Buenos Ayres, Thursday, February 16, 1989

THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE E.T. MULHALL
(lo sobrevivió su mujer, Sarah Elisa (Eloisa) Eborall Redding (1841 a 1927) con quien tuvo tuvo 11 hijos: Guillermo Wyckeham, María Beatriz, Elisa Dora, Eduardo Tomás, Francisco, Miguel Jorge, Jaime Estanislao, Catalina, Julio Adrián y Samuel Blas Mulhall)

In spite of the depletion of the city caused by the general exodus on the eve of Carnival, an enormous concourse of friends assembled to witness the burial of the mortal remains of our revered and beloved Senior Editor. The funeral was a magnificent demonstration of sympathy showing in what great esteem Mr. E. T. Mulhall was held by the British community and by Argentine and foreign residents in general.  From the Chief Magistracy of the country down, all classes were represented, all hearts throbbed with one feeling of sorrow, and my eyes were dimmed with tars when the voice of the orator vibrated through the stillness of the cemetery, proclaiming the virtues and moral qualities of the deceased.  Two orations were delivered over the coffin, one by Mr. Alberto Gache, president of the Circulo de la Prensa and the other by the Revd. Kenelm Vaughan, who assisted by Fathers Usher and Garrone, read the burial service.  We append these orations as a tribute to the memory of our beloved chief.  We also append a letter written by him about a month before his death to the venerable Mrs. Methven, one of the oldest British residents in La Plata.  The letter shows us in what a beautifully calm frame of mind Mr. Mulhall saw his end approach, and with what tenderness of feeling he took leave of his friends. We return our warmest thanks to Mrs. Methven for her kindness in placing in our hands a missive in which our readers will readily perceive the swan-like sweetness of a dying farewell.

We, moreover, append a few letters received by the family during the last few days, shewing the high esteem in which Mr. Mulhall was held by the more prominent church mob of the Plate.

The following are the orations:

Mr. Alberto Gache, President of the Circulo de la Prensa said:

“The death of Mr. Mulhall is undoubtedly a great loss for Argentines.  With him disappears an apostle of our progress and a sincere friend.  Society loses a “gentleman” and the Press one of its most prominent and distinguished representatives.  What Mr. Mulhall said, transmitted in the conscientious columns of THE STANDARD to the British Isles was always an expression of the truth.  His dictum, known and commented on even in the lonely cabin of the rustic shepherd in the Emerald Isle, was accepted almost as gospel truth.  Thousands of Irishmen, attracted solely the words of their friend, abandoned their  homes and emigrated to Buenos Aires to establish themselves in the wide Pampa.  Uniting his action to his word Mr. Mulhall taught our “criollo” farmers the secrete of deriving the greatest possible benefit form their flocks and herds.

During the trying period through which this country passed when Argentine credit was viewed askance in the City owing to acts that it is painful to call to mind; when the eyes of Argentine rulers were fixed on the great English market; in those days of disenchantment, the sincere word to THE STANDARD, its calm judgment of and sound counsel given by Mr. Mulhall, were justly heard in the highest respect by the London bankers, and more than once his word and his advice succeeded in modifying the pessimistic opinion formed in respect of our leading men and our affairs”.

The Revd. Kennel Vaughan said: “Here we are all gather around the mortal remains of our dear friend Edward Mulhall. As the bird that is fledged flies upwards to the skies and its fragile nest falls to the ground and crumbles to dust, so the immortal soul of our departed friend has flown upwards to God, its Creator, and its clay house, the body has fallen to the ground to return to dust from which it was made and we have laid it sorrowfully and with reverence in his family tomb here to await with patience the dawning of the glorious day of the resurrection when it will arise in glory and in immortality.

It has been my happy lot during my three visits to the River Plate to have enjoyed his friendship and society. He was indeed a remarkable man, both in his private and his public life – a man who has left his indelible stamp upon the age that….. closing

Though endowed with the same powers of should that we all have, yet what was notable in him was the way that those powers were developed, guided and elevated by Christian principles.  He had a clear, penetrating and vigorous intellect which he cultivated by early classical study, deep thought, serious reading and close observation. He loved his books.  He knew how to concentrate his mind on any given subject and he never left it until he had thoroughly grappled it and made it his own.

What was beautiful in his character was his sensitiveness and tenderness of soul, hidden often under a blunt, brusque manner.  All that was beautiful in nature, in art and in religion had a marvelous fascination for him.  He loved music, and when Holy Mass was said in his sick room one day before his death, all he asked for was that the Magnificat should be sung and music played during Mass, for it had always a soothing and elevating effect upon his soul.  He had formed a high standard for what was right, and when he noticed any public wrong he so took it to heart that I have often seen him spring up from his chair, and pacing up and down his room, deprecate with angry zeal the existing evil and suggesting remedies for the same.  He had a most tenacious memory, I have heard him give a graphic sketch of the contents of books which he had read twenty years ago and recite by heart poems fro Moore, Milton, Young and others with that warmth of feeling as though he himself had been the composer.  He was a brilliant talker, and his conversation was always varied and instructive, and generally sparkled with flashes of wit peculiar to the Hibernian race, of which he was such a bright specimen.

He had a marvelous energy of will and constancy of purpose, which was the secret of the success that followed all his undertakings.  He was also an enthusiast in as much as he threw himself with heart and soul and will into all that he did – In small things as in great – thus fulfilling this counsel of the Holy Scripture: “Whatever you do, do earnestly”.

There was no duplicity in his noble nature – no double dealing Seldom have I met a man so outspoken, straightforward and true.  Whatever, after serious deliberation,  he judged to be right to do, that he did, in spite of opposition, difficulties and criticism and whatever he thought right to say, he said our fearlessly irrespective of who were present.  Indeed, the special charm of his character was his simplicity and singleness of aim and absence of human respect.

He was no fanatic, yet he was a man of immense faith.  Religion with him was not an emotion of the heart, but a deep rooted conviction which governed and gave a high tone to his whole life.  It was a sure anchor which he held on  throughout life and which prevented him from being carried away or influenced by the current of modern, infidel ideas which pervade the minds of many men with whom he had to associate.  He always had great confidence in God´s goodness and infinite mercy – which virtue – especially showed itself during his last illness.

His heart was always full of kindly feeling towards everyone.  Never was he ever known to have done an unkind act or to have said an unkind, disparaging word of his neighbour.  He used even to try to excuse their faults when they were alluded to.  And often have I heard him gently reprove persons for making smart and cutting remarks about others.  Of such a one St. James says:  “If say one offend not by word the name is a perfect man.”  Here then we have a perfect man.

From the time that he gave up agricultural pursuits and came to this city to found the STANDARD, he identified himself with the public affairs of this country of his adoption and devoted his rare qualities and nurturing energies to further by means of his able pen and in other ways in material,  intellectual and moral interests.  To every one he had a kind word to say, and he was ever ready to help with his advice and to encourage by his words those who needed help.  There are, no doubt, persons standing here who owe their success in life to is sound judgment, wise counsel and encouraging words.  His affability and kindliness of heart, which was his special characteristic, was an evident sign of his love of God.  For where there is a stream there is a fountain, so where there is a love of one’s neighbour then there is the love of God  “By this, says Our Lord “shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you show love to one another.  … The … of God’s Providence seemed to have been great over him during his life, and especially during the latter part of it.  Four months ago, God seemed to have make known to him that his end was approaching, and on realizing the fact he returned to his estancia in San Blas, and there, having quietly arranged all his temporal affairs, he set himself bravely to meet death.  There were many beautiful incidents connected with his preparations for death.  You must know that for ten years he always kept a diary.  Well, after his death we opened his diary book and there he records that on the night of January 17^th, he had a wonderful dream.  He saw an angel coming into his room and the “angel standing by his side asked him if he would prefer to recover and to live a few years longer in feeble health and with many cares or to leave now and to join all his friends who are waiting form him in Heaven.  He told the angel that he would like to leave now, whereupon the angel vanished.  From that time I may say death became stingless.  He longed to die.  Everything seemed to him to be calling him away from this exile home to his Eternal Home above.  As he sat on the sea shore and listened to the music of the waws and to the deep toned voices in very ripple, one sweet voice said to him 2Cme” and hi left for the estancia house with that summons in his ear.  And one day a flight of sea gulls were hovering for half an hour high over his head and as he listened to their voices he said they were calling him.  And one night a terrible storm came on, and he aid that the storm had “come for him”.

Another beautiful incident was this.  The day before he died the Holy Mass was offered up in his room, and having raised himself up in his bed to receive the blessed sacrament, which he did” with marked devotion he threw himself  back on his pillow exclaiming “I want nothing more, for I have everything” so keenly did he realize the Presence of Our Lord as a great reality within his soul.  And just before he breathed his last, one of his sons said to him in a whisper “Papa, are you happy” and immediately h e gazed upwards with a peaceful, joyful look and exclaimed:  “Open everything, over every thing” and at that moment the chains were broken and the sol escaped from the prison of the body and was gone and all was over.  To him the substance of these beautiful words of the prophet seemed to have been spoken: The brightness like that of the noonday shall arise upon thee in the evening of they life and when thou shall think thyself consumed by the terrors of death thou shat rise as the day altar”.

Two words more:  Edward Mulhall left us all a rich legacy – the example of a noble Christian life an death.  Let us make use of this  legacy that so we may be as ready to meet death as he was when our turn comes, and come soon it will. Indeed, he seems to be saying to each one of us “Yesterday for me, today for thee”.

Lastly, let us help him with our prayers.  It is a mistake to think that all good people go straight to Heaven.  The scripture says that nothing defiled can enter there. The soul, therefore, which has on it the slights speck of an imprecation cannot enter into the Beautiful Vision of God until that speck is removed.  The soul of our departed friend, therefore, is in all probability passing through the purifying fire of Purgatory” and is crying out for our prayers.  Let us not turn a deaf ear to his cries. Let us pray him out of the Purgatory.  If he be there and beseech God to grant eternal peace, eternal joy and eternal rest to him and to us all the grace of the only to be yearned for happiness of joining hem one day in our Eternal Home above.

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