The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-23
DIR. EUGENE DANIELS TRIBUTE
TO REV. DIR. B. M. PALMER
DR.. Daniel Orator of the Evening at Memorial Ser
vice in First Presbyterian Church,
New Orleans

of the time when DR.. Palmer was stu
dent, and said: why the students used
always to talk of him, and said that
he had only to take a textbook and place
it under his pillow at night, and when
he awoke he knew everything in it. But
he was a student. He did not rely upon
these natural endowments. But he had
this wonderful power. On one occasion
a guest asked him the secret of his abil-
ity to speak to an audience without writ
ing in such smooth sentences of almost
Ciceronian finish; and, taking this man
into his study, he showed him shelf
where he was accustomed to pass hours
at study, walking to and fro This
command Of language was trained by sc
we're thought and because it was thus
trained it grew stronger and stronger
as the years went by and retained it's
'undminshed vigor to the last.
May L now pass from his intellec
and speak of that which was not less
singular his wonderful power of emo
ton. / speak not of anything that nigh
be described as hysterical feeling. l
speak not of anything that might be
called fanaticism. If there ever was
man that lived upon the earth that
and guidance of his reason. that man
was DR.. B. Nj. Palmer. He himself
once, in a striking metaphor, compared
the reason to the headlight of a locomo-
tive that goes on before. And thus ii
was with him. You have seen him here
in hours of great stress. You have look
ed upon him. and have been moved by
his discourse, and yet you have never
I l. III;
feelings were always subordinated To his
reason, so that however fervid his
speech might be- he was master of him
self, IS he showed himself master of
every occasion on which he opened his
lips. How important this. How this
saves a man from anything that is
cranky How this saves man from all
/ fanaticism; his emotions, guarded by
his intellect, pressing him onward with
power, yet always like the headlight of
the locomotive, under perfect control.
HIS POWER OF WILL.
81 pass to another thing. That thing
was DR.. Pamer's power of will. He
was a man whose reason considered, and
who, after he had felt and after he had
reasoned and had finally made his
choice, was as immutable as the ever
lasting law. No strong character was
ever formed without force of will. No
man can hold the place he held for over
/ forty-six years unless he has endowment
! of frmness; no man can be what he
has been if he veers hither and thither
/ like a weather-cock with every shifting
wind.
New after all this. one other thing
and that thing is DR.. Palmer's lofty and
at the same time his profound spiritu-
ality. All, this is the glory of all.
! When we want to sum UP the grandeur
| of God, we speak of His holiness. When
the seraphim fly through the heavens
| and cry to each other, the burden of
1 that cry is Holy, Holy, Lord God of
Hosts and when we want the grandest
in man, we do not think of his spiritu-
atty, or of his emotions. or of his will.
Let us think of his holiness, in the pres
ence of his God. l have said that this
thing in DR.. Palmer was lofty, and so
| truly it was. l think of him as one that
represented the highest in spirituality,
being as one who delighted in the holes
of holes in the presence of God
| think Of him as one who had fellow
ship with Jesus Christ; and this spiritu-
| atty was as deep as it was high. Every
man knew that it took hold of DR.. Pal
mer's inner being that it was the very
sanctuary of his soul, and that when he
spoke to us he spoke to us out of the
profoundest possible spirituality. | have
now most inadequately discussed this
wondrous spirituality, as it was in itself,
and | bring it before you, and so behold
the man, behold the man of God.
TPIIE To IJJC
Nov let me pass to the next branch
of the subject. ] must now speak of
DR.. Palmer's personality as it is in ex-
preston. There are two ways in which
personally expresses itself. There are
two ways in which the greatness Of a
man is shown. One of these is in &C