The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-15
A MODEST MAN.

DIR. Palmer recited an instance of DIR.
Axson's exceeding modesty. In 1885. while
| he was president of the seminary at Greens
| boro, Ga, he attended the commencement
Of the state university at Athens. After bis
arrival there he learned of the intention of
the trustees of comforting upon him the
title of doctor of divinity. So great was
ais modesty that be wrote q note TO the
chairman of the board, declining to accept
it, saying that he was unworthy of such an
elevation. The chairman went to
DIR. Palmer, who was there, ard
stated his quandary. As the trus-
tees had already voted the honor
to DR.. Arson and could not well withdraw
it DR.. Palmer pocketed the note and told
the chairman 60 go ahead and he would be
responsible. 1t was i'll this way that DR..
Arson received the title of D. ID. Finding
that the honor had actually been conferred
upon him he was so overcome that he took
his horse and left town the next morning
without waiting to receive his title.
A SANITY MAN.
DR.. Palmer spoke at length upon the
character Of DIR. Arson. He regarded him
one of the three saintliest mon he ever
knew. AS preacher he was prominently
Biblical and not philosophical. DR.. Palmer
added that IL he had chosen q text for his
sermon the first verse of the book OF job
would have been most appropriate:
There Was a man in the land of liz,
whose name was job; and that man was
perfect and upright. and one that feared
God and eschewed evil" Or the words of
Jesus of Nathaniel: IAN Israelite indeed
in whom Is no guile"
DR.. Palmer concluded by saying that
Savannah and the Independent Presbyte-
rian church owe debt to God for the pastor
with whom they had been blessed, which he
invoked it TO pay.
DIR. Dripps followed DR.. Palmer in
prayer, in which he thanked God that il
was possible to say such things of mortal
man and say them truly.
The "Hymn of the Homeland" was rem
dered by the choir, after which Rev. T. H.
Blenus announced the closing hymn.
The benediction was pronounced by Dr.
Dripps.
SKETCH OF DR.. PALMER.
DIR. Palmer Is southerner of the old
regime and q man of note In many respects.
His sermon upon DR.. Arson shows him to
have had considerable local connection with
Savannah. He was born in Charleston ON
Jan rs, 1878, and graduated at the Univer-
sity Of Georgia in 1888, aud at the Theo-
logical Seminary, Columbia, s. c., in lS41.
His first pastorate was at the First Pres
byterian church of this city. He became
its minister in l64l, and remained in Savan-
nah until lS43, when he accepted,a call to a
church in Columbia 8. c., remaining there
until December, 1856, when he went to his
present charge, the First Presbyterian
church of New Orleans Four years prior
to this, in 1852, Oglethorpe university, at
Milledgeville, conferred on him the title of
d. D!
DIR. Palmer's church is one of the largest
and most prominent in New Orleans, and
many strangers are in attendance every
Sunday anxious to hear the distinguished
divine. He was professor of church history
and polity in the Columbia g. c. rheologi~
cal Seminary. lS53,lS56, and was moderator
OF the first southern assembly, which met at
Augusta in 1861. He has declined professor
ships In several seminaries. and at different
times calls 30 churches in Macon, Charles
ton. Philadelphia. Baltimore and New
York. He is now director in the Southern
Presbyterian University at Clarksville,
and of Tulane University, at New Orleans
He has been for many years valued con-
tributor to church papers, and is the author
of a number of works.
DIR. Palmer will leave Savannah for his
home in New Orleans tomorrow morning.