New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-26
MR. SAMUEL MORLEY.
rue MERCHANT PRISCE-Inn


. - s ., man indeed in two very dinerent
80. fe was one of the merchant princes OIL
-, AMI a shining light among 1nae NAS' a"u
80 h,ly of Engnsh Christians who seem
-, 20 be kpown collectively as Nonconiorin-
So DiSsenters. He had a hrin ho'd on puohc
E,a moreover through Parliament. OF whlch ne
~ -, m.aber. and through the Press, IN
hicb he had al important proprietary interest,"
IT, Press shows some curious contrasts IN It's
'1+i,nates of Mr Morley. 1t is natural that all
hono- shoud be done to his memory IN The fd'ly
T., NJ ~hich he was part vner. The Times
,,ves HIM even more space and not less euogy. IL
:. . journal which can afford to take broad views
and aespise petty prejulices The Daily Telegraph.
bovever. is able to sum MP Mr. Morey's life and its
on.nion # his character and work in less than halt
column of small type
/ do not remember that Mr.. Matthew Arnold ever
had ANYTHING TO sag about Mr. Samuel Morley.
but he IN ght well have chosen the great merchant
asa tvpe of the uprer middle class. As Mr.. Arnold
has no great respect for the middle classes, upper
or lower he may not have cared to paw them the
compliment of acknOwl lodging their title 70 be
represented by man so eminent as Mr.. Morley.
Eminent he was in at least three points by which
the British Phllistine sets great store. He was
frst-rate man of business. he was very rich. and
he was very religions tie was philanthropist
also. of thoroughly genuine kind. and this
endeared him to the people much at least as the
other qualities endearcd him to the classes with
whom he was identified The only thing lacking
20 the completeness of his business career was
that he Aid not begin with the traditional half
crown. The house OF J. & K. Morley was a going
concern when Z. late head entered it. IL had Deeu
founded nv his father. Bnt Il was not then
great affair Its yreatness is the creation OF Sanne
Morley Hosers and wsrehousemen tLey caliel
themselves and as nosiers and great merchants
they became known the world over FOR many
years the house has ranked one o! the wealtolesO
and strongest firms in London, while its gools
have a world wide reputation. Oddly enough, NJ.
Tame Is quoted "a saying that nothing can snake
the honse Of Morley VI. laine is an essayist and
historian OF renown. but never before knew that
his opinion was of weight the financial world
He expressed. however. a general opinion.
Ii was in the word Of religion and OF charity
that Mr. MoTjey's chief interests outside OF bust
ness law Too much could hardly be said OF his
benevolence He gave enormously, ont never
should think. impuslvely. HIS yearly outlay In
pure charity is estimated at Sl5O.OOO; figure
which may help you TO some notion OF his wealth.
In charity. as N all things else. he had d system
from which lie departed seldom or never have
heard Il said of him that even in his giving lie was
austere; it lacked solneth ng OF equality anu
crace or Craciousness lie never PRACTISE the art
of kindly refusal Besieged he was by appll-
cants he perhaps hat not time 70 spend in devisins
polite negatives. | think hat he liked best were
crganized charities on which he could bestow large
SIMS Nitb the certainty that they wond be wisely
so-nt In the N lnagemeut OF som OF the instltu-
lions which lie helped he hal Al active share
there was in fact. no limit TO the amount Of work
be would take upon himself Like most exceed
ingy busy men he always had leisure for bus ness
that he Thought ought 10 be doae. He was an
I l...ffa in IA
siopary Society in a college fo- the training of
N,ncoOfornlst teachers. called HOmertDn Col eye.
and 10 others lie liked TO give money for build
lug Congregational meeting -houses-aere called
chapels His contributions to twenty-tour OF tines
edihces which ne cansei to be- built IN Lon1on.
came 10 100000. To keep kxet~r Hall going be
gave $4,000 IN one sum. Young Mems Associa-
tons found in him 4 Re ady help, especially II they
had a religious am. He liked religion 70 be An
element as u motive. IN benevolences, inst as
be insisted upon it IN education
With all thls. Mr.. Samuel Morley got the ims
deservsily or und-serve liz. Of being hard man.
All the inoostors thought him hard man. He
certainly vas hard to take in. There are points OF
res4-rblance between hlm and thu excellent Peter
Cooper but he had nothing of the excellent Peter
readiness 10 he deceived or brea tth OF fath III
begging humanity. | will venture to say that no
desxfui Of Overture proms-ory notes Will be found
among Mt Samuel Morley's possessi ons by aston
ished executors He bad short way with gentry
OF the sort who enriched Mr.. Coopers collection
OF autographs.
Mr Morey's reli yiOn was the religion OF a Purl-
tan. | al~ays thought him al Independent born
out Of due tins. and nothing ever seensI to
me more characteristic OF the man than his keen
interest In the Con gregational Memorial Hall III
Farrin gion-st That hall foun led as late
testimony and tr buJe to the memory Of the 1000
clergy, men of the Church Of England who ent
out from the Church Under Charles H., an
resigned their lvngs rather than subscribe the
Act Of Uniformity This nineteenth century Non
CONFORMS: gave $4,000 to this building as his
personal tribute to his spiritual ancestors. His
portrait hangs there and not one OF the = 900
va. of sterner stuff than he lie vas denel the
privilege Of persecution-i mean OF belns per5s-
cuted-and it was pity. There is nothing h.
would nave enjoyed more and few who wonld have
endured nartvrlom with more fortltude Men
vao did not ike him :ght say he would have en-
dured or Inflicted torture with equal eqnanimity.
and perhaps IL true. The spirit s. IN either
case Dretty much the same. The TOrquemada Of
Victor Hugo is a truer historical dgnre than the
Torquenada OF the Puritan Sundty-SchOol books
which read in my Sunday-school DAYS
Religions belief is a topic which never dscussed
with Mr. Morley. an 1t is rash toguess at the o2in-
ions of man on SUCH m alters but IL see'n' cleai
that the austere side Of religion had great attrac-
ton for him The Jehovah Of the Old Testament was
his deity. Tue com.nOn ambl tons OF life seemed
IL him paltry precisely because. AS Macaulay says,
his nind was fixed on felicity which should con
tinue when heaven and earth should have passed
away. II Is little to say Of hun that be refuse
baronetcies and peerage. His contempt for ter
restrial distinctions if may quote again from too
familiar passage, sprang from his ASPIRATIONS for
rewards higher than this world has TO bestow. The
difference between the greatest and the meanest of
mankind seemed to vanish when compared with
the.boundleSs interval winch separated the W. ole