The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-01

| Wnlcn lhe MASTER spoke Wlen ne Hil'
"WOe unto you when all men speal
we'll Of you.
one other thing I must not omit T.
say. A few years ago being in the CITY
Of Lexington, Kentucky, | visited the
tomb Of the great Yirginian and states
man. Henry Clay, and read on his sar
cophagus the inscription Il had rather
be right than President As | passed
through the beautiful cemetery, / saw
tall and costly marble monument
ere Ccted 10 the memory Of man and
his wife, all the surroundings indicat-
ing that they were people Of wealth and
high social position and on this mon
ument were inscribed their names with
the dates of their birth and death and
underneath only this simple unique in.
scription "TheY were Christians As
| boxed upon it and meditated | asked
myself what more could be said? What
higher tribute could be paid to their
memories since 1.-THE Christian is the
highest style of a man." and since
the righteous are to be had in ever
lasting remembrance. "
| reach climax then in enumerat-
ing the virtues and qualities which
adorned these men when | say they
were Christians This was their
crowning glory. Belonging as they
did 10 different denominations, they
were illustrations Of the power and ex
celence Of the gospel, and demonstrat-
ions Of the fact that exemplary piety Is
confined to no one, but is TO be found in
all the denominations Of Christians, as
the ground Of their fellowship aud
Christian cooperation.
There is great propriety and even
beauty in this effort to preserve the
features, perp3tuate the memories and
keep alive the story Of the deeds Of
these good men and faithful public
servants, that they may be an incentive
and An inspiration to the living.
Pictures, statues and monuments are
educational, and kindle in those who
look upon them a noble ambition 10
cultivate the high qualities and prac.
tice the eminent virtues which adorned
the lives Of the heroic dead.
We are told Rev. Charles Simeon
kcp, the picture Of Henry Martyr hang.
ing in his study, and move where he
would his eye rested upon him, and
there seemed to come to him from the
picture q voice saying: "Be earnest,
be diligent, be persevering " And un
der the inspiration he would respond,
Il will aud thus his high character
was formed Il is said no one can en-.
ter the presence of the matchless statue
the Apollo Belyidere without instinct
lively standing erect and feeling his own
form dilate and become taller and no.
bier. And so the man must be grOvel-
ing and of low instincts who can look
on these pictures of the noble dead,
beaming with intelligence. integrity
and benevolence, and think on their
pure lives and noble deeds, and yet feel
no elevation Of heart no ambition or
purpose to emulate the generous quail
ties Of head and heart which adorned
the lives Of these philanthropic citizens
and faithful public servants.
And what place so fitting for these
pictures as this courtroom. where the
people meet from month to month and
year to year to receive and administer
Justice, and where these distinguished
public servants and officers of the law
for 20 many years meted out impartial
Justice to all with whom they had to
do in the discharge of their official du'
ties.
And what day so appropriate for these
ceremonies as this the 4th Of July, the
day which great nation of seventy
millions of freemen observe with such
patriotic pride as the anniversary Of
American independence, and the birth
day of that liberty which these patriotic
men loved and Loyalty defended both in
peace and in war.
As we today worship at the shrine Of
personal and political freedom, 1t is
mete that we do honor to the memories
of the patriotic men who by their lives
and deeds taught the rising generation
the Glove of liberty protected by law. D."
Here let their pictures hang as fit
companion pieces with others OF the
noble dead, so long as unbiased justice
is here administered, the right is de-
Tended, upheld and rewarded, and the
wrong is rebuked and punished
Here let them hang as o warning to
wrong.doers and a rebuke to the injus-
tice and lawlessness which they hated
and scorned while they lived
Here let these pictures be placed that
by their very presence they may silent
ly say to suItors. jurors. witnesses and
by ISLANDERS, Let justice be done,
though the heavens fall"
For, though dead, like righteous Abel
they speak. Though their footballs are
heard no more and their voices are
hushed in the stiffness Of death, by
their posthumous influence they speak
with all the distinctness, melody Of the
roar and rhythm of the sea, and with
all the ceaselessness of the flow Of the
tides.
1 most respectfully beg your honor to
accept these several pictures from the
generous donors and cause them here to
be hung. that they may be an inspira.
tion to the living, and influential in
the formation of high and noble char
acters In the young men who gaze upon
them from generation to generation.
And us the cifizans and officers OF