The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-27


memorating the career of this jBrist
and state-man Who bsger with the very
beginning IF the greatest curt Of
history, We recognize the work Of Il
~forerunner, r whose duty end priv
ilege it was to prepare the way. to
make the path5 straight.
when stpdyirg him We can under
stand clearly why this cert has stood
for permanence and stability, why it
has resented the sgitstcr and dama-
gogue, and why it has rssicted tyranny
and oppression. Most vital OF all,
we can see why and how it has consist
emily fixed IL thc law and made Ii the
very waIp and wocf of cur institutions
the doctrine that the Urited States IS
a naticn-ctrong lcI the protection Of
its own existence against internal ices
able to resist outside aggression, and
capable of inviting and commanding
the loyalty and cO-CIeratiCn OF all who
owe it allegiance"
ADDRESS BY S. WEIR MITCHELL.
NJ. D., L. L. D..
Nowhere in all the land is there any
burial ground which more than this OF
| Christ church deserves to be called
| consecrated, if the use Of that term be
justified by the greatness Of the dead
who rest within. its limits. In this
| chancel, beneath these aisles. and IL
the greater graveyard ofthis church,
the memorial stones record in brief the
living history of the state; from the
crumbling monuments which cover the
! children of colopists 10 the later day
when those who made Of colonies a
country, were brought IN turn to this
their final rest. Here lie statesman,
soldier and sailor of the war OF 1nde-
pendence. Here too lie in the peace
which is past understanding the Tory
gentleman who stood for the king. The
mere record of the nar,es of those who
lie within these burial grounds constl-
tues the geographic history Of every
great event which has occurred since
the land took or its " lie. For
here, of the signers Ct the declaration.
are Franklin al rest as never IN llge:
Benjamin Rush, physician and states
man: Francis HOpkins0n; Robert Nor
ris: and to mark the changing era, al
YOUR feet rests the body Of John Penn
the last Of the prOpTietories Of Penn
~sylvania. On these walls are memorials
Of the great Bishop William White
and Of many colonial servants CT that
king. the prayers FIR WHCm he fe8Ties:
bishop struck from the pdayer book {.
this church. There is tfen 4 certain
propriety in the thought which result:
today in placing among his reeTs HI
body Of James Wilson.
DnnrcJIy,o pio hoe with Crrrr irIS,in
been ~reprCached fOT ncoiectinG to cozI:
memOrate mel who taV!n~ Ho"n Dor
u the state have also i0$L IA it j. re
membrance Of notable achievement.
has also been said that s~me Of tn
greatest men OF whom we are the mos
proud were not born UDo1 soil. q
these was James Wilson. WHO Xix
rankin. found in Pennsylvania tina
freedom Of opinion in church and stat
which determined their final choice 0
a home. Most fitting it is e all tia
these who came tC us n feiDed t
make us should have the hospitality o
memory and lasting record in brODZ
or marble or what they have dCno.
it with this feeling that | WelCC lie tn
thought that brought to these secre
grounds the body of James Wilson. Hi
hand is On the declaration which fran
ed our freedom; his thoughts ar
everywhere in the great bend whic
for a century and a quarter, amid tn
embarrassments of peace and prospect
ty and the perils of foreign and CIV:
strife held together the diverse CON
munities Of these many states. There
fore it is that we find it reasonable an
just that we lay among the graves c
the men who were his fe~llow-worker
in war and peace all that is mortal c
James Wilson, statesman and juris
f judge and teacher of law.