National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-11-06
THE LIFE OF BENJAMIN f. WADE.

THE LIFE OF BENJAMIN +. WADE. By
A. G. RIDDLE, author of "The Life. Char.
acter, and Public Services of James A. Gar.
Gs1e,onS StG oin w aqd LaTyeTWSI, &c.
From the publishers.
First, we like the portrait OF man great
and goOd-qualitles seldom united-a man
who rose from the humbest rural home to
II dignity not often found In the proudest
palace-the kind and intellectual portrait
of Benjamin f. Wade.
Secondly, we like the dedication of the
volume.
"To Mrs. Caroline Rosekrans Wade this
sketch OF valuable, exalted, and noble
life, to which she contributed so much"
Honor to the wife, though the dim eyed
world not often recognizes II, was, In this
case, well deserved, and is in many cases.
One Of the Injurious influences under which
young Wade struggled was from poem,
entitled 1.-THE Day of Doom" written by
an ancestor of his, nearly two centuries be-
fore this period, yet then popular In New
edition Is dated 1867. A specimen @f the
dolorous and terrifying abominaton is thus
commented on AID quoted:
"Snners are disposed OF In classes for ex-
petition. Finally reprobate infants are
reached
Then to the bar they all draw near
Who died In infancy,
And never had OF good OF bad
Effected personally;
But from the womb unto the tomb
We're stlaightway carried
Or. at the least ere they transgreSscd,
Who thus begun to plead:
Poor deserted things Left to their own
resources 1t must be confessed they made "A
stout case Of it, They could not see, any
more than can we, why they should burn
eternally on Adams account, especially as
the old gentleman hiu self sat nearby on n
very comfortable throne However, God
found little difficulty In brushing away
their baby arguments, which He is made u
do in this luminous way
You, sinners are; and such a share
| As sinners may expect,
Such you shall nave for do save
None but Mine own elect.
This must have been satisfactory. How
ever, he concludes, on the whole
Yet to compare your sin with their,
| Who lived longer time,
l do confess yours Is much less,
| Though every sins a crime.
A crime it i, therefore in bliss
You may not hope to dwell;
But unto you snail allow
The easiest room In hell.
This was letting the poor things off easy,
4 considering the enormity OF their Oifenses,
and doubtless exceptionally tender hearted
devils were assigned as nurses. Finally
the whole host are disposed OF, and God Is
made to call the Redeemer and Saviour 10
dispose OF those he tried to redeem and save,
may give but four OF the many lines IN
which the final judgment is pronounced;
But get away without delay,
| christ y ties not your cry;
Depart to hell; there may you dwell
And roar eternally,
OF their fortunes after being thus dis
posed Of, the poet gives us this glowing pic
| ture:
They live to lie IN misery
And bear eternal woe;
And live they must while God is Just,
That he may plague them so,
OF course, having enjoyed the sight o
these comforting speCtaces, the saints, II
fitting strains, are dismissed to bliss gene
rally.
We quote so largely-for us-in addition
to the interest Of the subject and impOrtanc,
of it's hearing, to show the livelness of on
authors style, the same prevailing through
the volume, and heing his marked character
istic, often observable In his court speeChe
as Mr.. Riddle Is a member of the Wash
ingtOn bar.
II is scarcely necessary TO say that MI
Wade rose above such silly and blasphemou
teachings, for we have already presente
him as "a man great and good" His re
markahlc and most important career |
wildly described even to the end, and incI
, dentally the heroic actors Of his time an
their mighty deeds are introduced, maxim
altogether valuable history OF al eventfu