"Washington, D.C., May 20, 1893.
"To Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage, Bible House, New York.
"I would be very glad to see you on the 27th of May in Philadelphia
on board the Russian flagship 'Dimitry Donskoy' at eleven o'clock,
to tender to you in presence of our brilliant sailors and on Russian
soil, a souvenir His Majesty the Emperor ordered me to give in his
name to the American gentleman who visited Russia during the trying
year 1892.
"CANTACUZENE."
Gladly I obeyed this request, and was presented, amid imperial
ceremonies, with a magnificent solid gold tea service from the Emperor
Alexander III. These were the sort of appreciative incidents so often
happening in my life that infused my work with encouragements.
The months preceding the close of my ministry in Brooklyn developed a
remarkable interest shown among those to whom my name had become a
symbol of the Gospel message. There was a universal, world-wide
recognition of my work. Many regretted my decision to leave the Brooklyn
Tabernacle, some doubted that I actually intended to do so, others
foretold a more brilliant future for me in the open trail of Gospel
service they expected me to follow.
All this enthusiasm expressed by my friends of the world culminated in a
celebration festival given in honour of the twenty-fifth anniversary of
my pastorate in Brooklyn. The movement spread all over the country and
to Europe. It was decided to make the occasion a sort of International
reception, to be held in the Tabernacle on May 10 and 11, 1894.
I had made my plans for a wide glimpse of the earth and the people on it
who knew me, but whom I had never seen. I had made preparations to start
on May 14, and the dates set for this jubilee were arranged on the eve
of my farewell. I was about to make a complete circuit of the globe, and
whatever my friends expected me to do otherwise I approached this
occasion with a very definite conclusion that it would be my farewell to
Brooklyn.
I recall this event in my life with keen contrasts of feeling, for it is
mingled in my heart with swift impressions of extraordinary joy and
tragic import. All of it was God's will--the blessing and the
chastening.
The church had been decorated with the stars and stripes, with gold and
purple. In front of the great organ, under a huge picture of the pastor,
was the motto that briefly described my evangelical career:--
"Tabernacle his pulpit; the world his audience."
The reception began at eight o'clock in the evening with a selection on
the great organ, by Henry Eyre Brown, our organist, of an original
composition written by him and called, in compliment to the occasion,
"The Talmage Silver Anniversary March." On the speaker's platform with
me were Mayor Schieren, of Brooklyn, Mr. Barnard Peters, Rev. Father
Sylvester Malone, Rev. Dr. John F. Carson, ex-Mayor David A. Boody, Rev.
Dr. Gregg, Rabbi F. De Sol Mendes, Rev. Dr. Louis Albert Banks, Hon.
John Winslow, Rev. Spencer F. Roche, and Rev. A.C. Dixon--an
undenominational gathering of good men. There is, perhaps, no better way
to record my own impressions of this event than to quote the words with
which I replied to the complimentary speeches of this oration. They
recall, more closely and positively, the sensibilities, the emotions,
and the inspiration of that hour:
"Dear Mr. Mayor, and friends before me, and friends behind me, and
friends all around me, and friends hovering over me, and friends in
this room, and the adjoining rooms, and friends indoors and
outdoors--forever photographed upon my mind and heart is this scene
of May 10, 1894. The lights, the flags, the decorations, the
flowers, the music, the illumined faces will remain with me while
earthly life lasts, and be a cause of thanksgiving after I have
passed into the Great Beyond. Two feelings dominate me
to-night--gratitude and unworthiness; gratitude first to God, and
next, to all who have complimented me.
"My twenty-five years in Brooklyn have been happy years--hard work,
of course. This is the fourth church in which I have preached since
coming to Brooklyn, and how much of the difficult work of church
building that implies you can appreciate. This church had its mother
and its grandmother, and its great-grandmother. I could not tell the
story of disasters without telling the story of heroes and heroines,
and around me in all these years have stood men and women of whom
the world was not worthy. But for the most part the twenty-five
years have been to me a great happiness. With all good people here
present the wonder is, although they may not express it, 'What will
be the effect upon the pastor of this church; of all this scene?'
Only one effect, I assure you, and that an inspiration for better
work for God and humanity. And the question is already absorbing my
entire nature, 'What can I do to repay Brooklyn for this great
uprising?' Here is my hand and heart for a campaign of harder work
for God and righteousness than I have ever yet accomplished. I have
been told that sometimes in the Alps there are great avalanches
called down by a shepherd's voice. The pure white snows pile up
higher and higher like a great white throne, mountains of snow on
mountains of snow, and all this is so delicately and evenly poised
that the touch of a hand or the vibration of air caused by the human
voice will send down the avalanche into the valleys with
all-compassing and overwhelming power. Well, to-night I think that
the heavens above us are full of pure white blessings, mountains of
mercy on mountains of mercy, and it will not take much to bring down
the avalanche of benediction, and so I put up my right hand to reach
it and lift my voice, to start it. And now let the avalanche of
blessing come upon your bodies, your minds, your souls, your homes,
your churches, and your city. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from
everlasting to everlasting, and let the whole earth be filled with
His glory! Amen and Amen!"
On the next day, May 11, the reception was continued. Among the speakers
was the Hon. William M. Evarts, ex-Secretary of State, who, though
advanced in years, honoured us with his presence and an address. Senator
Walsh, of Georgia, spoke for the South; ex-Congressman Joseph C. Hendrix
of Brooklyn, Rev. Charles L. Thompson, Murat Halstead, Rev. Dr. I.J.
Lansing, General Tracey, were among the other speakers of the evening.
From St. Petersburg came a cable, signed by Count Bobrinsky,
saying:--"Heartfelt congratulations from remembering friends."
Messages from Senator John Sherman, from Governor McKinley (before he
became President), from Mr. Gladstone, from Rev. Joseph Parker, and
among others from London, the following cable, which I shall always
prize among the greatest testimonials of the broad Gospel purpose in
England--
"Cordial congratulations; grateful acknowledgment of splendid
services in ministry during last twenty-five years. Warm wishes for
future prosperity.
"(Signed)
ARCHDEACON OF LONDON,
CANON WILBERFORCE.
THOMAS DAVIDSON.
PROFESSOR SIMPSON.
JOHN LOBB.
BISHOP OF LONDON."
Appreciation, good cheer, encouragement swept around and about me, as I
was to start on what Dr. Gregg described as "A walk among the people of
my congregation" around the world.
The following Sunday, May 13, 1894, just after the morning service, the
Tabernacle was burned to the ground.