, sure criterion of genu-
| ;ra Nbrictian;tx, and 70 tb;c nr,,c;al