The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-23
A FUNERAL GRAFTON ON THE DEATH OF
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
Delivered by JOHN Tyler, at Richmond, Virginia,
on the Ilth July, 1896

WHY this numerous assemblage; this solemn and
| melancholy procession these habiliments Of woe
Do they betoken the fall OF some mighty autocra OF
| some imperial master who hath 'bestrd the earth
like Colossus and whose remains are followed TO
the grave by the tools and mlnions OF his power
| Are they the tokens of cercmonious woe, mere
mockery Of feeling Or are they the spontaneous
offerings of gratitude and love What mighty man
has fallen in Israel, and why has Virginia clothed
herself in mourning' The tolng OF yon dismal bell
and the loul but solemn discharge OF artillery, hath
announced to the nation the melancholy tdlngs
THOMAS JEFFERSON no longer lives lhat glorious
orb which has for many years given light 10 our
footsteps has set in death. The patriot, the states
man, the philosopher, the phlanthropist has sunk
into the grave Virginia mourns over bis remains,
and her harpis hung upon the willows
Why need say more' There Is a language IN
this spectacle which speaks more eloquence than
tongue can utter. This is the testimony of well
spent life the tribute of a nations gratitude. Look
this sight ye rulers OF the earth, and learn from
the lessons OF wisdom. Ye ambitious and untamed
spirits who seek the attainment Of glory by scat
folding formed Of human suffering, behold people
in the funeral bier OF their benefaetor and
If true glory be your object be guided by The light OF
this example
In pronouncing the eulogy Of the dead, my coun-
trymen. have no blood-sained banner TO present j;
no battles TO recount sword or helmet TO deposit
on his hearsc | have TO entwlne civic wreath
which philosophy has woven and patriotism hallow-
ed. The achievements Of the warrior in the held
attract the attention OF niankHu, OH tle
memory while the labors OF the civilian too often
pass unnoted and unknown. But not so with that
man whose death we this day mourn The results
of his policy exhibited in all around Although
his sun has sunk below the horizon of this world yet
hath il left train of light which shall never be ex-
tingushed.
At the commencement Of his successful career, he
manifested the same devotion to the rights of man,
which he evinced in all his after life, AT an early
day he so distinguished himself as the firm and fear
-
draw upon him the frown OF the royal governor aud
had already anticipated the of the PERIOD
when the colonies should be elevated to the condition
of free, sovereign and independent States. Having
drawn his principles from the fountains of pure
philosophy he was prepared to assall the avish doc
trne that man was incapable OF sell government aud
to aid in building up on its overih ow, that happy
system under which it is destiny TO live On the
coming Of that tremendous storm which for eight
wears desolated country Mr.. Jefferson hesltated
not halted not. Born to rich inheritance, destined
to the attainment Of hig distinction under the regal
cause of his country and of human freedom into that
government, ed by the aristocracy of the lanc,
he adycntured with tn single motive OF advancing the
perilous contest, throwing INTO the scale his liie and
fortune as if of no value. The devoted friend ofman,
he had studied his rights in the great volume OF ma
ture, and with rapture the era at hand when
those rights should be proclaimed, and the world
| aroused from the sumber of centuries. The season
was approaching for the extension OF the empire OF
|
| Sidney reolc d at its approach. Among his fellow
aborers, those devoted champions OF liberty those
brilliant lights which shall forever burn, he stood
conspicuous. But how transcendantly bright was
| that halo of glory by which he was surrounded on
| the fourth of July, l116. Oh, day ever precious in
the recollections of freemen! rendered doubly
so by the recollection, that it was the birthday OF
nation, and the last of him who had conferred
on II Immortality. Yes, illustrious man, 1t was
given thee to live until the advent of Nation s
| I,oJ, c,ic,tv unbo 10
by the blessings of ten millions of reemen, and the
day and hour of thy renown the day and hour Of
thy dissolution. How nseparable is now the con-
nection between that glorious epoch and this dstiil-
gushed ctizen' Does there not seem to have been
an especial providence in his death The sun OF
that day upon him. and the Of artillery and
the hosannas of nation sounded into his the
assurances Of his immortality. So precious life re-
qured death SO glorious. Who shall set lin
its to his fame On the annual recurrence of that
glorious day, when with pious ardor millions yet I'M
born shall breathe the sentiments contained in the
celebrated Declaration of Independence when the
fires Of liberty shall be kinded every hill and shall
blaze in every vale, shall not the of Jefferson
be pronounced by every lip, and written on every
heart Shall not the rejoicmgs OF that day, and the
recollection of his death, cause the smile to chase
away the tear, and the tear to becloud the smile
But not the future millions of these happy States
shall his fame be confined. That celebrated State
paper will be found wherever is to be found the
abode Of civilized man. Sounded in the of ty-
rants they shall trembe on their thrones, while man
so long the victim OF oppression, awakes from the
sleep Of ages and bursts his chains The day is rap
idly approaching, prophetic tongue has pronounced
it, ITO some nations sooner, to others later, but final
" TO ALL" when il will be made manifest 'that the
mass Of mankind have not been born with saddles
on their backs, favored few booted and spulred
ready to ride them legtmatey, by the grace Of God"
Already has this truth aroused the onehali Of this
continent from the ethargy in which it has so long
reposed Already are the paans Of liberty chauned
from the Gulf Of Mexico to the Rio de Ia Plata, and
its affairs are erecting on the RUNS OF superstltious
idoIary. A mighty spirit walks abroad upon the
earth, which shall, in its onward march, overturn
municipalities and powers, and trample thrones and
sceptrcs in the dust And when the happy era shall
arrive for the emancipation of nations, fastened on
as il will be by the example of America, shall they
not resort to the Declaration of our Independence
the charter of their rights, and will not its author be
hailed as the beneiactor OF the redeemed
But my countrymen, this State paper is not the on,
" lasting testimonial which he has left of his devo-
ton TO the rights of man. Where should stop were
| to recount the multiplied and various acts of his
life all directed to the security Of those rights The
Statute Book of this State, almost all that is wise in
policy sanctedby justice, bears the impress of his
genius and furnishes evidence of that DEVOTION
But choose TO present him 10 you in the light OF a
mighty reformer. He was born 10 overturn systems,
ard to pull down es Adjustments. He had more
difficult task to accomplish than the warrior in the
embated field. lie had TO conquer man, and bring
him to true of his own dignity. lie had TO
encounter prejudces become venerable 10y age; to
assa in its strong places, and to expel 1t even
from its Businesses. He advanced to charge 18th a
bold and reckless intrepidty, but with calculating
GOODNESS The Declaration of which have Just spo-
ken, had announced the great truth that man was
capable Of sefgoyernmen but it still remained for
HIM to achieve a conquest over an error WI ch was
sanclifed by age and fortified by the pre-.
judces of mankind. He dared to proclaim
the important truths, that Almighty God
had created the mind free; that all attempts
to influence by temporal punishmens burdens or
by civil interpretations tend only to beset hypocrisy
and neanness and are departure from the plan OF
I the Holy Author Of religion, who being Lord
both of body and of mind yet chose not to propa-
gate by coercons either, was in his Almighty