The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-08-02

clnging to the windows, that they
might gaze and hear. And that dying
man, thus surrounded, in gush of fer
vid eoquence, spoke with inspiration OF
God, Of the Redeemer, of salvation
through the atonement, Of immol tality,
Fof Heaven. For he ever thought that
pure and undefled religion was the
foundation of private happiness, and
the bul yark of republican institutions.
Having spoken of immortality in perfect
consciousness Of his own approaching
end, he bade them all farewell. 'Dear
Children" such were his final words,
''dear children, servants, and friends, |
trust to meet you all in heaven, both
white and black-all, both white and
black" And having borne his testimo-
ny to Immortality, he bowed his mighty
head, and, without groan, the spirit
of the greatest man OF his age, escaped
to the bosom of his Cod.
In life, his career had been like the
blaze Of the sun in the ferceness Of its
noon day glory; his death was lovely
as the mildest sunset Of summers
evening, when the sun goes down in
tranquil beauty without cloud. 10
the majestic energy of an indomltable
will, he joined a heart capable of the
purest and most devoted love, rich in
the tenderest affections. On the bloo-
dy battle field of Tohopeca, he saved
an infant that clung to the breast OF lis
diving mother: IN the stormiest moment
of his presidency, at the imminent mo-
ment of decision, he paused in his way,
to give good counsel to poor suppli-
cant that had come up to him for sue
cor. Of the strifes in which he was
engagedin his earlier ifc.notone sprung
from himself, but in every case he be-
came involved by standing forth as the
champion of the weak, the poor, and
the defenceess, to shelter the gentle
against oppression, to protect the emf
grant against the avarice OF the spec
ulator. His generous soul revolted
against the barbarous practice of duels,
and by no man IN the land have SO ma
ny been prevented.
The sorrow of those that were near
to him went deeply into his soul; and
at the anguish of the wife whom he To-
we'd, the orphans whom he adopted, he
would melt into tears, and weep and
sob ike a child.
No man in private life SO possessed
the hearts of all around him: no public
man of the century ever returned to
private life with such an abiding mas
terry over the affections of the people.
No man with truer instincts received
American ideas; no man expressed
them SO completely, or SO boldly, or so
sincerely. He was as sincere a man
as ever lived. He was wholly always,
and altogether sincere and true.
Up to the last, he dared do anything
that it was right to do. He united per-
sonal courage and moral courage be-
yond any man Of whom history keeps
a record. Before the nation, before the
world, before coming ages, he stands
forth the representative, for his genera
ton OF the American mind. And the
secret of his greatness is this: by intu-
tive conception he shared and posses
sed all the creative ideas OF his country
and his time. He expressed them with
dauntess intrepidity; he enforced them
with an immovable will; he executed
them with an electric power that at
tracted and swayed the American peo-
pie. The nation, in his time had not
one great thought, of which he was
not the boldest and ciearest expositor.
History does not describe the man
that equalIed him in frmness of nerve.
Not danger, not an army in battle ar
ray, not wounds. not wide spread clam
or, not age, not the anguish Of disease,
could impair in the least degree, the Vi
gor Of his steadfast mind. The heroes
of antiquity would have contemplated
with awe the unmatched hardlhood of
his character; and Napoleon, had he
possessed his disinterested will, could
never have been vanquished. Jackson
never was vanquished. He was al
ways fortunate. He conquered the
wilderness; he conquered the savage;
he conquered the bravest veterans
trained in the battle fields of Europe;
he conquered every where in states
manship; and, when death came to get
the mastery over him, he turned that
last enemy aside as TRANQUILITY as he had
done the feeblest of his adversaries, land
escaped from earth in the triumphant
consciousness of Immortality.
His body has its fit resting place in
the great central valley of the Missis-
sippi; his spirit rests upon our whole
territory; it hovers over the wales of