The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-24
:The Wessenger.
GLADSTONE

God only is great. Man perishes and
tEa name Of the foremost men in the
IEss OF time become but a memory.
Aan dies, but his deeds live after
EIu1-" The illustrious William Ewart
Gladstone is dead. He passed away on
"Wednesday morning, May 18th, at 5
O'Clock. at his home at Hawarden cas-
lie where he was married more than
ahaT a century ago. How are the
mighty fallen" On Tuesday last the
gerry greatest of all living men was of
This world, a living being. On Wednes-
day the soul of the statesman had fled
RS crumbling tenement Of clay, and as
ended. we may not doubt, to the home
nj the blessed, returning unto the
1suIghty God who created it. Peace for
ever TO that soul! Let the nations
zr1urn, for the most marvellous man Of
this globe latterly-"a burning and a
shining !ight"-has left the scenes Of
E-Is usefulness and triumphs here to re-
turn to move among the children Of
men in his sublunary and transitory
Ephere.
When we take our pencil to indite a
tribute to the modest Englishman Of
them all"--the statesman of all other
we have admired and lauded through
me decades, we wish we had followed
Z English custom, and had prepared
az our leisure, and with all possible
care, a sketch of his long public life
and splendid services to his country,
IN his age,t to humanity. The best tribute
10 his great merits we have already
GEaid-an old man On another continent,
thousands of miles away, weeping over
The dead statesman, bound in cere-
rnents and encoffined, awaiting the
closing scenes of all dust to dust,
ashes to ashes" The mortal part will
Tie in the peaceful Gods Acre at Haw-
arden but the immortal part is with
God blessed is the man that trust
eth in the Lord, and whose hope the
zord is" But these are witten that
Christ, the Son of God; and that be-
9ieving We might have life through His
name" His end was peace.
Mr.. Gladstone Swas born Goth De-
cember 1909 at Liverpool. He was
therefore SO years of age on his last
birthday. He was born the same year
on which many very gifted and very
eminent men were born. In that
year the great Alfred Tennyson was
born, as were Charles Darwin, and
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the great
tSst female poet of modern times, Oliver
Wendell Holmes and others of ceIebri-
"fy- Gladstone and Tennyson were
friends always. The great statesman
had an exalted opinion of the genius
nj the greatest English poet since John
MILTON, az had Thackeray, who said he
Twas the wisest man he ever knew"
What a grand, majestic ode the poet
STould write now if among the earthly
Giving He would have a higher, more
inspiring theme than when he produced
that immortal Ode on wellington.
but the poet preceded the statesman
INTO the glory land beyond this vale of
tears by more than five and a half
years.
We do not propose to follow the al
most unique career of Mr.. Gladstone.
1t would require columns to write even
an abstract of his labors. He entered
public life in 1882, and retired four
years ago. His career was of unusual
Eength, of great results to humanity, of
almost unrivalled benefit to his coun-
trymen, of great manifestations of no.
BILE gifts, of exalted craftsmanship, of
high commanding eloquence. Three
xf-~&~ 10 -uoC Dr;ron NipiCtnr Of bic
vast country. He was the leader-the
Ereator-of the Liberal party. He was
eeared and educated a Tory, entered
parliament as one, but he soon worked
clear of such weights and trammels
and became not only the greatest
=ssateSman of his country for this teem-
sing century in surprises, inventions
and conquests, but the truest, most un-
selfish friend of suffering humanity
the world.
When he completed his 8Sth birthday,
&ne very accomplished, scholarly, able
-E0rd Salisbury, of the Tory party. and
NOW Premier, said that he regarded
nar- Gladstone as the greatest states
nraan England has had since parliament
&ary government began. That means
Eor two hundred years. 1t means hat
zEe was greater than Burke or Chatham
.<r Pitt or Peal, or any of the greatest
We believe that he deserv-
cd this very high, supremest compli-
-1nent from his greatest living oppon-
sent in politics.
MIR. Gladstone will be regarded here
after in his own great country as the
-nost successful and the most conspicu-
x1ussy great leader in the cause "of
sustioe and right. of honor and freedom,
.tf peace and good-will-the greatest
of the century, the Grand
Old Man." He is unlike any other