The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-24

in tears and let the mantle OF him
whose death we now deplore. fall in
folds of mercy and wisdom on Him who
now presides in his stead; and may the
Lord in much mercy visit the town of
Canton now and bless the widow in this
her hour of deep distress and bereaye-
ment- May she sit in her affiiction at
Thy feet and learn TO say,
Nearer My God to Thee, Nearer to
Thee
Even tho it be across that raiseth me-"
And as she gazes into the tomb by faith,
may she hear the voice of the lion OF
Judah's tribe singing through the corid-
ers OF death. shaking the monster upon
his sabel throne, saying Il am the res
erection and the life" And, kindly,
Lord, hasten the day and may they
kingdom come when the blood Of mar
tyrs now mingling in the dust shall be
everlastingly avenged and amidst the
dazzling luster of that eternal day, save
US as the purchase of His blood. Amen"
Amen"
ADDRESS BY DIR VOIGT.
The chairman introduced the Rev. A.
G.. Voigt. D. D., who said:
W. have assembled here not to
pronounce funeral eulogies on our dead
president, although it is hard o to do
80: nor to express our horror and ex-
Grafton of the atrocious deed that
caused his death. although it is diff
cult to restrain ones self from so doing.
The newly inaugurated president of
the United states has most fittingly
as his first official act appointed this
day OF mourning and prayer. In so
doing he met the wish of the great
a of the nation. 1t was hardly
necessary to appoint a day of mourn
ing: for from the black hour when the
fatal bullet pierced the body Of our be-
loved president until this hour the
whole land has been filled with mourn
ing. Probably never in the history Of
our country has there been such a man
Hesitation of universal sorrow as this
in which we, though a vast throng
bear but a feeble part. Even without
the proclamation of the president this
would have been a day Of mourning.
MOI did the people wait for the head
of the nation to say: Let us pray"
The heart Of the people has sp~ontan-
eousiy been poured out in prayer.
Those accustomed to pray ia turned
aside from their habitual petitions to
concentrate their longings in the one
request for the life of the president
and the comfort of his devoted wife,
who so brayely bears the trial which
is her personal grief n our common
sorrow. And 1 believe that many who
are not wont to pray for their own
needs, have in these hours lifted up
NAOAA SOoAS III AoyNA ~ " " AIN
common object of the nations solicit
tude.
I'VE mourn today. We mourn with
\ widow for him, who as a husband
was to her a delight as he is an honor
to the nation. We mourn the untimely
death Of a president, who by his wis
dom i'm the administration of public
affairs. by his amiability and urbanity
Of department, and by his virtues in
private and domestic life endeared
himself to the whole country as few
of his predecessors have done. We
mourn for a man who, as many distin-
gulShed men are not, was a master
character as we'll as a master mind. 1t
seems tome one of the highest testi-
monialS of his worth and wisdom as
president is to be found in the vide
spread apprehension that his successor
will not be like him. In these days OF
sorrow nothing has given the country
greater assurance than the announce
ment by President Roosevelt of his in
tention to continue the policies of
President Mckinley. 1t is as if the
united voice of the country were ad-
dressi him n saying: DO so. Con-
tinue III the course of the noble man
whose mantle has fallen upon you.
Continue in that course until the end
Of your administration, and you will
receive, as your oble predecessor now
receives from a grateful country the
plaudit: We'll done, thou good and
faithful servant of the people"
I'VE mourn for a good president.
But We have reason to mourn also for
ourselves and u nation. We must
confess before God We are a guilty
nation. This one chief deed of infamy,
that has stirred the soul of h people
to it's depths. is but One Of countless
deeds of Wickedness that are committed
in our borders; nor, however much we
| NAV 6atpcf the h1apk 6pa6 con ua he
blind to the fact that it does not stand
isolated and disconnected from the in
justice n oppressive and greed that
prevail in this and other lands. This
day of national mourning is a time for
us to say with the pSalmiSt: Thou
hast set our ~iniquities before thee, our
secret sins in the light of thy
tenance." 1t is a time for us to pray
to God fortify our hearts, to purify our
nation, n so to establish us in
righteousness that such a crime as an
attempt upon the life of the head of the
nation will become a moral impossible
ity among us.
Our new president has appointed this
to be a day of prayer. Doubtless he was
prompted to do so by the overwhelm-
ing sorrow on account of his and u
chief. 1t seems to me that he must
have been moved also by a sense OF
the grave responsibilities he had just
| dSSuIIlSu. buI OS(uolCu liih
he needs our prayers. Every man who
assumes the duties of the presidency,
needs the prayers of the people. So
let US not forget to pray for our young
president. May he receive wisdom,
guidance and strength from God on
high, in whom we rust.
And now with minds chastened by
sorrow and humiliation, let US turn to
a more pleasing thought. The life n
administration of President Mckinley
have lone much to intensity the union
n strengthen the unity of the peo-
pie. His death has done still more.
There is comfort in this thought as
we in spirit stand by the grave, While
the body of our beloved president IS
given over to the ground. Even in the
sadness and gloom of this day we can
rejoice with Senator Hoar. who said:
Thank God, there is no division In the
people today. Rich and poor, Protes-
tant and Catholic, native born and Tor
eign born are mingling their sorrow.
The coward blow that has stricken
down one noble life has strengthened
the life of the nation"