TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS.
One of the leading characteristics that may be mentioned in speaking
of Dr. Walker’s traits is this: He is accustomed to bear injuries and
insults with great patience and forbearance. All the great men of
earth from the time of Christ to the present day have been subjected
to calumny, abuse, contumely, and misrepresentation in some form or
other. George Washington, during his second administration, was called
a traitor, because he would not go to war with England. Epithets were
applied to him which would hardly have been applied to a Nero, a
notorious defaulter, or a common pickpocket. Abraham Lincoln was called
a poltroon, a hypocrite, because he was deliberate, painstaking and
cautious about issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. Horace Greeley,
who, with his paper, the New York Tribune, did more than any other
individual in America to bring about the abolition of slavery, was
most bitterly denounced by the American people, because he dared to go
on the bond of Jefferson Davis, the animosity and vituperation having
reached their climax in his campaign against Grant for the presidency.
Henry Ward Beecher, who was without a peer in the American pulpit, was
hounded down by the venomous tongue of slander and dragged into court
on an infamous charge. Dwight L. Moody had his bitter with his sweet.
On his first evangelistic campaign in Europe the papers boldly asserted
that he was in the employ of P. T. Barnum, the great show man, and that
he was making thousands for his own use out of a credulous public. His
issuing of the “Moody and Sankey Hymn Book” was declared to be a huge
money-making venture, and people were advised not to purchase it. The
great and good William McKinley, the patient, praying President, was
most bitterly assailed, his motives most bitterly impugned, and he was
called “the puppet president,” “the tool,” “the manakin.” President
Roosevelt has said that the man who has not made mistakes is the man
who has not done anything. It might be said with equal truth that
the man who has not been assailed and opposed is the man who has not
done anything. How could Dr. Walker escape? A man’s character is not
evinced by the manner in which he is slandered and abused and traduced,
nevertheless; but a man’s character is shown by the manner in which he
accepts misrepresentation and abuse and slander. Dr. Walker has the
courage which faces difficulties, braves rebuke and contumely, is not
afraid of harsh names and ugly epithets; the courage that can look
danger and persecution in the face and not shrink before them, brave
before ridicule not less than before threatening; the rare courage
which in the discharge of duty is not afraid of what men shall say.
Though he likes popularity--and who does not?--yet no consideration
of public favor can frighten him from speaking his mind, from saying
what he believes to be true, from saying what he believes that the
people ought to hear. Such courage is of a higher order than an animal
instinct, more difficult to maintain, and more trying to a sensitive
soul. The bravery that bears misunderstanding is more radical than
the bravery that returns blows or fights battles. He has repeatedly
said that he has tried to make these words the motto of his life: “I
am determined never to be guilty of ingratitude; never to desert a
friend; never to strike back at an enemy.” I have known Dr. Walker
intimately for more than twenty years. I have eaten with him, slept
with him, traveled with him, prayed with him, worked with him, played
with him; I have known some of the indignities, which have been heaped
upon him, and some of the hard things, which he has been called upon
to bear; and I truly believe that, in his dealings with those who have
wronged him, as well as in his dealings with humanity in general, he
is the most Christlike man I ever knew. He comes nearer fulfilling in
his own life and person the divine injunction, “Love your enemies; do
good to them that despitefully use you,” than any man of my extended
acquaintance. Perhaps the following admonition and advice sent to me by
him in a letter at a time of great trial in my own life, will better
show his character on this point than anything I could say. Here is
what he said: “You must expect that some will misrepresent both your
conduct and your motives. You must expect that your best efforts will
be thwarted by the folly or wickedness of those whom you propose to
serve. Be it so. Spend no time or strength in unavailing regrets. Spend
no time or strength in repelling the attempted injury. Go forward in
the way of duty. Let your uniform good conduct be your defence. Time
is the great corrector. Your conduct will one day be seen in its true
light. If not, God always sees it in its true light, and will reward
every man according to his works.” These were noble words from a noble
soul. God does not call his ministers to seats of ease, nor yet to the
enjoyment of undisturbed comforts. Their duties are of such a nature
and their environment is so peculiar that such a call in this life is
impossible. Indeed, it often happens that the more faithful a minister
is to his divine vocation, the more bitter will be the cup he is called
upon to drain. Had it been otherwise, the name of many a noble man of
God, enshrined in the hearts of millions of the race, would never have
been heard beyond his parish boundaries. In every church, even those
conducted on sound principles, there are a few polyphagous members whom
no gospel preacher can supply. They are ever restive, ever seeking
after novelties, ever grumbling, ever finding fault. Dr. Walker has met
people of this class in his pastoral work, and he has won them by love
and kindness. He has proved in this way that the word of the Master
is true, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and
persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven.”
Humility is also a distinguishing trait in the character of Dr.
Walker. The beauty of humility is delightfully displayed in him, and
its influence is extensively felt and acknowledged. Hence, arise the
love and respect so generally entertained for him. It has been remarked
that scarcely any person could be in his presence for an hour without
loving him. There has always been about him a beautiful unmindfulness
of himself while engaged in his life-work. In this respect he is
different from many, for self-consciousness and solicitous guardianship
over their own rights and honors characterize mankind in general.
At the recent meeting in Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, held to protest
against his returning to labor with his old church at Augusta, one
of the most prominent young men of the church spoke in substance as
follows: “I want to confess something here that I have never before
told anybody, not even Dr. Walker. Dr. Walker has done more to take
false pride out of me than any man living. The other day I was going
down Broadway, and I passed Dr. Walker. I stopped and shook his hand,
and being somewhat in a hurry, kept on down the street. Shortly after
I had passed him I met a young man whom I knew well, but he wasn’t
well dressed--in fact, he was dressed very shabbily--and I didn’t
want to speak to him. I turned my head away from him, so as to keep
from speaking. I looked back to see if Dr. Walker would speak to him.
Dr. Walker stopped and shook that young man’s hand and stood up in
Broadway, with all the people going by, to talk with him, and Dr.
Walker seemed just as glad to see him as he had been to see me. I
learned a lesson from that scene that I will never forget.”
Dr. Walker, also, has a responsive feeling of gratitude for mercies
and favors received. This spirit is always associated with true
humility; for in proportion to the Christian’s sense of his own
unworthiness, is his thankfulness for those supplies which he forfeited
by his rebellion. Dr. Walker views every blessing, both temporal and
spiritual, as coming to him immediately from the hand of God through
the mediation of Jesus Christ.
Christian charity pre-eminently adorns the character of Dr. Walker.
The love which glows in Dr. Walker’s heart was evidently enkindled by
the Holy Ghost and has produced a cordial feeling of good-will toward
all men, of whatever grade or country, of whatever party or sect. While
he is an ardent and uncompromising Baptist, his treatment of other
Christian denominations is fraternal and appreciative; his spirit is
broad and catholic; there is nothing ultra-sectarian in his make-up.
Those who love him because of this are found in the Methodist church,
the Congregational church, the Presbyterian church, the Episcopalian
church, the Baptist church, and in all churches and in no churches.
He has a tender fellow-feeling for the poor and afflicted, and has
many times denied himself lawful gratifications for their sake. He has
cheerfully submitted to any service, and thought nothing too low or too
mean, in which to engage, if thereby he could benefit either the souls
or bodies of men.
There are other features which ought to be mentioned. Clearness of
vision, capacity for hard work and quick decisions, executive force,
the ability to guide the thoughts and energies of other men into the
same channel as his own, and thus unite their force with his, and his
mastery of details, are conspicuous elements in his character.
Charles T. Walker has his faults, like other men. These are not to be
overlooked, and I mention this fact, in closing this chapter, in order
to say that Charles T. Walker is not a perfect man. A perfect man has
not trod this planet since Christ left it. It is said of Charles Lamb,
that he liked his friends, not in spite of their faults, but faults
and all. And Charles Lamb was no less right than kind. The errors of
a true man are not discreditable to him, for his errors spring from
the same source as his excellencies. Moreover, it is very difficult to
judge character. Generally speaking, those who are familiar with a man
are blind to his faults, and those who are not intimate are blind to
his virtues. Still, in summing up the traits and characteristics of Dr.
Walker, it may be truthfully said that he is no ordinary man, and that
one would be compelled to search among sinful mortals many and many a
day before he would find one man who, in all respects, possesses more
of the traits of genuine honor, manhood and sterling worth than does
the present pastor of the Mount Olivet Baptist Church, New York City.