The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-05-17
PRAISE FOR coNkLINc.

litlxcn and Lcnucr - His lmhlnc chin Z
Honesty, Matchiess Eloqucnce and Love
OF Truth.
ALBANY, N. Y, May l0.-Thirty five hun
dred persons listened in the Academy OF
Music in this city last night TO an Grafton
by Colonel Robert q. Ingcrsoll TO the mem
DRY OF Roscoe Conkling, and onc-fourth as
many more besieged the barred doors,
while many climbed TO the roof
and pceped through the sky-lights.
The ceremonies were under the au-
spices of the Senate and Assembly. The
Grafton was an eloquent eulogy of the char
acter OF the dead rs political lawyer and
a man. The speaker was at his best ard
his words were listened TO by the great
audience with close attention. Colonel In
gersoll said;
Roscoe ConlSling-a great man, an orator, a
Statesman, lawyer, n distinguished citizen OF
the republic, in the zenith OF his fame and
power-has reached his journeys end. and we
are mot hero in the city OF his birth TO pay our
tribute TO his worth and work. He earned and
held q proud position in the public thought
He stood for independence for courage, and
above all, for absolute integrity. and his name
was known and honorcd by many millions OF
his fellow men.
The literature OF many lands is rich with the
tributes that gratitude, adm ration ana love
have paid to the great and honored dead. These
tributes disclose the characters 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 OF
men. In the presence OF death the good man
judges as he would be judged He knows that
men arc only fragments, that the greatest walk
in shadow, and that faults and failures mingle
with the lives OF all. In the graves should be
fiict. Charity should hold the scales in which
are weighed the deeds OF men. Peculiari-
ties traits born OF locality and surround
ings-these are but the dust OF the race these
are accidents, drapery, clothes, fashions, that
have nothing 10 do with the man except 10
hide his character. They are the clouds that
cling TO mountains. Time gives us clearer Wis
ion 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 u partisan is n patriot. The revolutions
ist and the outlaw are the founders of nations,
and he who was regarded us scheming, selfish
politician becomes statesman, a. philoso-
pher whose words and deeds shed light Fort
innate Is that nation great enough TO know the
great. When great man d es--onc who has
nobly fought the battle OF life, who has been
faithful TO every trust and has uttered his high
est noblest thought; one who has stood proudly
by the right in spite OF ieer and taunt. neither
stopped by foe nor swerved by fricnd-in honor
ing him. in speaking words OF praise ard love
above his dust, we pay tribute 70 ourselves.
How poor this world would be without its
graves, without the memories OF its mighty
dead Only tho voicoiess speak forever. Intel
lieence. Integrity and courage arr the great
pillars that support tho state Above ALL the
citizens 81 q 1sce Nation should honor the
ilraYs ais 1tidfpcnaent MANTLE man OF
etpsafsse iaiegrity, Of will and intel
Iectnal fcrce. Such men are the Aliases on
whose mighty shoulders rest the great fabric
OF the republic Fiatterers, cringers, crawlers,
time-servers are the dangerous citizens of
democracy They who gain APP
plause and power by panderlng to the
mistakes, the prejudices and passions OF the
multitude are the enemies OF liberty When
the intelligent submit 10 the clamor OF the
many, anarchy beginr, and the republic reach
es the edge of chaos Mediocrity, touched
with ambition, fiattcrs the base and calumni-
ntes the great whilc the true patriot, who will
do neither, is often sacrificed. In govern
ment OF the people q leader should be
q teacher-he should carry the torch Of truth.
Most people are the slaves of habit followers
OF custom, believers of wisdom in the past
and were it not for brave and splendid souls
the dust OF antique time would lie unwept and
mountainous error be too highly heaped for
truth 10 ever peer Custom is prison, locked
and barred by those who long ago were dust
the keys OF which are in the keeping OF the
dead.
Nothing is grander than when q strong, in
trepd man breaks chains, levels walls and
breasts the many-headed mob like some great
clin that meets and mocks tho innumerable
pillows OF the sea. The politician hastens TO
agree with the maioriiy-insists that their
prejudice is patriotism, that their ignorance is
wisdom-not that he loves them, but because
he loves himself. The statesman real re-
former-points out the mistakes of the multi
tude, attacks the prejudices OF his eountrymen,
laughs at their follies, denounces their cruel
ties, onlightens and enlarges their minds,
and educates the conscience, not because
he loves himself, but because he loves
and serves the right and wishes TO
make his country great and free. With
him defeat is but spur 10 further
effort. He who refuses to stoop, who can not
be bribed by the promise OF success, or the
fear OF failure, who walks the highway OF the
right, and in disaster stands erect, is the only
victor. Nothing is more despicable, than TO
reach fame by crawling-position by cring-
ing. When real history shall be writ
ten by the truthful and the wise, these
men, these kncelers at the shfines oil
chance and fraud, these brazel idols wor-
shipped once as gods, Will be the very food of
scorn, while those who bore the burden OF do
feat, who earned and kept their self-respect,
who would not bow TO man or men for place or
power, will wear upon their brows the laurel
mingled with the oak
Roscoe Conkling was man OF superb cour-
age. He not only acted without fear, but he
had tho fortitude OF soul that bears the consc-
quences OF the course pursued without com
plant. He was charged with being proud. The
charge was true-he was proud His knees were
as infiexible as tho "unwedgeable and gnarled
oak, but he was not vain. Vanity rests on the
opinion OF others-pride on our own. The
source OF vanity is from w.thout-of pride from
within. Vanity is q vane that turns, willow
that bends with every breeze-pride is the oak
that defles the storm. One is cloud, the other
rock; one is weakness the other strength. This
imperious man entered public life in the dawn
OF the refcrmation-at time when the country
needed men OF pride, principle and courage.
The institute Of slavery had poisoned all the
springs OF power. Before this crime ambition
fell upon its knees, politicians. judges, clergy
men and merchant princes bowed low and
humbly, with their hats in their hands. The
real friend OF man was denounced as the enemy
OF his country the real enemy OF the human
race was called statesman and q patriot
Slavery was the bond and pledge OF peace, OF
union and National greatness. The temple OF
American liberty was hnished the auction
block was the cornerstone. II is hard to
conceive OF the utter decentralization, OF the
political blindness and immortality, OF the
patriotic dishonesty, of the cruelty and dcgra-
dation OF people who supplemented the in
comparable Declaration OF Independence with
tho Fugitive Slave Law. Think OF the honored
statesmen OF that ignoble time who wallowed
in this mire, and who, decorated with dripping
filth, received the plaudits OF their fellow men.
The noble, tho really patriotic, were the vic
Tins OF mobs, and the shameless were clad in
the robes OF ONCE. But let us speak no word
OF blame; let us feel that each one acted ac-
cot1iag TO his light-according to his darkness.
At iEAt the conflict cane The hosts Of light
and darkness prepared to meet upon the fields
OF war. Tne question was presented: Shall the
Republic be slave or freei The Republican par
fy had friumphed at the polls. The greatest
man in our history was Pres.dentelect. The VIC
tors were appalled-they shrank from the great
responsibility OF success. In the presence OF re-
beliion they hesitnted-they offered TO return
the fruits OF victory. Hoping TO avert war they
wore willing that slavery should become i'm
mortal An amendment TO the constitution
was proposed, TO the erect that no subsequent