Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-27

compllsn anything which seemed worth
record. Paul lived only little more
than sixty. but how many Methusalehs
would It take to make one Paul2 Who
would not rather have Pauls sixty years
than Methusaleh's nine hundred and
sixty-nine? Robert McCheyne died at
thirty years Of age and John Summer
field at twenty-seven years of age, but
neither earth nor Heaven will ever hear
the end of their usefulness. Longevity!
Why, an elephant can beat you at that,
for it lives a hundred and fifty and two
hundred years. Gray hairs are the bios
SONS of the tree of life If found in the
way Of righteousness, but the frosts of
the second death il found in the way of
sin.
One Of our able New York journals
last spring printed question and sent
it to many people and among others to
myself: Can the editor Of a secular
journal be Christian?" Some of the
newspapers answered, No. I answered,
Yes; and lest you may not understand
me l say, Yes, again. Summer before
last, riding with Mr.. Grady from re-
ligious meeting in Georgia on Sunday
night. he said to me some things which
l now reveal for the first time because it
is appropriate now that / reveal them.
He expressed his complete faith in the
! Gospel and expressed his astonishment
and his grief that in our day SO many
young men were rejecting Christianity.
From the earnestness and the tender
ness and the confidence with which he
spoke on these things I concluded that
when Henry W. Grady made public pro-
fession of his faith in Christ and took
his place at the holy communion in the
Methodist Church, he was honest and
| truly Christian. That conversation that
Sunday night, first in the carriage and
then resumed in the hotel, impressed
me in such way that when / simply
heard of his departure without .any of
the particulars, concluded that he was
ready to go. l warrant there was no
fright in the last exigency, but that he
found what is commonly called "the last
enemy" good friend, and from his
home on earth he went to home in
Heaven. Yes, Mr.. Grady not only de-
monstrated that an editor may be q
Christian, but that very great intellect
may be gospelized. His mental capacity
was 80 wonderful it was almost start
ling. have been with him in active
conversation while at the same time he
was debating to a stenographer eGito-
that intellect was not ashamed to bow
to Christ. Among his last dying utter
ances was request for the prayers of
the churches in his behalf.
There was that particular quality in
him that you do not find in moro than
one person out OF hundreds of thou
sands namely, personal magnetism.
People have tried to define that quality,
and always failed, yet we have all felt
its power. There are some persons who
have only to enter room or step upon
platform or into pulpit and you are
thrilled by their presence, and when
they speak your nature responds and
you cannot help it. What is the pecu-
liar influences with which such a mag
netic person takes hold of social groups
and audiences? Without attempting to
define this, which is indefnable, will
say that it seems to correspond to the
waves of air set in motion by the voice
or the movements of the body. Just
like that atmospheric vibration is the
moral orspiritual vibration which rolls
out from the soul of what we call mag
netic person. As there may be a cord
or rope binding bodies together, there
may be an invisible cord binding souls. |
A magnetic man throws it over others as |
q hunter throws lasso. Mr.. Grady was |
sureharged with this influence, and it |
was employed for patriotism and Chris |
tianity and elevated purposes.
You may not know why, in the conver
sation which had with Mr.. Gladstone |
o few weeks ago, he uttered these mem
orable words about Christianity, some !
of which were cabled to America. He |
was speaking in reply to this remark. |
I said: Mr.. Gladstone, we are told in |
America by some people that Christian
ity does very we'll for weak minded men /
and children in the infant class, but it /
is not fit for stronger minded men; but /
when we mention you, of such large in
tellectuality, as being pronounced |
friend of religion, we silence their bat
teries. Then Mr.. Gladstone stopped /
on the hillside where we were exercis- /
ing and said: The older grow, the
the more confirmed / am in my faith in
religion. Sir" said he, with flashing |
eye and uplifted Hand, talk about the
questions of the day, there is but one
question, and that is the Gospel. That
can and will correct everything. Do
you have any of that dreadful agnosti-
cism in America?" Having told him
we had, he went on to say: Il
am profoundly thankful that none
of my children or kindred have
been blasted by it. I am glad to
say that about all the men at the top in
Great Britain are Christians. why;
sir, he said, II have been in public
position fifty eight years, end forty
seven years in the Cabinet of tho British
and during those forty
seven years have been associated with
sixty of the master minds of the CEN
fury, and all but five Of the sixty were
Christians.
He then named the four leading
physicians and surgeons of his country,
calling them by name and remarking
upon the high qualities Of each of them T
md added: They are all thoroughly
Christian" My friends, think it will
be quite respectable for little longer
10 be the friends Of religion. William
3. Gladstone, q Christian; Henry w.
Grady, Christian. What the greatest
IF Englishmen said Of England is true
Of America and Of all Christendom.
The men at the top are the friends of
God and believers in the sanctities of
religion, the most eminent of the law
7ers, the most eminent Of the doctors,
he most eminent of the merchants, and
here are mo better men in all our land
han some of those who sit in editorial
,hairs. And if that does not correspond
With your acquaintanceship, am sorry
hat you have fallen into bad company.
In answer to the question put last
,pring, Can q secular journalist be q
Christian?' not only answer in the
but assert that SO great are