The Authoritative Life of General William Booth, Founder of the Salvation ArmyRailton, George S. (George Scott)
History
The Authoritative Life of General William Booth, Founder of the Salvation Army
Railton, George S. (George Scott)
Booth, William, 1829-1912; Salvation Army
"The stupendous crusade which he initiated had the very humblest
beginnings. It opened in the slummy purlieus of Nottingham, that city
which gave to the world two of the greatest religious leaders of modern
times--General Booth and Dr. Paton. It has passed through periods of
open enmity, opposition, criticism, but its Leader and his band of
devoted helpers have never lost sight of their high aim. They were
engaged in 'war on the hosts that keep the underworld submerged,' and
they have now long been justified by their unparalleled achievements.
The time of scorn and indifference passed, and General Booth lived to
receive honour at the hands of kings and princes, and to have their
support for his work.
"It is not given to every man who sets out with a great purpose to
accomplish his aims. But of General Booth it may be said that he did
more. His Movement reached dimensions of which he probably never dreamed
in its early days, yet the extraordinary results made him ever hungrier
for conquest. In a way the latter years of his life were perhaps the
most notable of his whole career. He displayed a vitality and enthusiasm
which seemed to increase with the weight of time. At a time when most
men seek a greater measure of repose, General Booth worked on with all
the freshness of early years. And it can be said that he has died in
harness. He did not lift his finger from the pulse of the far-reaching
Organisation which he brought into being until death called.
"The story of the growth of The Salvation Army is the most remarkable in
the history of the work of the spiritual, social, and material
regeneration of the submerged. From the by-ways of all the world human
derelicts, which other agencies passed by, have been rescued. No one was
too degraded, too repulsive to be neglected. The work is too great to be
estimated in a way which can show its extent. It has been achieved
mainly by two great factors. The first is perfect organisation. Lord
Wolseley once described General Booth as the greatest organiser in the
world. The second feature was the wonderful personality of The Army's
chief. He impressed it not only upon his colleagues but upon those whom
he wished to rescue, and on the public at large. He radiated human
sympathy and enthusiasm. His loss will be a heavy one for the world; it
will be a severe blow for The Army. But we cannot think that his good
work has not been built upon sound foundations, and that the war he
directed so ably and so long will be relaxed. Nationally The Army has
done magnificent work in fifty countries, and it has, therefore, tended
to promote a greater spirit of brotherhood among the nations. To-day the
whole world will unite to pay its tribute to a splendid life of devotion
to a great cause. To that world he leaves a splendid example, and it
will be the highest tribute that can be paid to his memory to keep green
that lofty example which he set before all peoples."
The Daily Telegraph, _August 21, 1912_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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