. Retrospections of an active life. d withhim, though in a humble way, the responsibilities of repre-senting the interests of our country people in this empire, toprofit by the invitation of our pastor to offer here in the pres-ence of his mortal remains a brief tribute to the memory of afriend. My personal relations with our late Minister had been moreintimate, perhaps, than our ordinary official intercourse re-quired, for the grave trials through which our country hasbeen passing very naturally tended to bring all Americans, andespecially such as sustained official responsibilities, into rel
. Retrospections of an active life. d withhim, though in a humble way, the responsibilities of repre-senting the interests of our country people in this empire, toprofit by the invitation of our pastor to offer here in the pres-ence of his mortal remains a brief tribute to the memory of afriend. My personal relations with our late Minister had been moreintimate, perhaps, than our ordinary official intercourse re-quired, for the grave trials through which our country hasbeen passing very naturally tended to bring all Americans, andespecially such as sustained official responsibilities, into rela-tions of peculiar intimacy with those who sympathized in theiranxieties. But for the consoling conviction that, in the wise economy ofProvidence, no one ever dies too soon or lives too long, ourgrief to-day might be aggravated by the reflection that was taken from us at a period of life when most mensusefulness to the world only begins to be manifest. Measuredby its years his life seemed to have been brought to a prema-. William L. DaytonPresident Lincolns first Minister t France MR. DAYTONS FUNERAL 239 ture close. But measured by its results Mr. Dayton was an oldman. At the early age of thirty-five, and when most men arecontent to begin their public career, he was already clothedwith the highest legislative honors of the Republic. After analmost uninterrupted term of honorable service of twenty-twoyears, death overtook him in the discharge of what under exist-ing circumstances deserves perhaps to be regarded as the mostdignified political trust, save one, which his country couldconfer. Men have lived many years, some have achievedgreater distinctions, but what man was ever born with anambition so extravagant that, looking back from the end ofthe longest life to such results, he could not feel that, so far aspublic honors are a test, he had filled the measure of his ownas well as of his countrys utmost expectations? Nor was Mr. Daytons eminence due in any respect to
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