Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-31
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
THE FAMILY OF THE LATE PRESIDENT
FRipAY, lJusE-l6, ls41. s7l

THE FAMILY OF THE LATE PRESIDENT.
The House being in committee Of the Whole
ON the state OF the Union, (Mr. TALIAFERRo in
the chair,) on the bill for the relief Of Mrs HAR.
RisoN, widow Of the late President OF the United
States; and Mr.. GILnER having concluded his
remarks, as published in our last
Mr.. POPE, Of Kentucky, said that he should
be very brief in the remarks he had to offer
Gentlemen were so much upon the watch and so
promp with their calls for the previous question,
that he supposed he should get no opportunity
Of opening his mouth this session, unless when
the House were in Committee Of the Whole; as
that was now the case, he would avail himself
Of the present hour in the performance Of duty
very agreeable TO his feelings. He had been one
OF the committee who reported the BILL he con.
iessed that he had felt some doubt at first on the
constitutional ground which had been taken by
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. DEAN) and the
gentleman from Alabama, (Mr. PAYNE.) Tie
latter gentleman, especially, had met the question
with great fairness But he invited him now to
reconsider The opinions he had then expressed,
and he thought that all his constitutional Difficult.
ties would vanish. What was this case? Gen.
eral Harrison had been called by the voice Of
nineteen out OF the twenty.slx States OF this
Union 10 occupy the Presidential chair, and Mr..
2. now called upon the gentleman to say whether
General Harrison had right to decline such
call. He took it for granted he would reply in
the negative; for, in the language Of distinguish.
ed gentleman from South Carolina, the office Of
the Presidency was an honor neither to be sought
nor declined il the People thought it for the
general good that particular individual should
preside over the Government, that individual was
bound to obey. Mr.. P. here adverted to the
late election-to its decisive character, and to
the orderly and decorous manner in which it had
been conducted. He must say, in honor Of the
party opposed to him. that they had acquesced in
the result OF the election with q good grace, and
had paid to the new President the honors of his
place in a very credtabe and courteous manner.
He next adverted to the Presidents sudden death;
TO the universal sorrow Of the nation; to his own
deep share in that sorrow, and then to the sin
cere regret felt by General Harrison's successor
in office. AS the present bill had its origin in
that mournful event, he hoped that all consider
atoms OF party would be banished from its dis
cussion, and that the House would act in a man.
ner worthy Of themselves and OF the nation
Abiding to what had passed last evening, Mr..
P. expressed his modification at some of the
remarks which had fallen from gentlemen from
Ohio, (Mr. DEAN) They had been spoken
with great sincerity, he did not doubt, but without
due consideration. Mr.. P. regretted that they
had been made, and still more the severity with
which they had been noticed.
As an introduction to what he had to say on
this bill, Mr. p. called for the reading Of some
extracts from the address Of Mr.. Cass to the
ident's decease; and they were read as follows
II make these remarks, my friends, not to ,ay
aside your party feelings upon this sad occasion
| SHOULD greatly mistake my own duties, and your
sentiments, did 1 think such recommendation
necessary am influenced by higher motive
by Just pride at the conduct of the great Ameri.
can community under the circumstances which il
has 50 much reason to deplore. Notwithstanding
the violent contest through which we have passed,
and the asperity which was its natural conse-
quence, see that every where political feelings
has disappeared, and friends and opponents have
united to interchange their sympathies at the loss
of the patriot so suddenly taken from his country.
1t is glorious and touching spectacle, at which
every American must be proud. Thank God, po-
litica resentments stop at the portal of the tomb
There commences haliowed ground; and he who
approaches it should divest himself Of evil passions
the patriarch put off his shoes when the voice
from the burning bush announced to him that he
was in the presence of the Almighty.
''Most of you have come here to manifest your
regret at the death of Chief Magistrate. But |
have come, not only to perform that duty. but to
mourn the loss of private friend It is more than
forty years since first knew him. and almos, thirty
since was admitted to his friendship and conf
dence have served under him in war, and NTH
him in peace; and never, during the long interval
of our acquaintance, did single incident arise to
disturb for moment the harmony of our inter-
course. | csn speak Of him from an intimate
knowledge of his conduct, his character, and his
principles--a knowledge acquired in the perilous
scenes Of an active life, where the heart of man
is laid open, and where, with the heaven above US
and the forest around US, concealInent would have
been as impractcabe as it would have been useless.
HE was disinterested, generous, honest, sacr-
ficing his comfort to that Of others, ceaseless in
his attentions to duty, passiOnatey DESTROYS of pro-
noting the interests Of his country, and formed by
Nature to acquire an aScendency over those around
him. How wonderful are the vcissiudes of life!
Little did he think, little could have thought,
when together we were exposed to the perils and
sufierings of frontier war, and when night and
day | witnessed his trials and exertions, that
should ever be called upon, in this metropolis OF
European influence and opinion to defend his pos
thunous fame from the attacks of his own country.
men. But so il is, and shall discharge the duty
Mr.. PORE adverted to the universally of the
grief which had pervsded men of every party.
on hearing OF the Presidents death, and adduced
the extracts read as an evidence OF this on the
part of those who had been opposed to him in
politics. Mr.. P. would attempt no euogy on
the merits OF the deceased; he would merely saw
that, so far as he had any knowledge of General
Harrisons character, he had died Christian and
Democrat, in the proper sense of that term
lie was man who had loved his neighbor as
himself, and who loved his country more. No
man, since the days Of Washington, had done
more to deserve the respect and gratitude of the
American People.
M ID adJrasSoJ