Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-04-29

The orator pays tribute to tn
virtues OF tho poet at Camden, Ne'
Jersey. Colonel lngersoll spoke il
part thus:
Again in the mystery OF life mr.
We brought face to face with the grca
mystery of death. A great man,
great American, one of tho eminen
citizens OF this republic is dead be
fore us. And we have met to pay I
tribute to lis greatness and worth
/ know that he needs no words oil
mine. His fame is secure. He laid
the foundations OF it deep in the hui
man heart. He was, above all that |
have known, the poet OF humanity, OF
sympathy. Great he wss--so grea,
that he rose above the greatness that
he met without arrogance, and so
great that he stopped to the lowest
without condcnscension. He never
claimed to DO lower or greater than
any other Of the sons OF men. He
came into our generation free, un.
trammoled spirit with sympathy for
all.
His arm was beneath the form OF
the sick. He sympath,xed with the
imprisoned and despised and even on
the brow OF crime he was great enough
to place the kiss Of human sympathy.
One OF our greatest lines in our liter.
AZURE is his speaking OF an outcast
and the line is great enough to do
honor to the greatest genius that has
ever lived. He said: "Not until the
sun excludes will ! exclude" A
charity a. wide as the sky and wher-
ever there was human suffering, hu-
man misfortune, the sympathy Of
Whitman bent above it as the firm.
anent bends above this earth.
He was the poet also of that divine
democracy that gives equal rights to
tho sons and daughters OF men. He
uttered the great American voice,
uttered q song worthy of the grea,
republic. Hc has uttered more su-
preme words than any other writer OF
our century, and possibly Of almost
any other. He was above all things
man, and above all genius, above
all the snow capped peaks Of inteli-
gence, above all OF art, arises the
true man--greater than all. He was
true man, and he walked among
his fellow men as such. He accepted
and absorbed all theories, all creeds,
all religions, and believed ia none.
He had philosophy and religion Of
his own, broader, as he believed
and rs believe--than others. He
was willing that all the SONS of men
should be absolutely acquainted with
his heart aud brain. He was not
afraid to speak his thought. Neither
was he afraid to die. For many years
he and death lived near neighbors.
lie was always willing and ready to
meet and greet this thing called
death. And for many months he sat
in tha twilight waiting for night. In
his brain were blessed memories OF
the day and 10 bis heart were mingled
the dawn and the dusk OF life. He
was not afrsid--oheerfu every mo
ment, the laughing nymphs of day
did not desert him. They remained
that they might clasp the hand OF the
yelled and silent sisters of night
when they should scome and when
they did come. Walt Whitman
stretched out his hands to both, day
on one side, the nymphs of day; and
on the other, the silent sisters OF the
night. And so, hand in hand midway
between smiles aud tears he reached
HIS journeys end. From the frontier
OF life; from the Western wave kissed
shore he sent us messages OF content
and hope. Aud those messages seem
now like strains Of music blown by
the mystic trumpets from deaths
pale realm.
To day we give back to mother
nature, 10 her clasp and kiss, one of
the braves,, sweetest souls that ever
lived in human clay. And | thank
him for the brave words be had said
on the subject of death. Since he
had lived, death is less fearful than
he was before, and thousands and
millions will walk down into the dark
valley Of the shadow holding Walt
Whitman by the hand long after we
are dead. The brave words he has
spoken will be trumpets to the dying
I l.. al Il