The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-02-03
Senatorial EulOgies.

The eulogies pronounced in the
United States senate, last week, on the
late Vice-president Hendricks were of
an interesting character. The adj
dresses were generally remarkable for
rhetorical merit and their complete and
excellent analysis of the public life and
personal character of Mr.. Hendricks.
Those of the republican senators were
tolerant and considerate in their views
of the departed statesman. They prob
ably had in mind the maxim, If you
cannot speak well of the dead, better
not speak at ALL" If the senatorial
eulogies on the late vice-president had
any conspicuous defect, it was that they
unduly magnified his virtues and too
much extenuated or wholly overlooked
his faults. However, this is the nearly
universal practice in the obituary no.
tees of our time. A few brief extracts
from the senatorial addresses may be
of some interest to our readers and will
indicate something of their general
character. Senator VOORHEES, began his
elaborate eulogy with the following elo-
quent sentences:
Mr.. President, for the eminent citizen of
the republic who lately fell from his high
place among living men, and who sleeps
now in peace and honor in the bosom of the
state he loved and served, we can do no
more than has already been done by tongue
and pen, and by every method which human
affection can inspire. The heavy drapery of
woe has darkened alike the public building,
the stately mansion and the doorway of the
humble home; the proud colors Of the Union
have dropped at half-mast throughout the
United States and in all civilized lands be-
meath the sun; eloquence in the forum and
at the sacred desk has paid its richest trib-
utes to his exalted abilities and to his stain
less character; the tolling bell, the mourn
full dirge, the booming solemn minute-gun,
the mighty multitude Of mourners have all
attended the funeral of Thomas A. Hen.
bricks, and borne witness to the deep love
and grief with which he was lowered into
his ldSJ edrbnly dDOue. All Une nOnOrS uue
to the most illustrious dead have been paid
by the chief magistrate of the government
by the authority of states and by the unre-
strained affection of the people.
Here is little gem from Senator
Hampton's address:
1t is one of the Inconsistencies, perhaps
rather one of the infrmities, of human ma
ture that in spite of all the blessed assur-
ances of Christianity we grieve when those
who are near or dear to us are taken away
by death We know that to those who are
prepared to die death is but the gloomy por-
tai through which they pass TO the realms OF
eternal happiness, and this conviction should
teach us that all grief for them is selfish
but neither philosophy nor religion can
soothe the anguish which wrings our hearts
when a dear friend or beloved relative is
borne to the grave.
Senator Salisbury improved the occa-
sion to draw little comparison:
For some reason, which it might be diff.
cult to explain, there seems to be less rec
ogniton of distinguished service and worth
in civil life than. is awarded to merit in
another sphere. In this, and perhaps in
every other country, the highest value is
placed upon the services Of successful mill
tary men and the highest honors paid tC