Year: 1871




The funeral of Thomas Garrett, which took
place at Wilmington on Saturday, partook
almost of the character of popular ovation to
the memory of the deceased, though it was
conducted with the plainness of form which
characterizes the society of which he was
member.


The Friends Meeting House was crowded,
except the place reserved for the relatives os
the deceased and though probably fifteen hum
dred people crowded into the capacious build
ing, greater number still were unable to gain
admission.


The coffin was laid in the open space in front
of the gallery of ministers and elders, and the
lid removed from it, after which there was a
period of silence.


Presently the venerable Lucretia Mott arose
and said that, seeing the gathering of the multi
tude there and thronging along the streets, as
she had passed on her way to the meeting
house, she had thought of the multitude which
gathered after the death of Jesus, and of the
remark of the Centurion, who, seeing the
people, said:--"Certainlly this was righteous
man." Looking at this multitude she would
say surely this also was righteous man.
She was not one of those who thought it
best always on occasions like this to speak
in eulogy of the dead, but this was not
an ordinary case, and seeing the crowd that had
gathered, and amongst it the large numbers of
q once despised and prosecuted race for which
the deceased had done so much she felt that it
was fit and proper that the good deeds of this
mans life should be remembered for the encou-
ragement of others. She spoke of her long ac-
quaintance with him, of his cheerful and sunny
disposition, and his firm devotion to the truth
as he saw it.


William Howard Day then came forward
saying he understood that it would not be con-
sidered inappropriate for one of his race to say
few words on this occasion, and to make some
attempt to pay fitting tribute to one to whom
they owed so much. He did not feel to-day like
paying such a tribute, his griet was too fresh
upon him. his heart too bowed down, and he
could do no more than in behalf of his race,
not only those here, but the host the deceased
have befriended, and of the whole four millions
to whom he had been so true friend-cast
tribute of praise and thanks upon his grave.


Rev. Alfred Goodman, of Grace NJ. E. Church,
next arose and said that he came there intend
ing to say nothing, but the scene moved him to
a few words. He remembered once standing in
front of st. Pauls Cathedral, in London, and
seeing therein the name of the architect Sir
Christopher Wren, inscribed, and under it this
inscripton:-"S Stranger, if you would see his
monument look about you," and the thought
came to him that if you would see the monu-
ment of him who lies there, look about you and
see it built in stones ofliving hearts He thanked
God for the works of this man; he thanked Him
especially for his noble character. He said he
felt that that body had been the temple of a
noble spirit. ay. the temple of God himself, and
some day they would meet that spirit In the
heavenly land beyond the grave.


Lucretia Mott arose and said she feared the
claim might appear to be made that Quakerism
alone held the great central principle which
dominated this mans life, but she wished it un-
derstood that they recognized this ''yoice
within" as leading and guiding all men, and
they probably meant by it much the same as
those differing from them meant, by the third
person in their Trinity. She did not wish even
in appearance to claim belief in this voice for
her own sect alone: T, Clarkson Taylor then
said that the time for closing the services had
arrived, and in very few words commended
the lesson of his life to those present, after
which the meeting dissolved, and the body
was carried to the graveyard in the rear of the
Westinghouse and deposited in its last resting
place.