The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-07-19
From the Richmond Enquirer.

4
Declaration of Independence, "the Or
nament Of Human Nature ITSELF" Gas he
once said of Benjamin Franklin, the
first man left 10 his country, and one of
the first in this age Of great men, is |
gathered TO the tomb Of his fathers.
The state, the nation, the whole world
itself, has sustained a loss Of which no
language Can give an adequate descrip-
lion.
What wonderful coincidence Fiji
ty years from the Declaration of Inde-
pendence-on the very day, and it is
said the very hour on which it was read
to the Congress of the United States
this great man, the author of the Declar-
alton, has breathed bis last No other
Euthanasis could have been wished to
him! He has departed on the very
day which he has made SO glorious.
The day of his fame was the day Of his
death. The applause and gratitude of
a whole Republic were at that very mo-
ment rehearsiDg his work, and repeat
ing his praises. Gould he have selected
the moment Of his departure, this would
have been the very one which he him
self would have chosen. His death has
added a new interest TO day which bis
life had rendered so illustrious.
II was scarcely ten days ago when he
breathcd the mostfervent wishes for the
good Of his country, and for the success
of the political principles to which he
was SO fervenlly attached.-lt is said,
that in the course of last week he calm
ly gave directions about his coffin and
interment and that on Monday, inquir-
ing with some solicitude what was the
day of the month, and being told the Sd
of July, he expressed desire TO live
till the next day that he might breathe
the air Of the fillieth Anniversary.
A few words upon the life of this
distinguished man, and we have DONE
He was borG on the cd of April, 1743,
in the county of Albemarle, at Shad-
we'll, country seat which now belongs
10 his grandson, within short distance
of Monticello, and within half mile of
his Rivanna mills. lie was of course in
the 84th year of his age. He received
the highest honors at The College of WIN.
and Mary; and studied the law under
the celebrated George Wythe, late
Chancellor of Virginia. Before he had
attained his 25lh year, he was ,iistin-
gnished member of the Virginia Le6isla-
ture, and took an active part in all the
measures which they adopted in opposi-
ton TO the usurpations of Great Britain.
In I775, he is said TO have been the au-
thor Of the protest against the PROPOSE
tons of Lord North.-He was subse.
| YuUHtIy transferred 10 The UeneIaI - on
gress at Philadelphia, where he distln-
guished himself by the firmness of his
sentiments and The energy of his COM
positions. Of these qualifications no
other evidence could be required than
the imperishable Document which de-
clared US i" free, sovereign, and indepen-
dent States.''
From l777 to 1879 (for certain nor
ton OF these years. he was occupied with
Wythe and PendIefou in revising the
Laws of Virginia.-ln 1879, he succeed
Patrick Henry as Governor of the
State. In 1881 he composed his " Notes
on Virginia )" than which no work of
equal dimensions has ever attained TO
greater reputation. In the summer of
1882, he was in Congress at the mo-
ment when the Virginia Legislature
were framing State Constitution. The
draught of the instrument, which he
transmitted on that occasion, was not re-
celVed till the day when the committee
were TO report the result of their la
bors.--They were so much pleased
witiehis Preamble that they adopted it
as part of their Report; so, that il is
now well understood, our Bill of Rights
and the Constitution were from the pen
OF George Mason the Preamble was
L. Jefferson's. In 1894, he left the
Y. s., being associated in plenipoten-
tiary commission with Franklin and Ad-
ans, addressed to the several powers of
Europe, for the purpose of concluding
treaties of ommerce.--In October,
1883, he obtained leave to return home.
and on his arrival was made the fret
secretary OF state under Gen. Washing
ton. His correspondence with the.
French and English Ministers is proud
monument of his genius; he alternately
rebuked the cold cunning of Liston, and
the rash ardour of Genet. His Reports
on money and weights and measures.
on the fisheries, and on the restrictions
OF commerce, are ample attestations Of
the enlarged views Of the philosopher
and the iinancier.
In 1877, he was elected Vice-Presi-
dent and four years after, Presiden, of
the U. S. For eight years he conducted
the government with strength, talent,