The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-09-26
THE FUNERAL SERMON.
Rev. c. e. Manchestsr's Beautiful Tribute
to His Old Friend.

NsSNs " 49, AAhhCLCStOT =
to His Old Friend.
Rev. c. z. Manchester, who delivered
the funeral address, said in part:
The of this universal mourn
ing is to be found in the man
himself. The inspired penman's pic
ture Of Jonathan, likening him unto
a beauty of Israel could not c
more appropriately employed than
IN chanting the lament of u
fallen chieftain. 1t does no vio-
fence to human speech, nor is it full
some eulogy to speak thus of him, for
who that has seen his stately bearing
grace, manliness, demeanor, kindness
OF aspect, but gives assent to this de-
scription Of him. 1t was characteristic
of our beloved president that men met
MIN only to love him. They might in.
deed differ with him, but in the pres.
ence of such dignity of character and
grace OF manner nom could fail to love
the man. People contided in him, be-
lleved IN him. 1t was aid of Lincoln
mat probably no man since the days
OF washington was ever SO deeply i'm
pedded and enshrined in the hearts OF
the people, but 1t is true Of Mckinley
In a larger ense. Industrial n So
cial conditions are such thai he was,
even more than his predecessors, a
friend of the whole people. 1t is a glo-
rlous thing to be able to say in this
presence, with our illustrious dead be-
lore us, that he never betrayed the con.
hdence of his countrymen. Not for per
sonal or political pre-eminence would
he mar the beauty of his soul. He KEPT
1t clean and white before God and man,
his hands unsullied by brides. He wa.
sincere, plain, honest, just, benevolent
KIND. He never disappointed those whc
believed in him, but measured up tc
every duty. met every responsibility ir
life g%randly, unnninchingly.
His Growing Attribute.
Not Only was our president brave
heroic n honest; he was as gallant
a knight as ever ode the lists for his
lady o in the days when ~knighthooG
was in Hover. 1t is but a few weeks
since the nation looked on with tear.
dlmned eyes as it saw with what ten.
der conjugal devotion he sat at the
bedside Of his beloved wife when al.
feared a fatal illness was upon her. Nc
public clamor that he show himself &c
eiS PopuldIe, IO uellld1lu OIL social 1unC.
tons was stuff cient to draw the lover
from the bedside Of kts wife. He
watched and waited while we all prayed
n she lived. This sweet, tender
story, all the world knows, and the
world knows his whole life had run ir
this one groove of love. Her smile was
more to him than the plaudits of the
multitude and for her greeting his &C
acknowledgements of them must wait
a 81 n,, ynrni,irr t1,n g., = ., $500 - a..
thought was that the terrible news
might be broken gently to her. May
God in this deep hour of sorrow com.
fort her. May his grace be greater thar
her anguish. May the Widows God be
er God"
Another beauty in the character OF
our president was that he was a Chris.
tian. In the broadest and noblest sense
of the word that was true. His con.
fdence in God was strong and unWav-
ering. He had gained in early life a
personal knowledge of Jesus which
guided him in the performance of great
er duties Vaster than had been the lot
Of my other American president. He
said at one time while bearing his
heavy burdens, he could not discharge
the daily duties of his life but for the
fact that he had faith in God. 1t 81
perfectly consistent with his lifelong
convictions and his personal expert
ences that he should say as the first
critical moment after the assassination
approached, Thy Kingdom come, Thy
Will be Done and that he should de-
clare at last It's Gods way; His vii
be Done
Crime %staggers Belief.
My friends and countrymen, with
what language shall 1 attempt to give
expression to the deep horror of our
souls as we speak of the cause Of his
death. When we consider the magni-
tude of the crime that has plunged the
country and the world into unutterable
grief, we are not surprised that one ma
tlonality after another has fastened to
repudiate the dreadful act. This gentle
spirit was suddenly smitten by the
cruel hand Of an assassin while in ths
very act OF extending generous greeting
to one who approached him under the
sacred guise Of friendship. Could his
assailant have realized how awful WAS
the act he was about to perform, how
utterly heartless the deed, methinks h,
would have stayed his hand at the very
threshold of it.
"In, all the coming years men VIII
seek in vain to fathom the enormitv of
that crime. Had this man who fell
been a despot, a tyrant. an oppressor,
insane frenzy to rid the world Of him
might have sought excuse: but II was
the peoples friend Who fell when VIII
liam Mckinley received his fatal
u
In the midst Of our sorrow we have
much to console us. He lived to see his
nation greater thar ever before. All
sectional lines are blotted out. There is
no south, no north, no east, no west.
Washington saw the beginning of our
national life. Lincoln passed through
the night Of our history and saw it's
dawn. Mckinley beheld the country in
the splendor of noon. Truly he died In
the fullness Of his fame. With Paul. he
could say, and with equal truthfulness,
I am now ready to be offered"