New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-06
FUNERAL ORATORY.
pry DIR. HALLS BEEoHER ADDRESS
A LETTER OF EXPLANATION AND COMMENT
FROM MR. R. W. RAYMOND,

upder the healing "what brooklyn Talks Of" pays
deserved tribute to the ability and popularity OF he
Rev Dr. Charles II. Hall, but adds with regard TO Dr.
Halls address at the funeral of Mr. Beecher Il an
sure that | only express the feeling OF all who hearh
n when say that the address was disappointment
- ,ras crrat OCCASION but, whether because over
come by his own emotions or for some other reason,
Dr. Hall did not rise to ~
What has made your contributor so sure that ne
sxpresses the feeling of 1900 other persons 10 NOT
know At all events, his assurance covers TOO much
Having boen one Of tha. audience and having MAO
peculiar opportunities for learning what impression
uns made by the address upon hundreds Of others
7 can only say that this solitary, bclated voice Is
| absoutely the first note OF dissatisfaction that has
EYER reached me from any quarter On tho contrary
both tho press and the social ut,crances OF ndVdu@h
have hitherto, so far as know been unanimous III
the verdict I'm which l heartily concur that THIS
address was, In thought, IN form and In htnes', n
masterpiece.
So much for dIvning other peoples opinions 1t
| is a somewhat 'perilous business Only few weeks
ago laundering reporter had plymouth Church IN
financial panic He seemed TO be sure that no eX'
pressed the state OF pockets. Now somebody else
Is that he expresses the state OF our MINDS but
your contributor doubtless expressed the state OF hs
own mind and Il Is not impossible that there may
be Others though happened 10 meet or hear OF
such who feel as he does. For oven IN such an
\
service Of Christian affection, sorrow gratitude and
hope there are always some who listen critically
and whose highest conception Of critic Is that he
always shows his superiority by being disappointed
Tho Tribune has lately done good work in calling
attention TO certain other vulgar fashions connected
| with the expression Of sorrow in bereavement and
trust It Will permit me TO take this alleged opinion
| that Mr. Bcechor's funeral was "a great OCCASION
and that DR.. Hall did not q rise to IT, as the hHt for
| few observations A funeral address dCers from
q memorial address or eulogy, in that It Is delivered
| In the presence Of tho dead. Any attempt on the
part Of the speaker to distinguish himself, 70 snatch
laurel for personal ambition nom the wreath upon
Tho coiHn-ld, T. grotesquely sbomlnabo. What may
be done with propro'y by the orator who pronounces
a set eulOsy OF some Eubscquent state occaS!on Is
utterly out Of place at funeral
| Nor can It be admitted that appeals to passion,
| Ike tho speech Of Antony over Caesar. or Bakcr
| over Frederick or Anarchist at the grave OF
| another arc worthy OF such an OCCASION They
do not rise to"it they drag It down. biographical
| sketch bringing up in loving remembrance he char
| actor and career Of the dead man, is Legitimate
| enough whom II Is feasible. But the physical I'M
possibility Of doing this IN the space OF a brief
address constituting part OF Ions service, for n
life aud a nature like Mr.. Bcechcrs, Is obvious
| The more dry catalogue Of his deeds distinctions
and qualities would have occupied NOR" than the
allotted time, adding merely another column To The
! hundreds
magazines. The who attempted such per
iormancc under the circumstances Of time and place
| would be rising 10 some other "Occasicn.7
Not uncommonly. funeral address IS a play upon
The emotions Of the hearers This Is lie favonte
practice Of second rate orators. and Il IS sometimes
regarded by the superficial observer a. an exhibition
| " the power Of clolaeIoe. have seen such per-
, fu-nanccs often enough. widows and mothers sob
bIng. While the complarcnt "pupItccr" piled on
tho agony and the chronic funeral coor enjoying
| hts pct sensation, wiped sympathetic eyes. Mt
Borcher use TO abhor ;he idea Of making people cry
| at funeral IL sad It cheap, unworthy
! trek Yet ! know there people who 70 to
funerals that they may ic made 10 weep. It Is their
mid spiritual upple. II they don't set II. they arc
.Ilsappolntcd- and think the mnlster did no. rise
! to the " occa.Ion."
Ma funeral service In Plymouth Church It would
have lcrn easy enough to bring the dch%. excited
! multitude into Mysteries. small man would have
done It. 1t required . great man not only 70 avoid
! but To prevent g. Whether Or. Hall was In danger
! Of being uvcrumc by hts own emotions, do not
| know Your contributor says that II he had laid
! aside his manuscript and sPohcu ogt Of the IuIheHs
! Of his heart hb words would have produced a
different cncct' Tho context shows that he means
norr desirable, and, Tor he reputation Il no
speaker, more clcditahlc. effect Against this sug-
gcsuon l must protest siLcc tn days o. Virgil.
the grratc,t orator IS 10 who diays. not he who
IL i. rasy Tor f' pa..on to sAe,Ie pSsson only
power can calm It, 10 poui tho flrlnoos Of = heart
further tic already hAli-dl,trao,d; To Apply e
supogluous pump 10 sVuuCug wells "i emotion no
Il no worthy rising 10 Tic coca ION IL !, ueh,
Goiiiug over and d,ulhlug tho Occssloa. Jr ""L
shuV Il exceptional commanding power IS W. As
drlrary 81 taste, Christian iu,St, AID tho IN
,tuct OF the artist, WIN avoiding cneSp snl vulgar
patAos, he ross Ia u.lgo ga Cont"mE 4isu I'M
Win similar Ln. -oted dlr,'turss Il. - so"m-
nifty did Mr. beee - speak =; The ~" :. io,sGS
G%s .S i.' dad aS man or draw ~a Doai was
the real orator Of the day the human speaker QUIZ
secured a silent boagiEg for him hr. hHocher >
greatness was nowhere more Conspicuous Sna ~
funeral addresses Infinitely Naios IN othos s;
to sorTvw without nnicung up0h uo totIdtv OK oi
rhetoric by uitug the mourncf 10 b. ;aer hlAhaPoh1
ana r,i %i is aSss but to the Seer Il is never
great a. II :rrms TO mako tho suffering see something
, large than tho occasion WAS Mr. Bcechers mohUl'
y To- do IL with unaffected simplicity was his manner
Nothing would have bcon moro incongrrohs man
grand effort ovor the bier OF this son OF consolation
And nothing could have been more hny ~ hNpihs
than the Nons which over that GuI face friendship
We, Inspired 10 utter have r"ld that address many
limos Gud always With Increasing admiration, WhIil
IN no Imitation OF Mr. Ee.chcI slyIe. ! y
| gclzIrg as It's text with the intuition Of perfect
sympathy, out Of all the great WORKS OF MT becchr
, , oG fccy cut q" his unfinished life Of Christi
4, sublime Wow Of that cternaly unfinished Nc which
: demands In every age now eiprrsSoni ana u IN
< rudes all other gifts, Distinctions aud services Of
Henry Ward BNcchor In this Supreme mission anu
honor that he one OF the glorious company oi Wy
Npos,ics that like Paul and John and Augustine aud
Luther he Interpreted that endless LATE In which
his life was hid that no made tho Inon OF his genera
; ton hear tho word Of Cod spOkcn In It's Americar
accent ,
This was Mr.. Dscchsr's own conception OF th'
central purpose and enduring work OF his life The
, ! statement Of would have been marrcd oven fo
merely critical car, by any recital Of oher leaunn
less sublime ard moro trunst"ry. How eloquent, tcar
loss generous forgvng patriotic, phllanthOpir; Why
cheerful, sensible, hcterUdOG, original, impblVe h'
was-theAe things had been abundanuy tod Already
Tho one thing that dominated, hArm3nnc9 anI OK
, planned them all NODDED 10 be set forth and made
stand by Itself Two completing touches only could i
+ hcaT-aud these gwen with q masters hAla
dgnlnci and sympathcuc aIluslon u the great trouble
through which Mr.. Brechnr was osl!od 70 pass, AM
then that exquisite picture Of him leaving his chnct
for tho last tlmc, with his arms about mo chlldel
. Mnrnrh hnd the Mmrll II lnAIAMLN COnLrmrl