Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-05-27

noble sentiment he wrote 10 Bolivar, tic
be esteemed eminently great, il is neces.
sary to Be eminently good.
Fellow Citizens: Ii would be strange
/ indeed--a great reproach to uss-if the
/ loss Of such a citizen as William Henry
Harrison, occupying, too, the station he
did, should not have awakened through.
out the Nation the most heartfelt sorrow
and regrek Well may the Capital be
clad il mourning, the funeral knel toll
/ from every steeple, the national banner
trail ia. sadness, the lannon's hoarse voice
send the sigh Of fermentation DER the whole
land, and the citizens of the Republic
meet in their churches and public places
to give formal expression to their grief
Wherever the sad tidings 60 DER sea or
land, wherever son or daughter OF
America is found, they will awaken kin
dred emotions to those that swell our boz
SONS But what does this general dis.
tress proclaim? What language does il
speak : Ii is not the expression of mere
weakness No; in these notes Of lamen.
tation we behold the richest tribute paid
to virtue. The simple display of great.
ness, or possession of power, could not
have excited them. How many gifted
with the loltiest genius, or who welded
the highest authority, have sunk into their
graves not attended by the regret Of the
community. The universal outpouring
Of grief which we behold and participate
has been struck from the heart by the all
powerful wand of departed virtue 1t is
the spontaneous, the sincere manifestation
of the regard Of the Republic for the mem.
DRY of an illusirous son who had served
her faithfully. And the richest, proudes,
trophy that can be won on earth, is the
love of freemen-the best monument, their
grateful recollectons
But there are those who, while they
share IN the general grief occasioned
by the natioral bereavement on public
grounds, feel it most acutely as severing
the tenderest ties of nature, and operating
most painfully upon the secret springs OF
sorrow. Think of the Presidents family;
of her who was his companion in youth
whose smiles cheered him in the perilous
command of Fort Washington She had
participated his fortunes largely for up.
wards of forty years. She had often be-
fore surrendered him to the call of his
country, and as often had he returned
with accumulated honors and increased
claims upon her love--to enjoy the sweets
of home! 1t was no doubt gratifying TO
her to witness the recent demonstration Of
the confidence and affection of the people
for her noble husband But little did she
think of the sacrifice that was to be paid
for it He left her to fill his high sphere
of destiny, and she was soon to follow
him; the time of her joining him in the
Metropolis was at hand Alas She was
10 see him no more! Oh! how heavily
has this stroke fallen upon her heart J!
And the interesting circle in Washington,
the centre of whose domestic bliss was the
venerable Chief Magistrate-how has his
removal agonized their hearts and with
cred their hopes From the Presidents
Mansion the language of authority had
heretofore emanated Its spacious halls
had echoed the voice of pleasure and So
cial happiness A new sound now issues
from it Death has been there He has
struck with his poisoned arrow the most
shining mark, and enveloped the seat of
power in gloom and sadness Anation's
sympathes should cluster around North
Bend, and the afflicted relatives at Wash
Ington
Felow-citizens The present is so.
Tenn crisis in the history OF the country.
This mysterious dispensation of Provl-
dence in removing the Chief Magistrate,
has fallen upon US with most appalling
force arrestng business to some extent
shaking the nerves Of the stouIest. and
springing "the unbidden tear, from eyes
unused to weep" 1t was permitted, doubt.
less, for wise purposes. 1t may have
been intended to arrest the attention OF
the nation; to show by demonstration
so strong, the uncertainty of earthly good;
and how soon may the ialrest prospects,
the mightiest schemes, be blasted Or
its object may have been, by its soltenlng
influence, to alay the asperites too apt
10 be engendered among a numerous peo-
pie entertaining different views of public
policy and to calm the agitation which
their warm discussion is likely 10 excite.
But whatever may have been the design,
| it becomes US, while We bow humbly and
submisssively to the stroke, to pause-to
reflect most seriously-a not let the
solemn admontion lose its appropriate IN
| luence on us. Death, when it arrests an
individual in the humber spheres of life,
uters an impressive warning. In this
case the resistless tyrant is arrayed IN
more than his accustomed terror He
has fixed his iron grasp upon him who
stood at the head of the nation, and by
prostrating HIM, whose fall all eyes could
see, has cast his murky shade over every
habitation, and oppressed every soul
But American Christians, as such, owe
tribute Of respect to the memory Of
William Henry Harrison. He revered
The affairs OF God Through life, he man
Tested his respect for the institutions and
ordinances of the Christian religion. His
hospitabe residence was always open for
the reception and kind entertainment OF
| Ministers of the Gospel, and whenever
convenient he occupied a seat in the sane.
tuary. On the day of his Inauguration,
when he received the highest honors OF
the nation, he took occasion in his address
to the people to proclaim to the world, his
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