Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-05-17

the auspices of the Senate and Assembly.
Col. Ingersoll spoke as follows:
Roscoe Conkling, a groat man. an orator, a
statesman, lawyer, a distinguished citizen Of
the Republic, in the zenith of his fame and
power has reached his journeys end and We
are met, here in the city Of his birth, to pay
our tribute to his worth and work. He earned
and held a proud position in the public
Thoughts He STOOD for Independence, for cour-
age, and above all for absolute integrity, and
his name was known and honored by many
millions OF his fellow mon.
The literature of many lands is rich with the
tributes that gratitude, admiration, and love
have paid to the great and honored dead. These
tributes disclose the character OF nations. the
ideals of the human race. In them we find the
estimates OF greatness-the deeds and lives
that challenged praise and thrilled the hearts
ofmen.
In the presence of death the good man Judges
as he would be judged. He knows that men
are only fragments. that the greatest walk in
shadow and that faults and failures mingle
with the lives of all. In the grave should DO
buried the prejudices and passions born of con-
fiict. Charity should hold the scales in which
are weighed the deeds OF men. Peculiarities,
traits born Of locality and surroundings, these
are but the dust OF the race. These are acci-
dents, drapery, clothes, fashions. that have
nothing to do with the man except to hide his
character. They are the clouds that cling to
mountains. Time gives US clearer vision. That
which was merely local fades away The
words of envy are forgotten, and all there is Of
sterling worth remains. He who was called q
partisan is a patriot. The revolutionist and the
outlaw are the founders OF nations and he who
was regarded as a scheming, selfish politician
becomes q statesman, philosopher, whose
words and deeds shed light.
Fortunate is that nation great enough to know
the great. When great man dies, one who
has nobly fought the battle of life, who has
been faithful to every trust, and has uttered
his highest, noblest thought. one who has stood
proudly by the right In spite OF jeer and taunt,
neither stopped by foe nor swerVed by friend
in honoring him, in speaking words OF praise
and love above ms apst. we pay tribute 70
out it's graves, without the memories OF its
mighty dead. Only the voiceless speak for
Intelligence, integrity and courage are the
great pillars that. support the state. Above
all, the citizens OF a free nation should honor
the brave and independent man--the man Of
stainless integrity, Of will and intellectual
force. Such men are the Aliases on whose
mighty shoulders rest the great fabric OF the
Republic. F!stteTers. cringers crawleTs, time
ocracy. They who gain applause and power by
pandering to mistakes the prejudices and
passions OF the multitude arc the enemies of
liberty. When the intelligent submit to the
clamor of the many anarchy begins, and the
Republic reaches the edge Of chaos. Mediocrity,
touched with ambition, natters the base and
caluminates the great while the true patriot
who will do neither, is often sacrificed.
In government OF the people a leader should
be a teacher; he should carry the torch of
truth. Most people are the slaves of habit,
followers of custom believers in tho wisdom OF
the past, and were it not for brave and splendid
souls the duSt OF anblque Jllne would lie un-
swept and mountainous error be too highly
heaped for truth to overpeer." Custom is a
prison locked and barred by those who long
keeping OF the dead. Nothing is grander than
when q strong, intrepid man breaks the chains,
levels the walls and breasts the many headed
mob like some great cliff that meets the in
| Vulnerable billows of the sea.
Roscoe Conkling was a man Of superb cour-
age. He not only acted without fear, but he
had that fortiture OF soul that bears the conse-
/ 0u0nC0R of the DAr6uod without COM
| plant. He was charged with being proud. The
| charge was true. He was proud. His knees
| gnarled oak" but he was not vain. Vanity rests
| on the opinion of others-pride on our own.
| Tho source Of vanity is from without-of pride,
from within. Vanity is vane that turns. a
| willow that bends with every breeze pride
| ia the oak that defes tho storm. One Is cloud,
the other rock. One is weakness, the other
strength
This imperious man entered public life in the
| dawn of the reformation, at the time when the
| country needed men OF pride, OF principle. and
! courage. The institution OF slavery had pois.
| oned all the springs OF power. Before this crime
ambition fell upon its knees-politicians, judges,
clergymen, and merchant princes bowed low
| and humbly with their hats I'm their hands The
| real friend Of man was denounced as the enemy
OF his country, the real enemy OF the human
race was called a statesman and a patriot
/ Slavery was bond and pledge Of peace, OF
unicn, Of national greatness. The temple OF
/ American liberty was fnished-the auction
block was the cornerstone;
1t is hard TO conceive OF the utter demoraliza
/ tion, OF the political blindness and immortality,
of the patriotic dishonesty, OF the cruelty and
| degradation Of people who supplemented the
| Incompatible Declaration OF Independence
/ with the fugitive slave law. Think of the hon
ored statesmen Of that ignoble time, who wal
lowed in this miro, and who. decorated with
dripping filth, received the plaudits Of theiI
| feliow-non. The noble, the really patriotic,
| were the victims OF mobs, and the shameless
were clad In the robes OF office. But let us
speak no word Of blame let us feel that each
one acted according to his light according to
/ his darkness.
At last the conflict came. The hosts OF light
and darkness prepared 10 meet upon the fields
| Of war. The question was presented: Shall the
| Republic be slave or free2 The Republican
party had triumphod at the polls. The greatest
| man in our history was President-elect The
| Nictors were appalled,. they shrknk from the
great responsibility Of success. In the presence
| OF rebellion they hesitated, they offered 10 re-
turn the fruits Of victory. Hoping 70 avert war
they were willing, that slavery should become
immortal. An amendment TO the Constitution
| was proposed 20 the effect that no subsequent
| amendment sheuld ever be made that in any
| way should interfere with the right OF man e
| steal his fellow-men. This, the most marvel
bus proposition ever submitted 20 q congress od
bivi1iEed men, received I'm tho House an over
| kThelming majority, and the necessary two
Thirds In the senate. The Republican party. ir
lhe moment OF its triumph, deserted ever
principle for which 10 had so gnllantly contend
| "a, and with trembling hands Of fear laid ~
konvistlons on the altar OF compromise.
| The Old Guard, numbering but sixty-hve iE