602 



RAYMOND, HENRY J. 



REFORMED CHURCH. 



people. This view lie held in common with 

 some other members of the Republican party, 

 and thus formed the groundwork of the Ad- 

 dress and Declaration of Principles, which he 

 drew up and which were unanimously adopted 

 by the convention. But the movement was 

 misunderstood by Republicans. A compromise, 

 involving the surrender of some vital principle, 

 was suspected ; and, as few Republican jour- 

 nals lent it their support, it failed to exert a 

 permanent influence on the party. On the 

 expiration of his term, Mr. Raymond, having 

 declined the renomination that was pressed 

 upon him by prominent men of both parties, 

 withdrew almost wholly from public life, and 

 devoted all his energies to the conduct of his 

 paper. He was offered the mission to Austria 

 by President Johnson, in 1867; but his name 

 was sent to the Senate without his consent, 

 and after he had notified the President that no 

 considerations could induce him to accept the 

 position. Mr. Raymond frequently said that 

 he felt journalism to be .his true vocation. He 

 had no love for political life. Its honors held 

 out no lure for his ambition. He was fond of 

 travel, and in the summer of 1868 made a third 

 visit to Europe. His tastes were cultivated 

 and liberal, and his studies embraced a wide 

 range of subjects. He was a large reader, and 

 with this combined the rarest qualities of a 

 thinker and reasoner. Few men, even among 

 practised writers for the daily press, had the 

 readiness in composition that distinguished him. 

 None was ever more quick to seize the right 

 point of a subject, and give it expression with 

 ease, clearness, and vivacity. He wrote with 

 extraordinary facility on every subject that 

 came up for discussion in the paper ; and could 

 be light and playful or weighty and profound, 

 as the nature of the topic required. 



Absorbed in the duties of his profession, Mr. 

 Raymond found but little leisure for literary 

 labors in other fields. His only book was a 

 biography of Abraham Lincoln, first published 

 in 12mo, in 1864, and republished the follow- 

 ing year, so much enlarged as to be almost a 

 new work. Besides this, his publications have 

 been a few political speeches and literary ora- 

 tions. At one time he meditated a history of 

 his own life and times, which he intended to 

 be a vindication of his political course ; but it 

 was never begun. Mr. Raymond was almost 

 as well known as a public speaker as an editor, 

 and possessed singular power over an audi- 

 ence. It was not merely in the personal mag- 

 netism of the man, but in the force of his 

 reasoning, the lucidity of his illustrations, and 

 the logical arrangements of his thoughts. 

 His manner was easy and conversational, his 

 enunciation rapid but distinct, his voice clear 

 and resonant. The mere announcement that he 

 was to speak on any subject, was always suffi- 

 cient to draw an audience. As a journalist, 

 Mr. Raymond occupied the very first rank. 

 Thoroughly conversant with the history and 

 dominant issues of national and State politics, 



he possessed also remarkable fertility and re- 

 sources as a writer. His faculties were so 

 much under his command, and his education 

 was so comprehensive and practical, that he 

 could advantageously discuss a wide range of 

 topics. As a controversialist it would not be 

 easy to find his equal. His industry was in- 

 comparable, his intelligence quick and sure. 

 Without the highest gifts of imagination, he 

 was always clear, forcible, and instructive; 

 and he knew how to seize the controlling point 

 of a question and present it so that the reader 

 could not fail to understand and be convinced. 

 His judgment was naturally moderate and con- 

 servative, free alike from the control of pre- 

 judice and of passion ; and that intensity of 

 conviction which easily passes into fanaticism, 

 and is often dangerous to a public man, was 

 not congenial to his mental organization. His 

 death occurred from apoplexy, with which he 

 was attacked while entering his own house, 

 and which proved fatal in the course o/ four 

 or five hours. 



REFORMED CHURCH. 1. The General 

 Triennial Synod of the Reformed Church in 

 the United States (German) met in Philadelphia, 

 on the 25th of November. The reports from 

 the classes on striking out the word " German " 

 from the designation of the Church, showed 

 twenty-four classes voting in favor of the 

 change, and it was declared carried. Con- 

 siderable time was spent in discussions upon 

 the liturgy. The Eastern Synod has one lit- 

 urgy ; the Synods of Ohio and the Northwest 

 have proposed another. The sentiment of the 

 General Synod must leave it optional with the 

 classes which liturgy they should employ. In 

 reference to a union with the Reformed Church 

 (Dutch) of America, the Synod declared, that 

 a closer union between two bodies so intimately 

 related in doctrine, culture, and name, would 

 be both natural and desirable, so soon as that 

 consummation can be reached with the cordial 

 consent of both Churches. " We cordially re- 

 ciprocate the kind feeling that has for several 

 years found expression through the delegates 

 of the Reformed Church of America, and other 

 authoritative channels, touching this matter. 

 We rejoice in the growing friendly relation of 

 these two Protestant bodies, and are ready to 

 cooperate in all proper movements looking to 

 a closer union ; but we do not see our way 

 clear at this time to take any more definite 

 action on this subject." 



The review of the state of the Church speaks 

 of the cheering advance that has been made 

 since the first Synod met in Philadelphia, one 

 hundred and twenty-three years before. It 

 represents the progress since the meeting of 

 the last Synod to have continued favorable ; 

 the various interests have been strengthened 

 and extended ; the Church has grown in spir- 

 ituality, its enterprises have been vigorously 

 prosecuted. " Though we have not carried on 

 foreign missions, technically so called, yet we 

 have labored among different nationalities 



