The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-19

| that when great financial difficulties and peti'
encompasscd him he determined 10 deliver all he
possessed TO his creditors, that there should he
| no challenge Of his perfect honesty in the mat
| ter man of immaculate purity, shall we say
| No stain was upon his cscutchcon; no syllable
| ot suspicion that | ever heard was whispered
against his character. lie walked in perfect aud
| noble scli.contro Beyond that this man had
somehow wrought IN him suppose upon the
| foundations of 4 very happily constructed nature
| ia great and generous love for his fcllow.men.
| lIc believed in mcu. lie had himself been brought
| mp among the common people. lie knew their
lahois, Struggles necessities. He loved them;
| but ! think beyond that it was TO the church
| and it, teachings concerning tho fathcrhood ot
| God and universal brotherhood Of man that he
was indebted Tor that habit Of kindness, for that
| generosity " spirit, that WIS wrought into his
| very substance, and became him so that though
| he was of all men most courteous. no ono ever
| supposed hut that courtesy was from the heart
| 1t was spontaneous unaffected, kindly, attrac'
| tive. in 4 most eminent degree. What he was
| in the narrower circle Of those to whom he was
| personally attached ! think he was also in the
| greatness OF his comprehensive love toward the
| race Of which he was a pa,t. IT any man had
| been lifted up to takc into mis- purview and de-
| sire TO help all classes and conditions OF men,
| all natioralitos besides his own, it was this man.
| Shall | speak wCrd ncNt ~ that which | viii
hardly advert tO-thc tenderness of that domestic
| love which has SO often been commented uponT
| | pass it with only that word. | take it that
| no words can set forth fully the unfaltcring
| kindness and carcfulncss aud upbearing love
which belonged TO this great man.
| His high qualities drcw to him the good will
| Of his associates in political life in an eminent
| degree They believed in him, felt his kindness,
| Conhdcd in his honesty and IN his honor. His
qualities even associated with him in kindly rcla-
1 tippa fhna x.rhn l,s ,,.1tt, ,.a1
| They made it possible for him to enter that land
| with which he. as one Of the soldiers OF the
| Union, had been in sort at war, and 10
draw closer the tie that was TO bind all the parts
| in one frincr and indi,solublc Union. They CONF
| manded the confidence OF the great body OF con-
GrcSS, so that they listened 10 his plans and ac.
| Ccptcd kindly and hopefully and trustfully all
| his declarations. His qualities gave him rcputa.
| tion, not in this land alone, but Throughout the
| world and made 1t possible for him TO minister
| in the style in which he has within the last
| two or three years ministcrcd to the welfare
| and peace of human kind It was out OF the
| profound depths of his moral and religious char
accr that came the possibilities OF that usefulness
| which VIC are all glad TO attribute to him.
| And he man who believed in right, who
had profound conviction that the courses OF
this world must be ordered in accordance with
| everlasting righteousness or this worlds highest
point OF good will never he reached; that no
| nation can expect success III illC except ds u
conform to the eternal laws Of the infinite Lord
and place itself in individual and collective aciv.
ty according to that divine will 1t was deeply
| ingraincd in him that righteousness was the per-
fCction Of any man and Of any people. simph'
city belonged TO him. I need not dwell upon it,
and ! close tho statement of these qualities by
saying that underlying all and over.reaching all
and penetrating all there was profound loyalty
to guard the great king Of the universe, the au'
thor Of all good, the eternal hope Of all that
trust in Him.
| And now, may I say further that it seemed
10 me that 20 whatever may attribute all the
illutriousncSS of this man. oil the greatness Of
lis acheN cmcnt,-w whatever o that may attri.
butte TO his intellectual character aud quality,
whatever Of it We may attribute 10 the patient
| and thorough study which lac gave to tho various
questions thrust upon him ior attention, for all
his successes as a politician, as statesman, as a
man Of this great country, those successes were
largely due 10 the moral qualities of which I
have spoken They drew TO him the hearts ~
men everywhere and particularly Of those who
hest knew him. They called 10 his side helpcrs
in every cNigcncy Of his career so that when his
future WAS at ono time likclv to have been i'm
pcrcd and utterly ruined by his financial con.
dtions, they who had resources, for the sake Of
helping man who had in him such qualities,
came to his side. and put him on the high road
OF additional and larger successes.
|
| And will such die? Is it possible that
he who created. redeemed, Transformed, uplitted,
illuminated such a man will permit him to fall
into oblivion7 The instincts Of morality are in
all good men. The divine word of the Scripture
leaves US no room for doubt. 81" said pne
whom he trusted, "am the resurrection ANDY the
life He that bccvcth in Me, though hciwere
dead yet shall nc live. and whosocver livcth and
bclicvcth in Nc shall never die"
| Lost to US, but not TO his God. Lost from
| carth but entered heaven. Lost from these la
bors and tolls and pcrils, but entered into the
| everlasting peace and evcr.advancing progress,
| Blessed be God, who gives us this hope in this
hour of our calamity, and enables us TO triumph
through Him who hath redeemed us.
II there is personal immortality before him,
| let us also rejoice that there is an immortality
and memory in tho hearts OF large and ever
| growing people, who, through the ages TO come.
the generations that yet TO be. will look back
| upon this lfc upon its nobility and purity and
service to humanity. and thank God for it. The
| years draw on when his name shall he counted
among the illustrious OF the earth. William Of
Orange is not dead. Cromwell is not dead.
Washington lives in the hearts and lives Of his
comtrymcn. Lincoln, with his infinite sorrow,
| lives TO teach US and 10 lead us on. And Nc.
| Knlcy shall summon all statesmen and all his
| countrymen TO purcr living, noblcr aims swecter
| faith, and immortal blcsscdncss.