Middletown transcript., 1893-02-04
WASHINGTON AND BLAINE.
THE SCENES AND SERVICES IN THE
CHURCH OF THE COVENANT.


Mrs. Blaine Don't Want any Official
/ Notice Taken of the Funeral Except
What is Absolutely Necessary
A Memorial at the National
Capitol.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, FEB. 3, 1898.
The solemn tolIing of the big bell in
the tower which surmouuts the Church
of the covenant tells the sympathizing
thousands who crowd the streets ada
cent thereto that the remains of Amer
ica's greatest tatesman-James Gill
lespe Blaine-have left the house in
which he made such brave fight
against death. Slowly, slowly the fu-
neral co:tege moves through the vast
sea OF sympathetic faces, every head
uncovered and reverently bowed and
every heart throbbing with the same
sympathy that is felt by every patriotic
American. At the door of the church
the transformations black casket--an
almost exact duplicate of the one in
which Mrs. Harrison was 50 lately car
ried to her last resting place-was car
ried within by loving hands and care
fully deposited on the velvit covered
,lais. In the congregation which filed
every inch of available space we're the
most prominent representatives of
every profession and calling, conspicu-
Gus among them being the President and
bis entire Cabinet, and the legations Of
every foreign government represented
at Washington. The services were of
the simplest, no singing, no music ex-
cept dirge upon the organ, played by
Mr.. Walter Damrosch, Mr.. Blaine's
Son-in-law, and no sermon; nothing
but the reading of the Presbyterian
burial ritual, and prayer by DR.. Ham
lin, the pastor of the church.
1t was proposed to give the dead
statesman grand public funeral in
the Capitol building, but at the request
of The family, the idea was abandoned.
Mrs. Blaine also requested that no
further official notice of the death be
taken by the National Government
than was absolutely necessary, and that
the mourning now on the State Depart
nent on account of the death of Ex-
President Hayes should be removed
at the expiration of thirty days, just as
would have been done had Mr.. Blaine
not died; and her wishes will be re-
spected in that as they were regarding
the funeral.
From the Church of the Covenant to
Oak Hall cemetery where the interment
was made. beside the grave of his fa-
vorite son, Walker, from the effects Of
whose death Mr.. Blaine never entirely
recovered, is something more than a
mile, but the crowd which followed
the procession, on foot, cared nothing
for that; they we're there TO do honor
to the man they loved, and had it been
twenty miles they would have followed
that casket to its final resting place.
And who doubts that in after years,
when the United States shall have.
reached the grandeur which was so
plainly visible to the prophetic eyes Of
Mr. Blaine,it will be considered great
honor in thousands of families TO be
able to say: ''My father or my grand
father, or my great-grandfather, saw
Mr.. Blaine buried2" Not l.
Already there is much talk of
a movement for the erection of a grand
monument at the Capital of the ma
tion he did SO much for, in honor of
Mr.. Blaine, and there is little doubt
that in due course of time such mt-
mortal in bronze or stone, will soon be
ereci ed; But Mr.. Blaine will have
in the history of his country
that will last as long as the world it.
self. His great work in behalf of his
country is already as well recognized |
by his politiial opponents as by his fol-
lowers, as was shown by the following
telegram to his widow, from Mr.. /
Cleveland: His brilliant statesman
ship will always be an inspiration TO
the nation he has served 50 long and
50 we'll. Permit me to extend my syn
pathy on the death Of your distin-
yuished husband"