Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-05-16

| began in the Senate and the doors lead
ing to the marble room were closed to
visitors.
The chamber was arrayed for the
ceremonies in the usual mamer-seats
being arrayed for the Cabinet, the Su-
preme Court, the House of Representa-
tives, the general commanding the
army, the diplomatic corps, the senior
admiral of the navy, and the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia.
The chair occupied last Friday by the
dead Senator was draped i'll black.
There was large attendance Of spec
tators in the galleries. The Chaplain's
opening prayer had only one direct al
fusion to the occasional rendering OF
thanks for the true and faithful life
spared so long"
Immediately after the journal of Fri
day last was read, Mr.. kcnna rose
and said:
Mr.. President In the absence Ton
account of sickness ofthe Senator from
Virginia, Mr.. Daniel, it becomes my
painful duty to announce to the Senate
the death of Hon. John S. Barbour, a
late eminent member of this body from
that State. Apparently in the full and
healthful possession of every normal
faculty, he was among us on Friday in
the active and Jealous discharge ofpub-
lie duty. Even beyond the allotted
time of threc-scorc-and-tcn, he crossed
this Threshold on Friday afternoon
seeming in vigorous health, his last
days labor unconsciously performed.
At 10 o'clock, in the closing hour of
that day. he retired to his room, the
embodiment and type and perfection,
as far as human eye could see, of ply
steal manhood. On Saturday morning,
at the age of II years and months, ut
the hour of $50 o'clock, with only Il
word of admonition to those who ai-
fectionatcly surrounded him at his
home in this city, John S. Barbour
passed away. Mr.. President, i'll this
second sudden visitation OF Providence,
in the present session of the Senate,
we recognize power in whose inscrut-
able wisdom we were born to live, and
i'll the presence Of whose unchallengc-
able majesty we were born to die. The
death of Mr. Barbour is n great grief TO
his household, calamity to his friends.
1t has come as y personal ahliction to
his late comrades in the public service
here. His State will exhibit, i'll the
bereavement of her people, a realiza-
ton of the full measure of her loss, and
his country, by the obscrvances in which
the States by their accredited represen-
tativcs are soon to take part, will ac-
/
citation of this melancholy event.
And yet, Mr.. President, speak
ing for myself and making frank
expression of the inspiration Of which
this solemn occasion possesses me, |
have felt las the associate and neighbor
and friend of Mr.. BarbouT that memo
rics of his private virtues and public
career, elevated, and clean and noble
as they were, gives back, at least in
some degree, Il compensation from the
grave. They soften, by the sweet in
ilucnces which radiatc from the con.
seriousness OF g life well spent, the as
perities of GRIFFIN which nature is prone
to indulge on occasions like this. This
death is to my mind the gathering of
ripened fruit, the garnering OF the sheaf
in the full measure of its golden ma
tllrity. John S. Barbour was, i'll all
the relations of this world, an elevated
character and an upright man. His
sterling qualities of mind and heart
bare practical fruit. His genius for af-
fairs made monuments in the business
and public works of men, rs, in a mar
rover sphere, his humanity made graf
itudes which will follow him, like
angels guarding to the tomb.
When the Senate, as is its Gus
tom, shall have set apart a day to
be devoted to the recounting OF his
manly virtues, and the exhibition of
the elements of his lofty character, it
will be seen of all that his traits were
above those of most of his fellow men
that he was useful and valuable to his
country and his countrymen that he
practiced justice and fair dealing that
he was imbued with a love of right
that he gave example worthy of emulas
ton by youth rs well as by age and
that he moved and had his being with
out ostentation or even form, i'll the
reverence and vcnerntlon OF his God.
Mr.. Kenna closed by offering the
usual resolutions of sorrow and respect,
and for the appointment of commit
tee to accompany the remains to their
last resting place at Poplar Hill, Md.
The resolutions were adopted and
the following Senators were appointed
as the committee Mcssrs. Daniel,
Kenna, German, Walthall, Calisle,
Stewart, McNiillin Cullom and Wash
burn. The Senate then took recess
till 1880.
When the Senate reconvened the
crowds had filled all the galleries except
the diplomatic gallery, which, as usual,
was left without single occupant. On
the clerks desk were two gilt candelab-
IA, IN each of which were three light
ed Candles and between them stood
brass crucitix about IS inches high-bc-
cause, although the dead Senator was
not protesting member of any church
denomination, his wife had been Cath
Ole and the religious ceremonies were
TO be conducted tat the request of the
family by Bishop Keane, rector of the
Catholic University. This was tho first
occasion in the memory of the oldest of
ficers of the Senate and perhaps, in fact,
when Catholic clergy officiated in such |
manner in the Senate. That fact had
much to do with the presence of such a
large concourse of spectators. AT five |
minutes before one, Capt. Bassett the