Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1839-11-28

MISC + LII 4 " EO US.

We do thing OF very pcrnlcous tendenc
If we confno the records of history to III
mos. eminent perSonages Who bear part
the event which II commentaries. There ar
often others whose sacrifice are much Ereale
whose pcrlls are more extreme, and whose SCI
vices are nearly as valuable as those OF tn
more prominent actors, and who YET have, frof
chance or by the modesty of retiring an
unprctending nature, never stood forward t.
Gil the foremost places or occupy the larges
spaces in the eye Of the world. To forge
such men is as lncxpedient for the public ser
vice, US it is unjust towards the Individuals
But tho error IS far greater of those who, il
recording the annals Of revolutions, contint
their ideas OF public merit to the lea,s Of lead
ers Of established tyranny or the triumphs o
orators in behalf of freedom. Many man r
tho ranks has done more, by his zeal and his
sot.deSotIon, than any chief to break the
chains Q. a nation; and among such men rs
Charles Carroll, the last survivor of the pat.
rarchs of the American Revolution, is entitled
to the first place.
His family was settled in Maryland ever
. since the reign of James Ii. and had. during
that period, been possessed Of The same ample
property, the largest in the Union. 1t stood.
therefore, at the head Of the arstocracy ofihe
country, was naturally in alliance with the
Government, could gain, nothing, while it risk
Cd every thing, by change Of dynasty; and,
therefore, according 10 all the rules and the
prcjudices, and tho iraties which are com
monty found guiding the conduct OF the men
in crisis Of affairs, Charles Carroll might
have been expected to take part against the
ycyolt--cerlainly never 10 Join in promoting
il, Such, however, was not this patriotic per-
SON. lie was among the foremost TO sign the
celebrated Declaration Of Independence. All
who did so were believed to have devoted them.
selves and their families TO the iurieS. As he
set his hand TO the instrument, the whisper
ran around the hall Of Congress, There goes
some millions OF properly" And there being
many Of the same name, when he heard III
said, "Nobody will know what Carroll il is, "
ns no ono signed moro than his name. "lou'l i
get tlcsr--thcre are several OF The Mans
they will never know which to take" "NotI
go" no replied, and instantly added his resi-
dcace, "oG Carroilon."
lie vas not only man Of firm mind and
steadily fixed principles; he was also person
Of great accomplishments and excellent abiIi-
ties. Educated in tho study Of the civil law al
one Of the French colleges, he had resided long
enough in Europe to perfect his learning in ali
the ordinary branches Of knowledge. On his
return in America, he sided with the people a
gain2t the mother country, and was soon known
and esteemed as among the abest writer's of the
independent party. The confidence rcposed
in him, caused him soon after TO be joined with
Franklin in the committee of three sen, to OBJ
tain the concurrence Of the Canadians in the
revolt. lie was a member Of Congress for he
"a ,hop h,I /
Iy Ia in number, and might rather be deemed {
acablnet council, for action, than any thing {
like a deliberate Senate. He then belong S
cd, during the rest Of the war, TO the leg
stature Of his native state, (Maryland) until
1888, when no was elected one OF the United t
States Senate, and confined for three years to t
&C, in tina, capacity. The rest of his tme un. Il
Ill he retired from public life, 1904, was pass a
ed rs n Senator of Maryland. In all these
capacities he has left behind him high rcpu tt
.aton, for integrity, eloquence and judgment. Il
II is usual with Americans 10 compare the /,
las, thirty years of his life 10 the Indian sum. o
mer- sweet as it is tranquil, and partaking n
neither Of the fierce heats of the earlier, nor
tho chilling fros,s Of the uttor season His o
DAYS we're both crowned with happiness, and II
heightened far beyond the usual period Of hu I'll
man existence. He lived 10 see the people ii
whom he had once known 100000 in number, et
pass TO twelve millions; a handful of depend bt
emit colonists, nation Of frcemen; dependent
settlement assume its place among the first rate Ell
powers OF tho world; and he had the delight to
IF feeling, that to this contamination he had III
contributed his ample share. As no one had &
run so large risk by joining the revolt so no b
one had adhered TO the standard OF freedom
more firmly, in all its fortunes, whe Their waV- Of
ing in triumph or over disaster and defeat al
IIe never dcspoired Of tho commonwealth, nor "r
,ver had lent his ear to fictitious councils; me- sa
yer has shrunk from any sacrifice, nor ever AT
had pressed himself forward to the exclusion s
Of men beter fitted 10 serve the common cansc. IL
Thus it happened to him that no man was tn
moro universally respected and beloved; none
had fewer enemies; and, Notwithstanding the he
ample share in which the gifts Of fortune were u
'howered upon his house, no one grudsed lis al
prosperity Il
1t would, however, be very erroneous vie" bl
Of his merits and Of the place which he ill
cd in tho eye of his country, which should tn
represent him as only respected for his patriot as
Ism and his virtues. He had talents and ac bI
qulremcnts which enublcd him effcctuully to tt
neIp the cause he espoused. His knowledge Ia
vas various, and his eloqucnco was Of high