The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-23
GARLAND OF GLORY
Is Laid on the Grave Of
James Ct. Blaine
BY THE STATE LEGISLATORS.
Touching Memorial Services at the
CapitoI-A Beautiful Invocation
and a Stirring Address.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

TO honor the memory and pay tribute to
the work and character of James q. Blaine.
Elaborate preparations had been under
way for week past by a joint committee
appointed from each House TO have such
ceremonies as would be a fitting tribute TO
the dead statesman.
The committee was constituted as fol-
lows: Senators Maher, GesfOrd and Flint;
Assemblymen Finlayson, Lynch and Buck
Eey.
The memorial services were held in the
Assembly chamber at 1920 o'clock this
morning. The room had been darkened and
draped in the morning and chairs had been
placed for 1000 people. They were all filed
by the legislators and their families, and
the residents of Sacramento.
. Senator Carpenter, President pro tenn. OF
the Senate. presided, and after IAN excellent
orchestra had rendered ChOpin's funeral
march be announced that the occasion OF
the gathering was to hold fitting memorial
services in concentration Of the death OF
James G. Blaine.
.Assemblyman FinIayson then read the
following resolution, which was adopted by
q rising vote of the two houses:
WHEREAS, The people Of California have
Heard with profound regret the announcement
Of the death OF that lllnstri0us American CITIZEN
lie hon. James G. Blaine; therefore be II
Rcsolred, That the members OF the Legislature
Of this commonwealth. in joint convention as
sembIed, do express their sense Of the natOna;
loss sustained and their estimate OF the private
character and public service Of the peerless
statesman 10 Ibis tribute to his memory. James
G.. Blaine was the ideal American statesman.
His mental grasp OF public questions was uu-
eQualed, ana his sympathes Ike his patriotism,
ava sd nd We q
years Of almost continuous public life, embrac-
ing 10 Its measure the duties of a legislator in
TIE state Of Blaine, services In both eOuSes 0
Congress and positions Ia the Cabinet OF the
United 5 ates bis consistent and able support OF
every leading proposition tending 10 The adj
vaDeemeHt OF this country 10 the highest posi-
. ton among tie renowned nations OF the
world won for him recognition reserved only
for the greatest Of men. DiliGent study, ample
resources OF intellect, and above all, an alert
ssense Of PATRIOTISM enabled him 10 comprehend,
long before the clay was removed from the eyes
Of other stat smeD, that unresirlc ed immigra-
lion from STA TO his aad would inevitably
degrade American labor on the Pacific Coast,
and with tie ready courage Of his conviction he
fought IN the minority for tie industrial suprem-
acy Of the Caucasian race. Ills superb service
rendered in hat recent Struggle for human CIV
ilizaIi0n Will ever be remembered by a grateful
people IN California Noicing the sentiments Of
Tie people OF California We eA l6SS our profound
req Ell over the loss OF this illustrIOus American
statesman. and express the hope that his ex-
ample OF fidelity 10 free Institutions viii speak 10
future generations
To tie family OF the lamented statesman we
fender sincere sympathy in their bereavement.
Hud as al expression Of our feeling it is directed
that cory OF The memorial be transmitted 10
Mrs Blaine.
a male choir of eighteen voices selected
from the Sacramento Choral Society accom-
panied ". II. Knross in the beautiful
hymn. He Is Not Dead. but Sleepeth."
The singing was followed by an eloquent
and touchingly beautiful invocation by
Rabbi J. Leonard Levy of Sacra meDtO. II
was as follows:
Almighty God and Fatherl Thou art the first,
ard thou AIT the last. and beside thee theie is
10 God. Wherever we turn our eyes, or bid our
thoughts take flight, there art thou. here In Thy
maj sly. there Ia Thy power everywhere in thy
love. Whether we gaze aGOIingly on The heav-
ems fretled with golden FIRE, or on the tiny blade
Of grass seeking tie suns rays aud the refresh
ing bFeeZes; whether We stand amazed by the
vast ocean, when lis angry waves are dashed
futO a fury by The tempest, by the puTlng
brook on whose bosom plays the dainty ripple;
whether we listen UYerawed to the far-Iesound-
isg peal Of tie hunder. or 10 The gentle Tustling
"a TIC RAVES Wlicu tue SBhliiciu Lcfu1I uidktS
Tie trees clap their hands" whether We contem-
plate Tie forest giant adorned with a crown Of
foliage, or The tiny petal OF the rose begemmed
with the gslenlng dewdroD; or whether We feel
Thy presence IN public and private joys and sOr-
rows, We are always impressed that thou alone
art God, and thou art forever the same, that thy
years end not. that with thee majesty, power
and love are eternal
Contrasting these. Thy Infinite qualities, with
The transient character OF mans days on earth.
we are led to ask: Lord, what is man that
thou art mindful OF him. The son of man that
thou takest heed of him ?" On the side OF his
physical nature be is like the beasts that perish;
bat on the side Of bis spiritual nature. since he
partakes OF thy divine essence. he is little less
than the angel, endowed with aspirations and
loneingS, yearnings and desires. that indicate
that lie is not wholly Of this earth.
Lord God, We invoke Thy help that these crav~
ings be rightly directed. We pray that more and
more our natures be awakened 10 The force Of
the reasonable hope OF that life when. Invested
Of our earthly bodies. We shall awaken in thy
presence, perhaps 10 see the deeds done IN our
days OF nature in their right light, perhaps 10
analyZe the motives Will which We performed
them
We fecognZ that there is also an Immortality
on earth for Thy children, o God We feel that
IL largely depends or han himself whether his
name be Inscribed CD shifting sand or on i'm
EtIisDdBiH iDhfDles that II 0eDbDuS on US alone,
and upon the right use made Of our faculties and
the means at our disposal, whether. when we lie
In The silent grave, when the tombstone has
erumbed into dust as our bodies, and the grass
theIeabUuts has witbered, and the banks OF
flowers faded-whetber our names be forgotten
Oh HE tongues OF men, whether ike balloons
with which children play, death makes a pune
tuTe IN us and, failing into nothingneSs, we be
entirely gone fOreYer-Or whether we shall have
gotten for ourselves a name which death cannot
touch, which age cannot Impair, which clouds
cannot conceal. nor storms blight.
Help Us, o God, to strive for this Immortality
on earth, even as We desire eternal life with
thee. Send US thy light and thy truth, and may
they restrain our selfish passions ana inspire us
with generous sentiments Teach US 10 feel that
the elixir Of eternal lie is specific composed
OF beneyoence, sincerity and unselishness, 10
be used not only toward those OF ouT own creed.
race and position, but toward all men, for we are
all thy children.
We thank thee for this hope within our
breasts, and for the possibility OF its fu fIlnent
We thank thee for the many examples which
thou hast furnished US IN the form of ilIustrious
men and women, by contemplating and imil at
ing whom we feel that thou wilt suffer our hopes
TO be re liked.
Ii was because 10 our judgment our departed
brother, in honor OF whose memory we ale as
sembled to-day, was graced with noble qualities
tbdt We adMbeu hiil-tEat We praised him living
and treasure his memory dead. Yet w know
0 God, that thou dosl expect more, II this demon
stration OF affection is TO be more than a sterile
tribute
We know that Eihou wouldst .have US become
Inspired with his devotion, and we therefore
beseech Thee TO aid US 10 love what be loved, to
struggle aud fight for what he defended. TO seek
and strive for this great nation, to set America
above our chief Joy. AS be was In al things
actUated Dy pure love CT our country, as he
was inspired with deep and earnest longing TO
see her traditions honored her institutions sup
ported and her people united, so, o God may
we be moved by ike loyalty. Integrity and
patriotism. Into thy SAT keeping we commit
his spirit. IN tile fun aud certain hope that his
righteousness VIII bring an exceeding great
reward.
Thon who healest the broken.hearied ann