Evening journal., 1912-03-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An AGnOStlC'S PerOratiOH
on the Hereafter
By Holland

In the spring of 1881, at the time
when Roscoe Conkling and President
Garfield were at grievous odds, re-
sulting at last in the resignation of
Mr.. Conkling as United States Sena-
tor from New York. Robert G. Inger-
soil was greatly disturbed, fearing
that the animosities created by this
factional trouble might have a last
ing injurious effect upon the RepubH.
can party.
When in New York city in the late
spring Of that year, after Conkling's
resignation from the Senate and his
! failure to secure recollection by the
! New York Legislature, Colonel In
gersoll expressed himself with great
/ freedom and yet not in an unkindly
way about the attitude taken by Sen
ator Conkling. lngersoll believed that
Conkling had seriously erred in Gre
ating personal issue between him
self and President Garfield. He did not
/ hesitate to speak in words Of rather
severe criticism to the friends Of
! Senator Conkling; he did not hesitate
TO say that, in his opinion just lit
lie tact on Conkling's part might have
! spared the humiliation which he felt,
and that Conkling was too great a
man to permit himself TO ruin his
political career by action taken In a
moment of passion.
In the month Of April. 1888, Roscoe
! COnkling died after a surgical opera
! ton made necessary by the growth Of
an abscess behing the ear. Colonel
lngersoll had several years earlier
become a citizen of New York state,
having taken up the practice of law
in New York city.
Within few days after the death
OF Senator Conkling the New York
Legislature, then in session. decided
to hold a memorial service. The
names Of several men who wePe en-
inent as Republican leaders or who
were prominent in the practice of the
law were suggested for the memorial
oratiOn.
why not William NJ Evarts?" some
OF the members asked. But it was
! thought the better part not TO ask any
member Of the United States Senate
TO deliver the memorial address.
why not the. leader of the New
But il was difficult to answer this
question. since there was no common
agreement as to whom that leadership
belonged
At last the name Of Colinel Inger-
soil was suggested, and at first there
was enthusiastic response to the prop
osition that he be invited to become
the memorial orator for Conkling. But
at last member of the Legislature
who represented a New York city dis
| trict declared that It would not do to
select Colonel Ingorsoll as the orator
| terms Of severe criticism of COnkling's
action in resgning his seat in the
| United States Senate.
Suppose lngersoll did" was the
answer "He Is himself so great a man
that the fact that man for whom he
had high admiration erred in one re-
spect would not prevent him from CIV
ing worthy tribute 70 the memory Of
Roscoe Conkling We should ask Col
onel lngcrsoll 10 deliver the memorial
oratiOn" And the Legislature decided
TO do this; and TO the delight of the
committee that called on Colonel In
gersoll he s9id that he esteemed il a
very great privilege TO be chosen by
|
tor TO set forth the career OF Roscoe
Conkling.
A great company was present in the
Assembly chamber when Ingersoll be-
gan his Grafton. Some had heard In
gcrsolls olectrifying speech OF L.
years earlier in which he placed
Blaine, as "the Plumed Knight" in
nomination for the Presidency, but il
was the opinion of these men that in
solemn dignity of thought, in the eX
quisite purity OF the English and ir
the wondrous charm that was i'm tho
melodic tones of Ingersolrs voice
especially when it was wrought &c
its highest pitch neither the Cincin
natl speech nor any other Of Inger
soils addresses surpassed the peror
alton of his memorial address. It was
in these words:
And as he lived. he died. Proudly
he entered the darkness-or the dawI
that we call death. Unhesitatingl,
he passed beyond our horizon, beyond
the twilight's purple hills, beyond the
utmost reach of human arms or help
to that vast realm of silence or of JOY
where the innumerable dwell, and has
left us with his wealth OF thought anC
deed-the memory of grave, imperi
GUS. honest man who bowed alone tC
death"
And it has been said of this perora
ton that it contains the entire phil
osophy of the hereafter in which Col
onel Ingersoll believed.
Copyright, 1912, by e. ]. Edward
All rights reserved.)