Year: 1859

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Judges. and Kings, as we'll as Beggars:
must obey. His countenance was changed
and ne was hurried away TO the Land OF
the herca ter f


That undsco, cred country, from whose bourns
No traveller returns, ~
showing us that we are all Of us men,
mortal men. walking among graves.
! 1t is said Mr.. Speaker, that the am
cient city of Rome was crowded in Sll


its suburbs with monuments erected II
memory of the dead. and that, at every
turn, the eye was met and the heart af.
rested by the brief but significant and
/ impressive inscription, 'Sisfe Viafo' =
And in like maner, we may say. that the
whole world is crowded with memorials
of the dead and with monuments of hue.
man frailty and morality, so that wherev-'
or we turn, we behold the inscription,
All flesh is grass, ard all the glory and
power of man is as the flower Of the field.
Pause, ye travellers to immortality, ahd
consider


The impressive event which we con-
slider day. reminds us Of THAT uncer'
tainty of human life, which ought al
ways to enter into all human calcula-
tons. 1t is right, indeed. and necessary
that we should count on life, and on
long life. Otherwise we could lay no
good foundation of education or prepa-
ration for the dnties and responsibilities
of life. But while we calculate on life,
we should also remember its uncertain
ty, its utter uncertainty. And instead
OF following the example of the Jews Of
old, who. in accordance with the strong,
ineiatlicabe disposition Of their race to
accumulate wealth, were engaged in vast
enterprises of trade in all the principal
cities of the world, saying to themselves.
'Lat us 90 into such city, and continue
there year, and buy and sell and get
gain, we ought to say. 1T the Lord
will, we shall live ard do this or that
Every man, in every condition OF life.
should act in this matter like the cashier
of one OF our Banks, with whom am
acquainted, who is careful every night to
leave h is books and papers in such .
state that, should he never return, noth-
Ing would be found disordered in difficult
ty or perplexity.


This impres sve event also reminds US
of the great realty of life. Life What
is life :: Is it simply to exist like the
plants of the field, or the oxen of the
stall? Is it to accumulate wealth, or be
engaged in great and stirring enterpr sess
No, not this. In the shadow of the
grave things are seen in their true pro-
portions, and in the shadow which Las
fallen upon us to-day, we see and un-
derstand that man life consisteth not
in the abundance of the things which he
posseth, nor in what he does, but in what
he is, in his real living character and
and principles. All earthly possessions
are but dust. Estates regulations!
with how slight breath are they often
blown away , The earth itself is dust;
and all these suns and stars are dust
Only the spirit that is in man. that in
spiration OF the Almighty, by which man
rules the world, with sound moral and
religious character and principles,
| is imperishable, and an imperishabls
good. As Daniel Webster once said on
an occasion like this Political and pro-
fessonal reputation cannot last forever;
but conscience void of offence toward
God and man is an inheritance for eter-
nifty. Therefore, religion is necessary
and indispensable element in any great
human character. There is no living
without it. Religion is the tie that con-
meets man with his Creator and bi DIS
him to His throne. But if that tie be
all sundercd, all broken. he floats away
a worthless atom in the universe, its
proper attractions all gone, its destiny
thwarted, and its whole future nothing
but darkness, desolation and DEATH
These were most weighty words of truth
from the great Statesman.


Again, Mr.. Speaker, we are reminded
by this event OF our higher duties and
responsibilities. | say higher. because
there are duties higher and graver than
those now rest ng upon us, or those up
ON which we entered when we lifted up
our hands tc the God of Heaven and
promised to be faithful to the Constitu-
ton which He in His wisdom and good-
ness gave us, through the mnistration
of our fathers. There is higher law,
not written with ink nor engraved upon
stone, but impressed upon the heart Of
every man, his conscience bearing wit
ness; is will OF God before which all
! human enactments and constitutions fade
and curl and fall into ashes. Here to-
day voice more impressive than mine;
says, nc man iveth to himself, and no
man dicth to himself.


We are also reminded by this event


that TIE post of duty is the place to die.
No matter what our duties may be, pub


lie or private. at home or abroad. on the
land or on the sea. the position in which
we ought to meet death is that of a steady
aud faithful discharge of duty. There is
something beautiful and very desirable
indeed. in the thought of ones dying at
home, in the midst of friends, his chill
drcn around his bed, his brow feeling
the pressure of his wife's hand, his ear
hearing tie sweet music other praying
voice; but there is something sublime in
John Quincy Adams falling in the Cap
itol, at his post, with his harness on, and
saying. This is the last Of earth, l am
con tnt


One thing more. We are reminded