Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-26


great heart. In the few moments OF
consciousness previous 10 his lapse into |
unconscousness, from which no never !
awakened. We are told his last words
were OF love and affection for his dear
wife, He was Christian gentleman.
II we lyrew nothing more concerning
his life and had the record Of that last
week In the sick room, We cannot help
to remember that he was man strong
in the faith OF God. He there revealed
to all the world how Christian can
die.
I'VE come today to lay at his feet
our tribute OF love, and with theprayer
that as he lived, so may We; that as he
trusted, so may We: and as we go back
again into life, bowing submissiyely to
Providence we cannot understand,
may We be better men and women for
the life Of William Mckinley.
Then the audience Joined in singing
Nearer, My God, to Thee, - ut was
sung like il came right from the hesrt,n
said Gov. Hum, before presenting Hon.
Anthony Higgins, the next speaker.
MIR. DIeeINs' GRAFTON.
Mr.. Higgins was very much affected
as be addressed the audience and at
times had difficulty 10 controlling his
emotions. lie said:
I We maet today to pay our last tribute
TO the honored dend. The land is in
mourning Indeed, the world Is In
mourning giving their unsiinted SYM.
paShy to the American people in the
hour OF our bereavement and In tho
shock OF the catastrophe that has fallen
upon US,
The man whom these near to him had
always known 10 be the most loyahle
OF men, had come to be- beloved by a
mighty nation, and by all of the people
OF whatever section, or party, or race,
or sect.
For the man we mourn was no com
mon man. Indeed, as the years and the
centuries and the ages roll on, his fame
and his greatness will grow with them,
placing him IN the narrow Pantheon of
, the worlds heroes.
Nor was his place mads for him. lIe
made ii for himself throwing aside the
opportunity for higher education tc
help fight his country 8 battles during
four years OF his youth and early man.
,, hood, he took his place ms the simple
country lawyer But wide as is the
,, domain of the law, he could not be
, cribbed, cahined or confined by it.
, With consciousness OF his true sphere
Of duty and endeavor, and equally cleal
as TO what was TO be the true issue oil
the coming Yeas, no threw himself intC
, the strdy OF the underlying principles
, of political economy. In il years from
:, the close Of the OWL War he was choser
!, to Congress by his neighpors; to h
!, unhesitatingly sent there by them fol
q seven successive terms, and then wa
twice elected governor Of his State ant
: by nnexamp!ed maiorities. In the hall
a of Congr ess and on the wider field o
i the national rostrun, be held tn
!, supreme brief for those who shat ed hi
I convictions. In saying this 1t ia doinl
4 no iniustice to the statesmen who wer
a his cotnpeers in debate-to Sherman, t
Blaine, to Harrison, TO others tina
! might be- named in that illustriou
: company His thorough mastery OF hi
: subject, his unrivalled power of OK
. preston, and of how to so use his voic
4 as to be able to make himself heard da
4 after day to vast assemblaees withou
NJ impairing his vocal powers, his TEN
N perate habits and Astounding health
"a made him the pre.eminent protagonis
IL Of his cause. lie became the logioH
II candidate of his party for the hughes
AZ office in the land, and to this he wa
chosen, and alter four years OF eerviC
WINS chosen again.
Or On this wider field he developed ne
and unexpected powers-he made maj
gu veIous applications of those he WI
n, known to POSSESS, Inexperienced
diplomacy, he showed himself in WI
and In peace an unsurpassed, almost a
CO uueyampled diplomat With chal
aoteristio Rentleness, he mitlgated tt
of bitterness of defeat to the broken pric
q, of Spain. With like gentleness he VIC
sn the hearts of the Filipinos who
id resistance arms had failed to quell i
pc set an American example to kuiol
IL when he reprobated selfishness ar
cruelty and plumber in China.
Reluctant to uuloose the horrors
war, he struck the shackles from Il
Of limbs OF the Cubans; he made AnIeri
xt thn dominant power In the Archipelag
OF both the Northern Hemispheres;
he the force as much of moral beauty
he of arms he advanced the flag and mar
as and fame of America when under hi
ire she with equal modesty as pride q
he sumed the first place among the powe
it of the earth.
he But his chefest triumph, the brightt
ed flower In his crown Of glory, was not
of the world field it was at home.
lay made use of war TO bind up the woun
m of war he quenched the last embt
iIn left 10 tine South by the Civil War.
ess He called to the flag representati
Confederate veterans, and made it aga
lb- the flag for which all, both South a
of North, could fight and die. For our de
at President was great not only in mir
iry bot he was pre- eIniuently great IN hei
led and in soul.
the Bitterness or acerblty found no plf
asst in his nature. l doubt If he was O.
pcs known TO utter "A harsh word, tried
md be was in the arena of conflict all
ISL life. Confident in the Justice Of
sky cause, and utterly wanting in all harl
US ness towards his opponents. he e
UGH lifted the contest up to his own sert
ub- ard lofty plane. In this he would SITS
say supreme but for one predecessor
i'll, great prototype stricken like him
the a-eassin at the threshold Of
veil second term. The South in the per
i'm. OF reconstruction, never ceased
ere lament the death of Lincoln.
IN country will never know what it
and lost in the death of Mckinley.
. 1t Lincoln's legend, like that of Wa
ons ington, has gone on growing and g
Ing, more growing, as generation of Ami
tier cans has followed generation from Oh
lley hood to hear the wondrous ta'e.
So the legend of Mckinley, he
emit round the world today, eonsecrated
ant, his life and couseorated by his deH
Mo. will ever more grow and grow.
liant Washington, Lincoln, Mckinley,
q Of three greatest Presidents, the grea