Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-04-14
Correspondence Of the United States Gazette.
WASHINGTON, April z, l84l.
Funeral of the President.

This has been day of deep solemnity in
the city of Washington. We have looked on
the countenance of death, and have felt his
shadow over and around us. The thoughts
and feelings of men, their countenances and
conversation, took their tone from the mourn
fulness of the occasion. Busy memories were,
doubtless, rstracing the events of the last few
weeks, full of sad and salutary lessons of the
hoowness and instability of all human dslnc-
tions, all teaching the humiliating truth, that
"The paths of glory lead but to the grave"
Less than two months have elapsed since the
cilizens of Washington paraded the streets in
Joyous procession, to receive and welcome the
President elect, who came amongst US vigor-
Gus in constitution, filled with gratitude for the
honors to which he had been called, with the
most patriotic desire to repay unbounded con-
idence with unstinted service, and sustained
by sanguine hope of successful administra-
tons of the functions of government. Again,
scarcely month ago, with all the magnifcence
of numbers, and all the "pomp and circum-
stance" of military array, swelled and strength
ened by the presence of tens of thousands of fell
low citizens from every State in the Union, with
banners and music, we accompanied him TO
the Capitol, and saw him take the oath of fidel-
ity to the Constitution, and heard the clear and
distinct tones in which, for full hour, he dis
coursed of his duties to the assembled thous-
ands. The sounds of triumphant Joy were
loud and long, and while yet the echoes are
coming to us from the remotest of our noun
tains, we have been summoned for the third
time But, alas our banners are now hung
,,,;t ,rlx fr0cf h.. follop
budding hopes; the fruits we had hoped to
gather, have withered in the germ; and with
solemn tread and mournful music, amidst the
measured boomings of minute guns, and the
sighs and tears of an afflicted people, we have
been escorting TO the tomb him whom we had
so recently invested with official power; have
taken him from the proud mansion of the ma
tion's executive, and deposited him in the mar
row house, appointed for all living. Our loud
peans of triumph, our boisserous greetings, our
exuberant pledges of fidelity, and confidence,
and support have all terminated in this brief
peroration-"ashes TO ashes, dust to dust
Such are the idolatry and the idols of men.
will now proceed to give you description
of the ceremonies with which we have accom-
panied the remains of General Harrison to the
grave.
At sunrise, we had some reason to expect a
beautiful day; but before eight o'clock, the tenn
perature changed the sun was obscured, and
the hollow and 6tful meanings of the wind in
dicated unpleasant, if not stormy weather.
About seven o'clock, the firing of minute guns
commenced from the military stations; and the
roll of drums, the occasional blast of trumpet,
and the hurrying to and fro, and increasing
grouping of citizens, gave distinct information
that the day was to be devoted to an extraor-
dinary purpose. Stores and offices were closed,
the strife OF buying and selling was suspended,
the fronts of most of the houses ornamened
with festoons, arches and fringings, of Grape
and cambric, and flags halfmast, were to be
seen floating from the Capitol, the Navy Yard,
the forts, and towers of the churches. 1t was
after eleven o'clock, when the procession in
front of the Presidential mansion presented
complete line, and few minutes before twelve,
funeral car, being platform raised in the CEN
tire, covered with black velvet, and drawn by
six white horses, colored man, dressed in
white muslin, according to the Turkish cos
tune, with black scarf, being at the head of
each horse, entered the square, and drew up
within the portico In the meantime, the SER
vice was performed over the corpse in the
east room, which was hung with black cam
brio, in the presence of the Vice President, the
Cabinet, the members of the old Cabinet, the
foreign Ministers, the Clergy and such others
as had the privilege of admission. The ser.
vice was read by the Rev. Mr.. Hawley of the
Episcopal Church, who, after the close, stated
that on the day of the Inauguration, after the
conclusion of the ceremony, General Harrison
walked TO booksellers store, and purchased
Bible and Prayer Book, which he had kept in
his chamber from that time, reading from them
every evening He had also notified his inten-
ton to join the Episcopal Church on the Sun
day when he was taken i'll.
Precisely at twelve o'clock, detachment Of
trumpeters, which had been marched up in front
OF the portico, played the German hymn, during
which tho body was moved, and placed on the
car. The coffin was covered with rich vel
vet, on which were placed two swords, laid
across, and roll Of parchment, with proiu-
sion of fresh hyacinths. At signal, the ar'il-
lery in front fthe square sent forth its thunders,