The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-03-07
sTAUNTON. VIRGINIA. MARCH Z, 1889.
ingalls, Idea Of Death.

ingalls, Idea Of Death
Ga the 25th the death of Representative
Barns was announced in the Senate il
formal manner, and the usual tributes o
respect shown the deceased. After Mr.
Cockrell of Mo-, had spoken, Senate
ingalls,, of Kansas, followed. lie said
These are the eliminating hours of
closing scene in The. drama of our nationa
life, When this day week returns one pos
litical party viii relinquish another assume
the executive functions of government,
On every hand are visible the preparations
to welcome the coming and speed the
parting guest. Events Of great pith and
moment are waiting the brief interval.
While pleasure Wanders restessly through
the corridors of til e capitol, hope and fear
and ambition, cup idity and revenge sit in
the ga leries or stand at the gates eager.
like the dying Elizabeth, to exeh ange mil
lions Of money for that inch of time on
which success OF failure. wealth or pam
ury, honor or obloquy depend At this
crisis or juDcture. when every instant is
priceless, the Senate, resisting every in.
ducement and solicitation, proceeds by
unanimous consent to consider resolutions
OF the highest privilege. reported from 30
COMMITTEE, having place on any calendar,
but which takes precedence Of .'untin ished
business and especial business and
special orders on which the yeas and
nays are never called and on which no
| negative vote has ever been recorded, and
reVerently pauses in obedience to the ho-
liest impulses of human nature to con-
template the profoudest mystery of hui
man destiny. the mystery of DEATH In
the democracy Of death, all men at least
are equal. There is neither rank nor sta
tlon, nor pferogative in the public of the
grave. AT that fatal threshold the philos.
opher ceases to be wise and the song of
The poet is silent, At that fatal threshold
Dives reIinquished his millions and Laza-
rus bis rags. The poor man is as rich as
the ichest, and the rich man is as poor as
the pauper. The creditor loses his usury
and the debtor is acquitted of his obliga-
tion. The proud man surrenders his dig !
nifty, the politician gives no glance of |
friendly recogn ition, no word of welcome,
reflected upon the impenetrable mystery
Of death. But if death be the end, if the |
life of Burns terminated upon this bank |
and shoal Of time" if no morning is to |
dawn upon him after the night in which /
he sleeps, then sorrow has no consolation |
and this impressive and oolemn ceremony,
OF which we observe to day, has no more
significance than the painted pageant of |
the stage. If the existence of Burns was /
but a troubled dream. his death oblivion,
what avails it that the Senate should pause
to recount his virtues? Neither venera-
ton nor reverence is due the dead if |
they are but dust. No cenotaph should be !
reared to preserve for posterity the mem
ory OF their achievements, if those who
come after them are only to be their sue
cessors in humiliation and extinction.
If i'll this world only we have hope and
consciousness duty must be a chimera:
our pleasures and our passions should be
the guides of conduct, and virture is in
deed a superstition if life ends his honors,
the worldly man his pleasures. Here the
invalid needs no physician, and the laborer
rests from unreQuitted toll. Here, at
least, is natures final decree in equity
The irony of fate is refuted', the wrongs
Of time are redressed, and injustice is ex-
plated. The unequal distribution of
wealth, of honor, capacity, pleasure and
opportunity, which made life so cruel and
inexplicaole tragedy. ceases in the realm
of death. The strongest has there no su
premacy and the weakest needs no defence.
The mightie8t captain succumbs to that |
inyincible adversary who disarms alike
the victor and the vauquisbed.
james Nelson Burnes. whose life and |
virtues we commemorate to-day, was
man whom Plutarch might have described
and Vandyke portrayed massive, rugged
and robust, in motion slow. in speech
serious and deliberate, grave in aspect,
serious in demeanor, of antique and heroic
mold, the incarnation of force, as looked
for the last time upon that countenance
from which for the first time in SO many
years at the grave. There is conclusion
which the philosophy of negation must
accept at last, Such is the felicity of
those degrading precepts which make the
epitaph useless. If the life of Burnes is
taper that burned out. then we treasure
his memory and his example 10 vain, and
the latest prayer Of his departing spirit
has no more sanctity to us who soon or
late must follow him, than the whisper of
winds that stir the leaves of the protest.
ing forest, or the murmur of waves that
break upon the complaining shore.
Eulogies were also pronounced by Sena-
tors Voorhees,, Hale, Hampton, Coke and
Vest, after which the resolutions were
adopted unanimously and the at 4:25 p, m.
adjourned until Il a. N. tomorrow.
Young ladies, On the eve of marriage,
now give ''spinster dinners" at which fe-
male friends only are entertained. They
are allowed to talk of every thing, and
never fail to mention the numerous cura-
tive benefits Of Dir. Bulls Cough Syrup,
that cures all coughs, colds bronchitis,
Group and sore throat.
Centrevile Items.
reported for the VIRGINIAN.
On the 14th ult., Mrs. Marshall, wife of
VIM. Marshall, Esq, departed this life af-
ter lingering illness, and was buried at
Messy Creek, the Rev. Mr.. Paul preaching
the funeral.
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