The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-17
DE ATH OF PRESIDENT M'KINLEY

Inc LSAPCNlCu mo AoPECACd" LIZ
stead of rapidly returning to health.
the president has succImbed TO the
cruel assassin's bullet. and now lies ST.
lent and stiff in "the alabaster arms
of death" This will be u great sur
prise and a greater shock to the Amer
lear people from Maine to Florida, and
from ocean to ocean. The satisfac-
ton and Joy over his supposed
Steady improvement filled h hearts
of the people of all section2 and all
classes. But alas! the GOOD omens dis
appeared. and there came the unex-
pected change which resulted in the
death Of the president at Buffalo, at
2:15 O'clock his morning.
A man of many virtues. most anna
BILE, most genial. most courteous, mosi
popular. has passed ;..to the eternal
silence amid the deeo sorrow and lam
entatfons of a vast country, with its
more than 7 1000. 900. 1t is no time 10
review his political lie. or to indulge
III high and meaningless fattery. A
man Of exceptional Personal cleverness
and Of many noble U-.:.s. the head of
a great nation, has goie % his reward,
and sorrow is in the land, All The
hearts Of many wax faint. President
Mckinley was of remarkable popTlG".
ity and personal magnetism. He was
intellectual, nae long served in
public life. was active. earnest. labori-
Gus and influential. He was for sew
eral terms in the federal house and
was twice elected president Of the Unit
ed States. With his Y party he was
supreme. He is said 10 have been not
naturally of combative temperament.
He was tactful, resourceful. at times
aggressive. He is known to have talk
much with his cabinet. and liked to
harmonic. He had dignity of bearing
whilst also suave and invariably con-
siderate and courteous. He was not,
to be subjected to indignities
or familiarities. He was like, in that
to North Cardinals distin-
guished citizen and official in the past,
the late Governor William A. Graham,
a model of dignified politeness who
brooked no unseemly familiarity. \
in the New York Independent
lately wrote of him:
mo one ever slaps him on the back
or becomes familiar; nor does any n
tell a doubtful story in his presence.
He is courteous and afable friendly
and at times jovial. yet ever by his
bearing requiring the fullest respect
and consideration for the great office
he occupies. He never forgets that it
is due to the people who elected MN 10
and even increase the dignity
of the office. Despite his unexpressed
demand that respect be shown him as
president, he is most approachable.
simple in his tastes. absolutely unaf-
fected. detesting pomp and osten-
tation-"
He, as president. worked most as
1t is stated that he received
and disposed of 400. 900 communications
during his first term of ofdce-four
years. He was a good speaker. showed
felicity. copiousness and
even rhetorical fervor at times. He stood
high among his a~cauaintances for
honor, truthfulness and fideli-
His mourning wiGO1- declares that
was always good ard did not lcsirc
reelection. He had bean for Il lcrs
time a memb of the northern Meth
odist church We believe he vas uni
formly abstenlious as to drinks, and just
before he sank into sleep under the ir-
of ether when submitting to his
first surgical operation, he was heard
to pray to his Almighty Father. a ply
stefan tells this, as given in the Balti-
sun, and it shows his reliance ana
trust. and IN whom he believed:
There was no outward show of piety,
no hypocrit:cal assumption o. htress.
the physician, but when we had
administered ether and just as he was
into Inconsistencies We saw
his lips move. Bending over his form
that we might catch what, alas. might
to be his last words. we heard,
but distinctly, a portion OF the
Lords prayer. THY kingdom cone,
Thy will De done were the last words
President Mckinley as he passed
into the nebulous vale from which
none knew better than he he might
emerge"
The docto- wept as he told the sweet
little story of pious alteration. But the
has come and a great nation
nourns at the open sepulchre, Dust
o dust, ashes to ashes, The greatest