Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-06-23

have placed him in favorable competition
with the distinguished legal men Of hi
day. Law is jealous Of her yotaries; arr
requires unbounded devotion from Ihos'
who wish 10 attain great cminenco IN tina
science, which "has its seat in the bosom
Of God whose voice is the harmony o
the world" Such devotion did not &C
cord with his plans of Iifc. AT this peri
cd he was principally occupied, during
the intervals Of the terms of the County
Courts in which he practised, by agricuI
tural pursuits and thus he laid the ioun
dalion for the emnence he acquired, anc
always maintained in Virginia, as an ag
riculiurist. His first entrance on public
life was as member of the Legislature
of Virginia and he was chosen Speaker
Of the House very soon after he took q
seat in that body. His commanding per.
sonal appearance, his almost intuitive
judgment of character, his dignity, ano
his eloquence eminently qualified him IL
discharge the duties of that station in sucl
manner, as to secure the respect of al
parties. While occupying the Speakers
chair he was elected Governor of Virgi-
MIA, which responsible Office he held dur.
ing the last war with Great Britain.
He was afterwards chosen to represent
Virginia in the Senate of the u. States
having had as his competitor for that hon
orable position, a distinguished citizen
who has gone down to the grave, leaving
behind him an imperishable name as q
lawyer, an orator, and man Of letters
in commemoration of whose genius, elo-
quence, and learning, Mr.. ADAMS pro.
uounced, at the time of his death, an ad
mirable eulogy in the Hall of the House
of Representatives, He was never q
member of this House but if we should
erect statue to his memory, we might
place on it tho words which were inscrb-
ed on the statue of MoLIERE, in the Hall
of the French Academy Nothing was
wanted to his glory: he was wanted to
ours"
lie was elected to the Senate for two
successive terms and vacated the seat
during the second, by accepting the APP
pointmeut Of Secretary of War, under the
administration of Mr.. ADAMS. have
no knowledge Of any of the documents
which issued from that Department while
he was at its head, except Report which
he communicated to.the House of Repre-
sen;atives in 1876, on the subject of the
and civilization of the In
dans--a paper alike remarkable for its
ability and its philanthropy. lie was TIA
ken from the War Office, and sent by Mr..
ADAMS as Minister Plenipotentary to the
Court of ST. James and during his resi-
Gence in England, while no discharged,
with ability, his duties TO his country, he
made numerous friends among English
men with whom he was brought in con-
tact by his official and social relations.
On the accession Of Gen. JACKSON to
the Presidency, Gov. BARBOUR returned
home, and employed himself, with renew
ed zeal, in the cultivation of his estate
his tondness for such pursuits having been
increased by his intercourse with Mr..
CoKE, of Uolkham, now Earl of Leices
ter-and other eminent English agricul
tursts. His almost continued absence
from Barboursvile, during the twenty
years he had been in public stations, leav.
ing the control Of his estate in the hands
of managers, must, of necessity, have been
attended with great pecunlary sacrifice.
The mission TO England was the closing
act Of his public emPloyments close
worthy of one who had been promoted, ia
rapid succession, under the State and Gen.
eral Governments and was controlled
by patriotism as pure as ever glowed in
the bosom of man.
In 1881, Gov. BARBOUR was chosen to
preside over the National Convention
which assembled in Baltimore, to select
candidates for the Presidency; when the
nomination was bestowed on Mr.. CLAY
then, and until separated by death, ms
very intimate friend.
In 1889, he was called to occupy sim.
liar station in the Harrisburg Convention
when Gen. HARRIsoN received the noml-
nation with whom he had maintained re-
lations of intimate friendship from the Tins
they served together in the Senate OF the
United States, until they were severed by
the death of "TIE GOOD PRESIDENT"
have already alluded to his arduous labor;
in the political struggle of lsi0-a strug
ole. the excitement of which has never
been approximatcd in this country, except
by that Of the contest between JEFFERSON
and BURR.
During this contest, he repeatedly, and
publicly proclaimed, that, in the event o
the success Of his party, he did not desire
and would not accept, any office IN the
gin Of the Government. Ills arduous,
and-wth his feeble heallh-lmprudent
Iabors, we're prompted by deep and a
bidng conviction that the time had arrv-
ed when every man, who had influence
over the popular mind, should freely ex-
pend his strength for the public good. -
Had it not been Tor his well known, and
long established opinions on the Bank
some members of tho Assembly of Vir-
GINA, he would, on the accession of Gen.
HARRISON, have been sent to the United
States Senate an event whlch--on &C.
coun, of his health-would have been
deeply deplored by his friends. The dis
tinouished Senator who was then chosen,
and now occupies that seat, so honorably
10 himself and his State, would be among
the foremost to admit, that no other Vir.
pinian had equal claims TO that distinction.