Wichita eagle., 1889-03-20
AN ELOQUENT TRIBUTE.
Senator Ingalls, Euiogy on tho Late Rep
resentative Burnes, of Missouri

senator ingalls, EuioSy on tho Late Rep
resentative Burnes, of Missouri
These are the eliminating hours of the
! closing scene IN the drama OF our National
/ life. When this oay week returns one politi-
! cal party will relinqu!sh and another assume
| the executive functions of Government. On
! every hand are viaibse the preparations to
WELCOME the coming and. speed the part
/ ing guest" :" Events Of great pith and
moment" are awaiting on the event of the
/ brief interval. While pleasure wanders
/ restlessly through the corridors Of the Cap
itol, hope and fear, ambition, cupidity and
revenge sit in the galleries or stand at the
/ gates eager Qike the dying Elizabeth) to ex-
/ change millions Of money for that inch of
time on which success or failure, wealth or
perjury, honor or obloquy depend At this
crisis and juncture, when every instant is
/ priceless, the Senate, resisting every in
ducement and solicitation, proceeds by
unanimous consent to consider resolu tons
of the highest privilege. reported from
no committee, having no place on
any calendar, but which take precedence
of unfinished business" and especial or
ders," on which the yeas and nays are
never called. and on which no negative
vote has ever been recorded, and reverent
~ pauses in obedience to the hottest i'm
pulses of human nature to contemplate the
profoundest mystery Of human destiny
the mystery Of death. In the democracy
of death all men at least are equal. There
rs neither rank, nor station, nor prerogar
tive in the republic of the grave.
At that fatal threshold the philosopher
ceases to be wise and the song of the poet
is silent. At that fatal threshold Dives re-
iinQuisbes his millions and Lazarus his
rags. The poor man is as rich as the richest
and the rich man is as poor as the pauper.
The creditor loses his usury and the debtor
is acquitted of his obligations. Tie proud
man surrendcrs his dignity, the politician
his honors, the wording his pleasures.
James Nelson Eurnes, whose life and
virtues we commemorate today, 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 couutenance, from
which for the first time IN so many years.
no glance of friendly recognition nor word
Of welcome came, ! reflected upon
the impenetrable and insoluble mystery
of death. But IL death be the end, il the
life Of Burnes terminated upon ''this bank
and shoal Of time" II no morning IS dawn
upon the night in which he sleeps, then
sorrow has no consolation, ana this i'm
pressive and solemn ceremony which we
observe to-day has no more Significance
than the painted pageant Of the stage. If
the existence OF B1rues was but troubled
dream, his death oblivion, what svails IL
that the Senate should pause TO recount his
virtuesi Neither veneration nof reverence
is due the dead if they are but dust; no
cenotaph should be reared 70 preserve for
posterity the memory of their achieve
meuts If those who come af.er them are TO
be only their successors in humiliation and
extinction. II In this world only we have
hope and consciousness duty must be chin
era; our pleasures and our passions should
be the guides Of conduct, and vfrtQe Is IL
deed a superstition If life ends az the grave
This IS the conclusion which the philosophy
Of negation must accept a. last Such IS TIC
felicity Of those degrading preeepts which
make the epitsph the end. II the life Of
Burnes IL as taper that Is burned cut
then we treasure his memory and his en-
ample In vain, and the latest prayer Of his
departing spirit has no more sanctzfy 70 us,
who soon or late nus. follow him, than the
whisper Of winds that str tie leaves az the |
protesting forest or The parngr OF the |
waves tha. break upon tie complaining |
shore.