The Washington critic., 1889-02-26
DEATH NOT THE END.
senator ingalls, stirring Words In
Euiogizing Representative Burnes.

Senator ingalls, stirring Words In
Euiogizing Representative Burnes.
The Senate galleries were crowded yes
tcrday afternoon by those who had come to
hear Senator Ingalls, deliver his culogy on
the late Representative Burnes. He said;
"These are the eliminating hours of the
closing scene in the drama OF our national
life. When this day week returns one po-
litical party will relinquish aud another as
sumo the executive functions of Govern
nent. On every hand are visible the prep
aratious to welcome the coming and speed
the parting guest
Events OF great pth and moment are
waiting on the event OF the brief interval.
While Pleasure wanders restlessly through
the corridors of the Capitol, Hope and Fear,
ambition, Cupidity and Revenge sit In the
galleries or stand at the gates eager like
the dying Elizabeth) to exchange mil
lions Of money for that inch of time on
which success or failure, wealth or pen
ury, honor or obloquy, depend. At this
crisis and iuncture, when every instant
is priceless, the Senate, resisting every
inducement and solicitation, proceeds by
unanimous consent to consider resolutions
OF the highest privilege reported from no
committee, having no place on any calendar.
but which take precedence of unfinished
business and special ORDERS on which the
yeas and nays are never called, and on
which no negative vote has ever been re-
corded--and revcrently pause, In obedience
to the holiest impulses Of human nature, TO
contemplate the profoundest mystery OF
human destiny, the mystery of death. In
the democracy of death all men, at least,
ore equal. There is neither rank nor station
nor prerogative in the republic of the
grave. At thnt fatal threshold the philos-
opher ceases to he wise and the song
Of the poet is silent. At that fatal
threshold Dives ,relinquishcs his millions
and Lazarus his rags The poor man is as
rich Us the richest, and the rich man Is MS
his usury, and the debtor Is acquitted of
his obligation. The proud man surrenders
his dignity, the politician his honors, the
worldlng his pleasures. Here the invalid
needs no physician, and the labOrer rests
from unrequited toll. Here, at least is
Natures final decree In equity, The irony
Of fate is rcfllted. The wrongs of time are
redressed and injustice is cxpatiated. The
unequal distribution of wealth, of honor,
make life so cruel aud incxplicable
tragedy, ceases in the realm Of death.
The strongest there has no supremacy, and
the weakest needs no defense. The mighti-
est captain succumbs to that adversary who
disarms alike the victor and the van
quished."
After referring to the virtues Of the de-
ceased lie continued: "But, If death be the
end, II the life of Burnes terminate upon
this bank and shoal of time, IL no morning
is to dawn upon the night in which he
sleeps, then sorrow has no consolation, and
this impressive and solemn ceremony,
which we observe to-day, has no moro sig
nifcance than the painted pageant of the
stage. III the existence of Burnes was but
troubled dream, his death oblivion, what
avails II that the Senate should pause TO re-
count his virtues? Neither vencration nor
reverence are due the dead II they aro but
dust, no cenotaph should be reared to pre-
serve for posterity the memory of their
achievements II those who come after them
are to be only their successors in annihila-
tion and extinction. If In this world only
we have hope and consciousness, duty must
be ehimera; our pleasures and our pas
sions should be the guides Of our conduct,
and virtue is indeed o superstition II life
ends at the grave. This Is the conclusion
which the philosophy of negation must ac-
cept at last. Such Is the felicity of those
degrading precepts which make the epitapf
| the end. T"