The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-05-20

repeat IL, " must be III the man. Ii i
enough 10 whatthis influence was She,
around hiHs, to he assured lha, the elemep
existed III him ofswiIom we are speaking
lt. created confidence |, bound other
to him. II niaue nim the uGsulled ma
he was, II set him above reproach.
raisedhis integrity beyond uspicion. All
fair men among his opponents have ac
knowledged that he was an honest man
With hun a trust would be safe as far a
he could know how to fulfil it.. He coul,
look with no complacency upon an,
wrong. The highest would not escap,
censure were it deserved, and the mean
est would lose no rightit was his to claim
| err greatly if this was not strong fea
tnre in the character Of him whom we la
ment;-and fitting trait i. was for on
whom the people had led upso high,
| Close by this, and well associated will
II was hearty good will for his fellow
men. He stood within the circle of hu
man sympathies. His benevolence wa
active and influential. What is recorde,
OF his public acts and his spoken words
with all that has escaped of the gentIenes.
and kindness of his private life leave u.
no room to doubt this. Moreover i
seems to have been part Of himself
II was the spontaneous acting out Of hi.
.nalure-whether in power or out, of il.
commanding Others or serving them. thu
persuasion that he was one of his race
lie never parted with the feeling that he
was man. With many this is only ;
conviction or recollection. With him
1T interpret him right, it was different,
He was benevolent almost from necessity
1t was his pleasure and natural life. He
could not be otherwise but by doing vic
lence to himself. Nothing humble or err
ring could exclude one from share in his
benevolent regards. it tinged his whole
character, and, may add, gave beauty tt
the whole. 1t took off the GOODNESS anC
severity which. without this. sometimes
encircle the man of incoruptble integrity
like freezing atmosphere, and chill us
as we would draw nj gh. 1t gave tina
suavity and tenderness to his character
Oh! how much missed in the home tha
is now desolate. the suavi,y and tender
ness winch we are told was such charm
1t blunled the ed ge of a command, ant
turned 1t into a persuasion. Ii spoke
welcome and fellowship in the beamme
eye, and The light Of the face in antcipa
ton Of the tongue. And it was an affect
ing testimony to the trait which had beer
manifested before them. but few day.
before, that on the morning before hi:
death they gathered up in the marke
place. with swimming eyes and cage
inquiries, sorrowing les, they should see
his face no more. ~
There is yet one other point, to which
it would be wrong in us not TO advert;
trait. if not before all, certainly benin,
none. The want of enthusiasm, and the
absence Of ardor, might by some, be mis-
construed here, as in other parts of hi:
character, and be thought to preclude til,
possibility Of deep religious feeling
Blu. If we may Judge from his life it wa:
not so. ..e was devout man. H,
walked with God He adorned his lif,
with the beauty Of holiness. lie VIII,
panders his character, as isplayed lhrongt
eventual and trying scenes, will not tint
that he was the one 10 dlssembc in any
tfi,ng. What he seemed, he was. Ht
,ont III nothing for effect. And although
we should make but little account Of the
fact, for the spirit is the essential, ant
not the form, yet when it is related o.
him that he wor<hipped his Maker OF
his knees, understand il to be the ma
tural expression of the deep sentiment o
his heart--the natural posture which hi:
soul required for the reverential homage
of his Maker. 1t is likewise striking
incident related among tho peculiarly al
lfecting circumstances attending his public
obsequies that the funeral service, over
his llteless remains, was in part read from
"a copy of the. Holy Scriptures he had pur
Ichased as his guide and oracle, when he
first entered his new and responsible
sphere of action. Both may seem Gu
Frious coincidence; on the latter only
would remark: in itself, indeed, it may tc
some appear but simple and natural act
But it speaks volumes for the deep rever
ence with which that bes! of books hat
been regarded. 1t discloses to the accu
rate observer, as the thin smoke points
the wind when no breath seems stirring
in what direction his tendencies move,
him. 'sS
In Analysing his character, as portrayed
to US by his conduct in the stations he
had filled, together with what is left L
US in public documents and speeches, ant
the testimony Of those who had enjovet
his society, these seem to me to have
been the leading traits in the character o
our departed chief. Ifin inlelleclhe wa
not startling or dazzling, he certainly wa
far more than ordinarily endowed.
not great in the worlds estimate of great
mess, that must undeniably be conceded t,
him, which results from powers wei
balanced and controlled. In this he wa
great. In every just sense he was good
Superior elements ever took the lead il
his character. His long and successful
services among the indian tribes yer
enough alone. to confirm this. No hu
man being could deal with those mos
savage and selfish forms of humanit
l., II, 4 4