Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-09
j, i, Il, ,N1,. Observation-Disclosures OCTOBER 9 1907

Il sthe North and South. Virginia Recognizes
in him her proper child-one OF tne lop. s
i :exponents Of her spirit and clViiizae.o :
i The soberness of his judgnl en- , eie se i.
q uineness Of his learning. the charIlls u
4 his tones all spoke to her heart NJ Gun
rnended the splendor OF his genius. .Iils
4 industry was equal to every situl l.I
and for eight years he gave nl1nsell5" :, =
! unremitting toll ito his vocation. II Tue
i pastoral office at Charlottesvllie, anu ~
i the cfaplaincy Of the University or VIZ
/ .gria his fame and influence gre" IRON i
1 day to day.
HE WAS NOT A RECLUsE.
an orr hieher education. the monastic
/ peril is ALWAYS with us. This great e'll
has been widely injurious, even IN amer Amer.
/ lea There is scarcely a coilese ol vi
| versty that has not offered some Oh ~
| beloved and hopeful children in sacrlnce
| to that Moloch Of destructlon.aslt was q
| mark of the greatness OF Broauus tna.
! he was ever real man amcns nie.i'
| Though his chief labor was bestoWeu ~
| learned shades. he bridged the gun Una.
| so often lies between the scholars STUDY
! and our active human life and slaols
shared the workday tolls and trials OF
| his fellow-men. He was always welcomed
| and admired in society, and ever the cen
| ire of its selectest circles. Without eHoIt
| or parade, he gave attention to its strict
scst demands, and nothing, either great OF
small. was overlooked. His house was
seat of refined, cordial hospitality, ana
| he was glad to give his due to every man
that entered it. Sessions of the Converse
| ton Club were invariably considered pro-
1itable and successful where his presence
could be obtained. And he was never dis
| posed to withdraw himself; few OF the
members were more punctual IN attend
ance, or more solicitous to contribute TO
| the entertainment of all.
Or. Broadus was one of the foremost
citizens of the State and community where
| The resided. Though he was strict to at
tend the ward meetings of his fellow
| citizens, he took no other part in politics
! But all men were glad to know what
| might be his judgment regarding daily
issues, and he was studious to form
judgment, which never failed to be re-
spected, if there was occasion to express
it.
HE held no Office in the Baptist Con-
vention. When it was proposed, at Mem
phis to elect him to the office of presi-
dent. he playfully declined the honor,
with remark that there were two things
he could not do-he could not riue
bicycle or presIue over the Southern
Baptist Convention. And yet he was the
leading influence in the counsels of the
convention and of the Baptist denomlna-
ton. He entered into every item of their
life and often, as at Birmingham, spoke
the right word at the psychological mo-
ment, with a degree of power and tact
that turned the hearts of the people like
rivers Of water. Both in the church and
State, men were glad to put him forward
to represent them in trying emergencies
and worthily to interpret their mind and
purpose. He kept his feet firmly planted
upon the earth. That is a wise lesson for
all sorts of men. There was no man
among us in whom the elements were sc
deftly mixed. He was greater than we
understood-much greater than we de-
served. We were never worthy of him in
his own generation. Let US hope that the
generation that is now coming forward
will rise to better heights, and compre
bend the excellence of the gift that was
bestowed on us and ten.
HE WAS a TRUE SCHOLAR.
What the Baptists most needed when
Broadus came forward in 1851 was not
a distinguished pulpit orator. They hac
a number Of these in different sections OF
the Southern States. There was no scar
city of eminent pulpit power What the
Baptist denomination of the Southern
States chiefly needed them, as now. was
real scholars. And the dimunitive lad OF
"a, who had electrified the State of Vir-
ginia, was more than a preacher; he was
a scholar. That was his foremost dis |
tinction and his peoples sorest need
Against the protest of many of his |
friends who unwisely fancied that he was
throwing himself away, he accepted, ii
1859, a chair in the faculty of the South
ern Baptist Theological Seminary, which !
had just been established at Greenville.
S. c.. and there found the work for which |
he had been formed and trained-the mos |
suitable OF all positions in which to serve |
his denolninatiOn and his country.
Hardly had he entered upon this chief !
business of his life when the war came |
on between the States, with its years O.
carnage and destruction, at the close Of |
which the seminary was torn up by the !
roots and transferred from South Carolina |
to kentucky. In Kentucky there followed |
other sad years of stress and struggle |
before the institution was at last mad
secure on its foundations. Victory came |
to his closing days-a sweet, and glorious |
victory. But one must lament the long |
years Of crippled resource and doubtfui |
issues. How much more might have beer |
accomplished, if the circumstances haG |
been more kindly disposed! Let us rejoic.
IN his stout heart, stubborn courage, and |
superb devotion to God learning, in the |
midst of harassine stractions.
He had not himself studied in the faith
erland Of Germany. but he recognized and
O1teu spoke OF the TACT that the German
nation had become the schoolmaster Of
the world, not only in theology, but in |
many other departments o. research He
therefore early acquired the fami-
Liar use of the German Ian
guage and always kept in close touch
with the progress and methods of German
scholarship. The great masters of Ger
man theology were among the most ia
miliar names in his daily teaching and
their writings were often selected as his |
favorite textbooks. But he did not con-
tent himself with the mastery and daily
use Of the German language alone. The
acquisition OF new languages, to be en-
ployed as instruments of research, was
but an incident in his labors. He would
follow without fiinching wherever his
studies might lead him. No speech wa.
too grabbed. no philosophy too abstrusa.
no science too forbidding.
HE WAS A LITTERATEUR.
"And yet, after all has been said, poetry
and flction-any true production OF po-
lite Northumberland to command his
selectest enthusiasm. In every depart
ment his insight seemed to be infallible;
in the darkest regions and problems he
could find his way almost by instinct. l |
ever marvelleii at the readiness and clear
ness of his vision. 1t was a fine advan-
tage thus to overlook a wide field and TO |
divine, apparently without exerton, the |
nature and meaning Of every object.
If he was a man of mark in the study, |
he was unapproachable in the lecture |
hall There we met the real magician. |
Who can forget the abundance of his re- |