The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-16
A WELL-DESERVED TRIBUTE
INeERsoLps ESTIMATE OF coNKLINe.
The Exercises in Memory of the Deceased
Under the Auspices of the New York
Legislature-An Eloquent Address
by "A Brilliant Orator.

ALBANY, n. Y, May 9.-Nearly 900 persons
in the Academy of Music in this city tonight
listened to an oratio nby Col. Robert G. Inger-
soil to the memory of Roscoe Conkling and
one-fourth as many more besieged the barred
doors, while many climbed to the roof and
peeped through the sky-6ghts. The ceremonies
were under the auspices of the senate and as
sembly. Col. Ingerson said:
Roscoe Conkling-a great man. an orator,
statesman, lawyer, q 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 proud position in the public thought.
He stood for independence, for courage, and
above ali for absolute integrity and his name
was known and honored by many millions of
his fellowmen. 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 of men. In the presence of death
the good man judges as he would be judged
lie knows that men are only fragments, that
the greatest walk in shadow, and that faults and
failures minCle with the lives of all In the
grave should be buried the prejudices and pas
sions born of conflict. Charity should hold the
scales in which are weighed the deeds OF
men. Peculiarties, traits born of locality
and surroundings, these are but the dust OF the
race, these are accidents, drapery, clothes,
fashions that have nothing TO do with the
man except to hide his character. They are
clouds that cling TO mountains. Time gives us
clearer vision. That which was merely local
fades away. The words CT envy are forgotten,
and all there is of sterling worth remains He
who was called a partisan Is q patriot. The
revolutionist and the outlaw are the founders
of nations, and he who regarded a
scheming, selfish politician becomes a states
man, a 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 faith
full 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 hon
oring him, in speaking words Of praise and
love above his dust, we pay tribute 10 our
selves. How poor this world would be without
its graves, without the memories OF its mighty
dead. Only the vOiceless speak forever. In
telligence, integrity and courage are the great
pillars that support the state. Above all, the
citizens of free nation should honor the brave
and independent man, the man of stainless in
tegrity, of VIII and intellectual force. Such
men are the Aliases on whose mighty shoulders
rests the great fabric of the republic. Flatter-
ers, cringers crawlers time-servers are the
dangerous citizens of democracy. They who
gain applause and power by pandering TO the
mistakes, the preiudiees and passions OF the
multitude are 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 hatterS the base and calumniateS
the great, while the true patriot, VINO will do
neither is often sacrificed In a government
of the people leader should be teacher, he
should carry the torch of truth. Most people
are the slaves of habit, followers Of custom, be-
levers in the wisdom of the past, and were it
not for brave and splendid souls, the dust OF
antique time would lie unswept, and mountain
ous error be too highly heaped for truth 10
overpeer.' Custom is a 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 strong, intrepid
man breaks chains, levels walls and breasts
the many-headed mob like some great cliff that
meets and mOcks the innumerabie blllows OF
the sea. The politician hastens to agree with
the majority, insists that their prejudice is
patriotism, that their ignorance is wisdom, not
that he loves them, but because he loves HIM
self. The statesman, the real reforner, points
out the mistakes OF the multitude, attacks the
prejudice of his countrymen, laughs at their
follies, denounces their cruelties en,ightens
and enlarges their minds and educates the con-
science not because he loves himself, but be-
cause he loves and serves the right and wishes
to make his country great and free. With him
defeat is but a spur TO further effort. He who
refuses to stOop, who cannot 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 crawl
ing, position by cringing
"When real history shall be written by the
truthful and the wise, those men, those kneel-
erS at the shrines of chance and fraud, those
brazen idols worshipped once as gods, Will be
the very food of scOrn, while those who bore
the burden of defeat, who earned and kept
their self-reSpect, who would not bow to man
or men for place orpower, will wear upon their
brows the laurel mingled with the oak.
"Roscoe Conkling was a man OF superb
courage. He not only acted without fear, but
he had that fortitude OF soul that bears the
consequences of the course pursued without
complaint. He was charged with being proud.
The charge was true-he was proud. His
knees were as inhexible as the '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 without; Of
pride from within. Vanity is a vane that
turns willow that bends with every breeze;
pride is the oak that detes the storm. One is
cloud, the other rock. One is weakness. the
sther strength.
'This imperious man entered pubblic life at
the dawn of the reformation, at a time when
the country needed men of pride, of principle
and courage. The institution of slavery had
poisoned all the springs OF power. Before this
CRIME dmDlDOn Iee1 upon us kneeS-pOllttcitNS
Judges clergymen 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 "a statesman and pa
trjot. Slavery was the bond and pledge of
peace, OF union, and national greatness. The
temple of American liberty was finished; the
auction block was the cornerstone.
at is hard to conceive of the utter demorali-
zation, of the political blindness and immoral
ity, 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 mire and who decorated with
dripping filth received the plaudits OF their fell
low men! 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 dark
ness.
'"At last the great conflict came. The hosts
of light and darkness prepared TO meet upon
the fields of war. The question was presented:
Shall the republic be slave or free? The re-
publican Eparty had triumpned at the polls.
The greatest man in our history was president
elect. The victors were appalled,; they shrank
from the great responsibility of success. In
the presence Of rebellion they hesitated they
offered to return the fruits of victory. Hoping
to avert war they were willing that slavery
should become immortal. An amendment to
the constitution was proposed TO the effect that
no subsequent amendment should ever be
mada that in any way should interfere with