The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-23

terian church, New Orleans, held in that
city last Sunday night, DIR. Eugene
Daniel, until recently pastor OF the
First Presbyterian church, this city, was
the orator of the evening. The Tines
Democrat, of New Orleans. prints
handsome double column cut of DR.
Daniel and gives the following account
of his address:
DR.. DANIELS ADDRESS.
DR.. Daniel, pale and impressive, spoke
as follows:
THE responsibility of this hour is
positively oppressive. Grateful as | am
for the kindly words of introduction
with which my fellow worker has honor
tonight, l am sure that l shall have the
the full sympathy and comprehension Of
this large congregation when l say that
/ feel this hour to be one of the most
momentous in all my personal history.
A few months ago l received a letter
written by him, and in the name or
all the members of this session. AS |
opened it, with surprise | read that
they had invited me to be present with
You at this service. which at that time
they contemplated holding, and that
they extended to me a call as 1T seemed
to them from God himself, that~I should
be present tonight and participate with
you in the soIemnities of. this great oc-
casicn. The brother from whom | re-
ceived this letter can bear me witness
that l suffered a few days to elapSe be-
fore could answer it. At last under
a solemn consciousness of duty and with
great misgivings, l accepted the invita-
tion, and after travelling over 1900 miles,
l am ready tonight to render the SER
vice for which l feel / am altogether I'M
equal
May | in the first place, in order that
this audience may be in sympathy with
me, give what is my ideal of the char
acter of this occasion, and that which
is fit to be uttered in this solemn hour
Evidently since that memorable Both of
May, to which DR.. Mallard has alluded,
there has been no service in this church
probably invested with such solemnity
as that in which you and / are engaged
tonight. Accordingly, 1 feel that this
is not the time for exaggerated adula-
ton; this is not the hour for anything
like unbridled enthusiasm; this is not
the occasion when even the language of
panegyric must come with any degree of
forcfulness from the lips. We meet here
as l understand it, lovingly, reverently,
to think, to feel, to speak, in simple
words of undying affection and in sincere
expressions of honor of one whose form
has for the last forty-six years reared
itself in this pulpit, whose matchless elo-
quence this congregation has attended.
and whose spirit, it seems to me, is
even now lowering over this assembly
and bidding the speaker choose carefully
the words he shall utter tonight Let
me reverently approach my sacred
theme
DR.. Daniel used the present tense in
speaking of DR.. Palmer as having reared
his form for forty-six years in the pull
pit, and throughout, often used the pres
ent tense in such references. as if the
eloquent preacher was still in the church,
listening to the discourse in his honor
DIR. PALMER'S PERSONALITY.
Il shall speak of greatness" DR.. Dan
iel continued, ''for greatness is surely
what we are called to contemplate to-
night, and to this greatness as it ap-
pears in the first place in DR.. Palmer
own blessed personality; as it appears
in the second place in that personality
as it stands out before you and before
the world in expression; the greatness,
in the third place, as that personality
thus expressed stands out in relative
glory and splendor in the history of the
Southern Presbyterian church.
Il approach the first part of my
theme with awe and trembling. 1t is not
needed that l should tonight indulge in
any extended biography of that eminent
servant of God of whom I am to speak
| have read every line, | may say that
has been published about him in the
papers of your city. and full biographi
cal details have been presented with
such faithfulness, with such accuracy
and with such extended scope that il
seems to me I may assume this congre-
cation is already acquainted with biogra-
phical facts, and that it is entirely I'M
necessary that l should repeat them. We
may then go at once into the presence
of this lofty personality and speak OF
that man whom all men revere.
THE characteristics of his physical
frame are enshrined in your memory
and in your hearts forever Was he not
wonderfully endowed physically? Else
now could he have stood the strain of
the long forty-six years of work in this
church. How could he thus have APP
apparently fresh aud always wonderfully
ready? How could he have fingered on
mus, after the fourscore years had been
passed, majestic still, and through win
ter5 cold and summers heat standing
mere TO preach with physical vigor
that was the astonishment of this entire
southland in which we live? The BODY
Is part of the man. 1t has been re-
deemed. as we'll as the soul. with the
precious blood of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. That body was inhabited
by the Holy Ghost. and at times. as vo,l
can bear witness, it seemed almost trans
figured as it stood in majesty before tho
congregation. We, therefore, speak of
him as thus marvelously endowed. We
thank God for that head, for that voice
for that hand raised often in benediction
for that step, always found in the path
of righteousness, and thus believe this
one Of the minor branches of our import
ant subject.
Il come now to speak of that spirit
which inhabited this temple. come here
under solemn sense of responsibility.
What were the endowments of that soul
that so long inhabited this tabernacle