The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-12
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS.
The Rev. Dr. Moses ID. Hoge's Recoiiec-
tious Prom Acquaintance.

Quoted by Dr. Moses ~. ftogp. ionS ottvt'
the hour for the opening Of the services ha'
arrived eager feet We're pressing into th
church. and by IL O'Clock, the hour for th'
address to begin, the spacious edliice wa
crowded from pit 10 dome, and hundreds o
people stood in the aisles and around th'
doors, such was their eagerness 10 hear th'
distinguished divine. X. +. Lee Camp at
tended the church in body. in uniform
| The ministers from the other Presbyterian
churches Rev. Messrs. Stewart. Gam
mon. Fair and Campbell occupied seats on
the pulpit. Promptly at ~ O'Clock the ser
vices began, and, after the opening eNer
cises. Or. Hoge arose and spoke as follows
Every congregation assembled in oul
churches I'm these southern states to-da,
form part OF the vast multitude which
unites In mind and heart with the solemn
assembly I'm New orleans, where, In the pre-
sencc Of the dead, the funeral services are IN
progress at this hour. There, all that Is most
lender and most impressive centres, and II
becomes all who compose these outlying
congregations to feel and act In sympathy
witl what Is now passing In the sal br
quee,ly city which guards the gates OF tht
| Mississippi, I'm the church draped IN sable
and where the bercayed sit beside the pail
win hearts filled with sorrow which nc
outward embems OF mourning can express
five place ourselves In sympathy With IN.
emotion which concentres there. and which
radlates Ia the wide circumference OF the
most radiant congregations uniting In these
Ohsequies. then how evident 10 Il that politt'
cal haangues and discussions calculated 20
excite sectional animOsities are utterly IN
appropriate 10 the hour. 10 Is not toe Office
OF the minister OF religion To deal cOntroNer-
sally with the irritating subjects which
awakens party strife. IL Is his duty and
privilege to soften asperities, 10 recon
ellie antagOnistic elements, TO plead for mu-
tual forbcarance, 10 urge sucn devotion 10
the common veal rs 10 btlngall The people,
North south, East, and West into hafmo-
NOUS relations with each other. so as q COM
bine all the resources of the entire country
into unity of effort for the welfare OF the
whole. trust this will be the tone and spirit
OF all the addr s,es made IN the churches to-
hoy throughout the south and may not
tOpe that "a there are no geographical bound
ar IS 10 ne qualities nHich cOnsfHnc moot
manhood. such ms courage, tenervslty;
fOrtitude, and personal honor, there VIII
by many In the Northern and Western
states who will be In sympathy with the
culogies which will be pronounced to-day by
the speakers who hold up to view those char-
actaristics OF their dead entertain whlch nave
always commanded the admiration VI right
minded and right-hearted men IN al lands
and I'm all centuries. -
The dny is coming when the question will
not relate so much To the color OF the unl-
form, blue or gray. as to the character Of the
men who wore II: when the questi m WI be,
who were most loyal TO whnt they believed
10 be duty, who were most dauntless III uhn-
ger, who most sublime In self-sacrilcc. who
illustrated most splendi1ly the IDEAL ol Va"
patriot sO!dicr2
Before the commencement OF the strife
which ended I'm the dismembermenl ol lhe
Union. all men familiar with the lie OF fMr.
Davis. " neither as cadet ~ West fOint, as n
soldier In the Mexican war, as the Governor
Of his adopted state. as member of the : Sen-
ate OF OftheUnitedStates,ag agree In regarding MIN
rs entitled To the reputation he won as n
gallant officer and n patriotic statesman.
After the organization OF the southern Con-
fedefacy. whnteyer conflicting views mon
may ent ertain with regard 10 the righteous
ness Of the part he took In It's formation. OF
as TO the wisdom of his cause as It's Chlei
Magistrate. all alike admit the sincerity aud
the courage OF his convictions. and the 10
domitable resolution with which he carried
out his plans with "A cision that nothing
could shake. and with adevotion that sought
NOTHING for self, but every thlng FOR the sue
cess Of the cause TO which he had consecrnted
his life.
This leads To the inquiry as to the qualities
and attributes which constitute the patriot
statesman, the statesman needed FOR al
times bu. more especially for our own day
aud country. rhe opinion has been recently
EXPRESSED by men whose Words have great
weight. that our legislative bodies should be
composed for the most part of ptact-
cal business men. thoroughly acqunini
Ell with the trade. tile commerce.
and the financial interest OF the country.
with n single qualification no one VIII con-
tr, vert the truth OF that statement, hut tnkeii
alone IL is an imperfect enuncatiOn oi the
reuuirements OF legislation. Associated with
men. no matter how conyersaDt with the
commercial interests OF the country, we neFd
legislator who are profound STUDENTS OF MS
tory. philosophy and ethics; men VINO nave
haltime and opportunities for Thought ahd
for the thorough Investigation Of the princi-
pies Of government. / heard Lord raj
merstOn say IN the speech he Delivered AT
his Inauguration rs Lord Rector Of the UNI
yersity Of Glasgow that the dliierthcf De,
tween the statesmen OF Great Britain ana
France was owing To the fact that the latter
had been trained only In the exact sciences,
while the former had been drill.d IN meta
physics and moral philosophy, ana the re-
suit was that while French legislative assem-
blies had been filled with brilliant politicians
the British Parliament had been grlced and
dignified by men OF the stamp of burke and
Chatham and Fox and Peel and Canning.
Who were the men who framed the gov
ernment under which we live? VINO wrote
the mastery Sta'c papers which excited tho
wonder and admiration of the hest thinkers
of the Old World VINO wrote tho Declnra-
tiou Of Independence aud the constitution,
which brought into union the independent
colonial sovereignties?. Who built up our
system Of Jurisprudence, combining the
merits of Roman civil law and English com
mon lave An Of fhem students; men VINO
under the shade of their ancestral lrees IN
homes had spent their lives IN prOfOund re-
searches info the principles upon which Just
government is founded, and then were capa-
bic Of celebrating and bringing ln'o success
ful operation the wifest fOfm of government
inc world ever knew. Never were statesmen
OF this type so much recdcd In our nntionni
councils as now.
Then add. the statesman required for the
times Is one who has the courage anh the
ability 10 lead public opinion I'm ways that
are right Instead Of waiting 10 ntceriain the
popular DRIFT, no matter how base, that ne
may seriously follow IL. Unlike the p9pu
Iarity hunter who never asks what Is Just,
but what is polite, and then trims his sllis
so as TO catch every breeze OF public favOr,
the upright statesman steers diiectly Tor the
port Of duty, IN straight line, III Whlch no
detection can be traced, and holds MS course
i'm the very teeth of the gale. Wnlle thf
demagogue alares attempt nothing. no matter
how noble which might cndanser MS pDpi-
lnrity the patriot statesman when assali'u
by OblOquy is not greatly troubled thcIepy'
but calmly waits for the verdict Of Time. the
great yindicatOr.
When the path OF duty becomes the path
of danger, the upright statesman II not IN
timldaied, but remains nrm us tne fock Ill
the mid ocean, against which the lnNahlnH
wave, beat only TO be snivered INTO spray.
While the tricky demagogue spends all his
energies In directing the tactics ~ party
the broad -mInded statesman nspires 10 Duiiu
up a noble Commonwealth. anu iises above
afl that Is selfish ana mean, pecause tnt chu-
he aims al are those OF country. God, and
truth Men OF great gifts often fail In puDnt
life because they lack the moral OASIS OF
which character alone can stand. Aitef ali
infe1rfy is one of the strongest OF Twins
forces. and what the people seek when thei
rights are imperilled is not so mucn iof mel
| OF brilliant talents az for leaders whose chle
characteristics are untarnished honor, incoi
ruptible honesty, and the courage 10 90 righ
at any hazard. -. ,.,..., a.,
Another of the lessons we have from IN
eyentfnl life Just terminated ls the empti
ness and vanity OF earthly glory II !, ps IN
only prize for which the soul hss contended
AS for man his days are as grass. lie G pinet
| forth Ike a flower; In the morning 10 growei
nm and fiourisheJh; In the evening II ~ ca
down and witherith. surely man AT ms Der
| estate is altogether vanity. Wealth, honoi
| % Jwer, military renown. pOpularity-the cor
stituent elements OF what men ear gi0y
how evanescent they are ana now uhsa.i'
| factory while they continue what is eaIli
Iy glory. Oftentimes IL Is the most impre'
sive emblem II the bloody banner whose ~ ~
tered folds bear mournful evidence OF tI
nrice at which victory Is won- IL Is u
mouldering hatchment which hangs nDoN
the tomb OF the dead warrior. IL istne pos
humous renown which stirs NOT ohe seer
emotion In the b -art which lesstiii ana ch'
In the coffin. and whose music never pen
trates the dull cold ear Of death: Wnat
earthly glory? Listen: All nssh ~ sf'
and all the glory Of man is tpe mower ~ ~ u
I grass: the grass withereth ana tne now
thereof passeth away. "lEe "iup P"sso
over IL and it is gone"
| Very beautiful was he testimony OF one