Friday, September 5, 2014

Senator James W. Grimes to Elizabeth S Nealley Grimes, November 10, 1861

November 10th. — I have just returned from church. Dr. Channing preached a very able, extemporaneous, philosophical, abolition sermon to a crowded house — such a sermon as no one would have dared to preach in Iowa twelve months ago, and yet it was received here to-day with profound attention and approval. Dr. Channing, in personal appearance, voice, and manner of enunciation and delivery, reminded me very much of Jeff. Davis. His voice is not strong, he has Davis's manner of sinking the last two or three words of each sentence to a low key, his forehead is high, broad, and overhanging, and his face thin and expressive of severe mental labor mingled with physical pain. It is several years since I have heard any sermon that compared with it in length and depth of thought, and in literary finish. There is nothing ornate about his style, no figures or tropes, no husks, all solid meat.

The society is greatly enlarged, and I shall increase it by one, for I have rented part of a pew. Rev. John Pierpont, who is over eighty years of age, but who looks for all the world like a man of sixty, was present. He is now a clerk in one of the departments.

We hear to-day that Colonel Sumner has been badly wounded. Nobody can imagine why that battle was fought. It seems to have been one of those resultless sacrifices of life of which we have had so many this year. There will be no battle on the Potomac this year; I think that is settled.

SOURCE: William Salter, The Life of James W. Grimes, p. 153-4

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