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DEATH OF EX-GOVERNOR DUNNING. THE FUNERAL. While the town clock was on the stroke of 12, noon, last Salibbath day the remains of the late Ex-Governor Paris C. Dunning were laid in state in the courtroom, and a few mo ments thereafter its funeral bell was heard to commence , three hours tolling, announcing to the public that the body of the dead statesman had made its first passage toward the tomb. “The path of glory was in deed leading to the grave.” He had died at a quarter past seven of the clock on the proceeding day. His death was quiet,and, like the ail ment whereof he died, painless. As the closing moments drew on apace a calm serenity took possession of feature and form, and the great, generous soul took its flight to the fadeless realm, beyond the bound ries of this mortal life, peacefully and calmly, as a babe sleeping rest fully in its mother’s arms Robbed of its wanted terrors, death in this instance was but lying down to sleep, to sleep in the quiet shade, in an unbroken and endless slumber. The court-room had been tasteful ly draped on Saturday afternoon by the wave of the bar at their after noon meeting, and this important adjunct of the funeral was attended to by a committee from that body under the personal superintendence of Mrs. J. F. Pittman. The draper ies, were very handsomely designed and arranged, and were supplement ed by appropriate floral offerings from Mrs. Pittman and Mr. Capt. J. W. Shoemaker and Mrs. Lewis Bollman- The members of the bar feel very grateful to these ladies for their beautiful tributes. At the bar meeting referred to, appropriate remarks were made by the chairman, Rev. R. W. Miers, and also by J. R. East, Major J. B. Mulkey, Elis Abel, Squire Roseberry, Wa. F. Browning, Felix Dunn, R. A. Falk, Squire W. IL. Adams, D. O. Spencer, and A. W. Rogers. The funeral services were held in the M. =. Church, at 3 o’clock in the presence of a vast audience, and were participated in by Rev. Brant, Philiput, Moss and Ballentine. Immediately following the services a large multitude followed the pro cession to the cemetery where the body was lowered to its last resting place, according to the simple and impressive ritual of the Methodist church. All of the near relatives of the de ceased were present at the funeral, and with the exception of Smith L. Dunning, (the child by the last mar riage) were present at the final hour of dissolution. Among those from abroad, in addition to the wife and son, were Prof. J. W. McBride and wife and son, of Indianapolis, Geo. McDonald and wife, of Attica, and Quincy Dunning, Esq., of Gosport. On Tuesday morning Hon. R. W. Miers formally presented the reso lutions passed by the bar on Satur day, and after remarks by Judge Wilson, and several members of the bar were ordered pread of record. We give Rev. Brant’s sermon entire, as it gives a fair account of Dun ning’s life work. Rev. Brant said: PARIS C, DUNNING. “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel.”—2 Sam. 3 38. Gov. Dunning is dead and we are here to give him Christian burial. He was born in Gulford county, North Caroina, on the 15th day of March, 1805. His father was for many years Sheriff of his county and at his death left a widow and large family of which he was the youngest. He received a good com mon school education at the acade my in his native town and completed his education at a neighboring Uni versity. When he was about 17 ears of age his mother removed to entucky, and thence to this—Mon roe county. Here he taught school some 60 years ago and then studied medicine with Dr. Maxwell’s father, after which he attended medical lect ures in Kentucky. He began the practice of medicine in Rockville, Parke county, Ind., Terre Haute and Bruceville. But the profession of medicine evidently not suiting his tastes and oratorical talents, he re moved to Bloomington, Ind., and studied law with Gen. Howard and Gov. Whitcomb, beginning practice at the bar in 1833, when about 27 years of age. That same year he was elected to the Legislature of the State, and so began his long and eventful career in public life. He was re-elected to the lower house for the two succeeding sessions, and then the confidence of his constitu ents was manifested in his election to the Senate from this district for three terms. In 1846, he was a can didate for Lieut.-Governor and after a spirited canvass was elected. In 1848 Gov. Whitcomb, having been elected to the United States Senate, he succeeded him as Governor, and so was the chief citizen of our Com monwealth for nearly two years. In 1848 he was a candidate for presi dential election against the Hon. Geo G. Dunn. In 1860 he was a delegate to the memorable Charles ton convention and also at the ad journed meeting of that convention in Baltimore. Serving in both places as a member of the Committee on Resolutions and Platform, and as a member of that Committee, with Hon. Ren. F. Butler and two others, made a report called the minority of the minority report. There being three reports made this report was finally adopted and upon that the distinguished Stephen A. Douglass made his race for the Presidency in 1860. In 1863 he was again elected to the Senate and by that body was honored with its Presidency during the latter and most critical period of Gov. Morton’s occupancy of the Gub ernatorial chair. He was offered the race for Congress, in 1856, in this district, but declined, saying that he had left public life. He could say—what many men cannot— that he was never beaten in a race for office in the whole of his long, busy life. In the prime of his man hood Gov. Dunning was one of the strongest men before the people in our State. Gifted with a fine pres ence and a splendid flow of oratory, he came to the front as a leader peti prince among his fellows. At one time during the days of Gov. Whit comb, Gov. Wright, Geo. G. Dunn and others of our princely men he was the peer and equal of any of them in popularity with the people. By reason of his position and in fluence he was able to do much in building up and fostering our State University, and to his acts in that direction he always referred with great pleasure. Such in brief is an outline of his long public life spent in the forefront of the stirring and most eventful days of our State and nation When the terrible struggle for the supremacy of our flag came, he was found on the side of the Union, true to the end. As an at torney we prefer that his brethren of the bar should speak, but this much may be said,out of the very instincts of his nature he was an advocate. His sympathy for the weak always made him strong for the defense. Turning from his vere and pro fessional life that all men knew, we turn to his domestic and home life. In his 19th year he was married to Miss Sarah A. Alexander with whom he journeyed in the circle of his home for 38 years. By her were born 10 children, three of whom died in infancy, and seven came to adult years. Of these one son and three daughters have proceeded him to the land beyond. One son and two daughters still abide; both daughters present this day. Sept. 27th, 1863, he was married to Mrs. Ellen D. Ashford, his now bereaved widow, by whom was born one son, now in his 14th year, and who with his sisters and mother, mourn this day the memory of one so dear to them. Gov. Denning under the ministry of Rev. J.J. Hight in Evans ville, in the year 1874, made a pro fession of religion and joined the Methodist Episcopal church. Dur ing his long life he was a church go ing man, but since uniting with the church he has been a faithful at tendant upon all the means of grace, and the subject of religion was to him a pleasing theme. Looking back over his life we cannot say that it was above critic ism. In his high trusts and in his home life he may have made many mistakes, but we cherish his vir tues, and throw over his faults as far as possible the mantle of obliv ion. In many respects he was a prince and a great man in the sense that men look upon greatness. But when the last hours of life came and eventide meditations none of these things availed. When alone with him in his room last Tuesday, short ly after he was taken so ill, and while his mind and utterance was clear, he gave me assurances that he was ready and willing to die, saying that for many recent years he has been getting ready. He gave me directions about his funeral, saying that he wanted to be buried by the side of the wife of his youth and according to the simple ritual of his church. He died at peace with God and his fellow men. During 61 years Grev. Dunning was a resident of this city, excepting a few years in his early life spent elsewhere in his first profession, and during some of his latter years he was a citizen of Evansville. In this county he won his place at the bar and before the people in forensic debate and it was fitting that a good Providence per mitted him to return here to die among his old friends, amid the memories of his palmy days. Here he was granted a painless death. For a number of years he had a quite meditating life and so lived more in the past than in the present, and so he loved to linger alout the Court of Justice where he had been in other years the most prominent picture. The ruling passion was strong in death and so while sinking and at times delirious he was trying to bring something to the attention of the Court. But while the shadows were falling over all; that was earthly there shown a light upon the dying man above the brightness of all oth er sins. During the ministry of my predecessor, Dr. Webb, he had re newed his allegiance to the blessed Master and now that Master was his sun and shield. To his wife he said Jesus is precious; and the day before he died he sang to the old time true that sweet hymn that ling ered in his memory as a sweet sol ace. Of him who did salvation bring, I could forever think and sing, Arise ye needy, he’ll relieve, Arise ye guilty, he'll forgive. Ask but his grace and lo’ ts given. Ask and he turns your hell to heaven. Though sin and sorrow wound my soul, Jesus, thy balm will make it whole. To shame our sins he blushed in blood. He closed his eyes to show us God. Let all the world fall down and know, That none but God such love can show. Just as he was dying he openned his eyes as if looking at ething beautiful and passed from this body smiling. We bury his body this day but he is not here. We trust he is In the bosom of God the Father. We lay this body in the grave that is not windowless because the Son sf God has said, “I am the resurrect ion and the life,” and so there shines on the grave a luminous hope of eternal life. “The grave is but a rest pro longed sublime. From which we awake victors o’er space and time.” We lay this body away but his life lingers with us, and he lives with those who were impressed by his example. May we treasure up the good in his life and cast the bad away. “The world has sank from his signt, A trifle appears all its treasures, He sees them now by eternity’s light. How vain its pomps and its pleas ures, How faint are the notes of the trumpet of fame, Rehearsing its soul flattering story, How tarnished the luster of each noble name. A meteor flash is its glory! We trust he realizes a glory that is fadeless as eternity. The speeches of the bar-meeting were more in the anecdote style, each of the talkers telling of some in stance that occurred between them and the dead Ex-Governor. Hon. W. F. Browning told an interesting story that is connected so closely to both their lives that it is worth giv ing. Mr. Browning said: Mr. Chairman: In the year 1838 I made the acquaintance of Governor Dunning in this town. In the win ter of ’38 and 89 I began my public career, I may say, in this court house. I have known the Governor intimate ly ever since, and I can repeat the language of Mr. Abel,—‘he has ever ‘been my friend—a friend when I needed_a friend. I never shall for get the 28th day of August, 1844. That was indeed a memorable oc casion with me. There are not many in this house who remember that day and what occurred. I see Mr. Abel and Mr. Felix Dunn, and Aquilla Rogers, and Squire Rose berry here, and these gentlemen may remember it. I had been unfortun ate enough to lose a brother. The Circuit Judge and his associates, af ter I had been five long years trying to learn something of the duties of the office of clerk of the circuit court, gave me the appointment to serve out the unexpired term of my deseased brother. Some of you know, espec ially the members of the bar, that the term under the old constitution was seven years. This appointment was tendered by the Court in the east room of that little brick building standing out there where the Clerk’s office was then kept. I had spent five years of toil in that little room. The time came for me to execute a bond in the penal sum of $10,000. I was young, penniless, but not friendless, for Governor Dunning— not then Governor—came to me and said “William, you must give bond; I will write it for you; I will sign it at one of your sureties, and I will get the others to sign it.” I am not certain bhut Mr. Abel there was on that bond, I think he was. And why shouldn’t I remember Governor Dunning with greatful delight.” Here Mr. Browning gave several in stances of Gov. D.’s effective oratory when at the height of his fame, and closed with a tender and touching eulogy. TO THE EAST. TO THE NORTH. TO THE WEST. TO THE SOUTH VIA THE Ohio Mississippi R’y THE Great Through Car BL AND— Fas AParty TR sI ¥ S to— t Time Route! Cincinnati Louisville.
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Bloomington Telephone
Bloomington, Indiana, US
Sat, May 17, 1884
Page 8
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USA 10 May 2026
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