The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-05-02
Congressional.


Mr. ",
as follows
h has been marked with calamity, and overcast with
Gloom The first of its public duties that has devolved
aoon me OF deep soennity and lis performance is un-
deraken with feelings OF oppressive sadness
Just week ago. venerable io-in the iulness OF
life and the seeming vigor of perfect hea'-rose in his
MACE and in a voice well known and respected here an
nonnced my position in this assembly That form WIN nor
rise again in this presence; for now lies eiess ana COZ"
As cIod of the valley That voice VIII be heard no more
within these walls for il is hushed in death In return iof
s Kind courre ~ of esenng me- his colleague, 10 this
company honorable pay but the poor and pam
h bu,e of making known his final separation The last
,el of his puhlic life my inIroduc lion the first oil
mine must be bis obituary.
CHESTER ASHLEY, senator from the State oil AKahsas
M more lie breathed his last his lodgings in this
civ on Saturday last, the 18th OF April at 10 minutes
bsors O'Clock, in the afternoon. On Sunday oil ias
week he ieIicated himself upon the perfection OF his
hb Soon after breakfast, the next morning, he com
lined Of slight ndisposition but slight as hardly to
Command second thought AT the usual hour he pro
seded TO his place in this chamber When the journal
h.d heen read did the favor TO present my creden
,a. as his colleague. lew minutes after, his ndisPo
on increased he had the sensation OF chilness, and,
,ry the Capitol returned his lodgings. That
inc ourd him deeply jaundiced, and in the derum Of
Cyer This latter symptom had usually marked his
,obest ndspositon-as is very common with individuals
large brain aud sangune temperament. His family,
howeyer thought him not seriously i-certainy in
Danger But on Thursday morning he had grown evident
~ worse and distinguished physician Of the city
called 10 see him. His condition found be such,
even them afford little hope of his recovery. Another
ninenr psctioner consulted, and the opinion
given.
On Friday morning invited to make third
NAVY in the professional consultation. But there
acound for hope An intense and extensive Inflammation
had seized upon the bowels and, in my opinion upon the
liver no and OF that type, occasionally encountered
which setting naugh the highest science and the best
directed efforts oS human Skill rum almost from the very
outset steadily and rapidly Into fatal termination
had seen similar before and am particularly
minded by of that OF the late Senator Fulton, who was
alike in station, in disease and in DEATH the predecessor
Of him whose loss now depore
Col. ASHLEY native OF New England He was
born at Weslfed in Massachusetts, the LIST day of June
1890: and consequently, the time OF his death, in
the 5sth year of his age. When infant of only three
months he carried by his parents who removed the
town of Hudson in New York He grew up, engaged in the
practice OF law, and resided there about n years then
migrated Illinois, where he remained about years
and subsequently, visiting the territory, of what is the
State of Arkansas in lSI9 determined make his resi-
dence Little Rock, then landing the southern
bank some three hundred miles above the mouth of the
Arkansas river Soon afterwards he married in Missouri
and removed, with his young family, his home in the
wilderness.
At that period, settlement in what was truly "the
liar west" no trivial undertaking. /, required
high degree of enterprise the prvatons
hadsfps, and perls Of frontier ifenow much talk.
led about, but then actually endured. An uncommon
share of mental forecast would alone suffice ascertain
point wide range, which become the centre of
important operations from which settlement and cvliza.
tion must adiate, and then throw back accumulated
interest hrnness fxedness sngleness of purpose true
its object the needle to the pole alone capable of
abiding the full development Of the little cloud of improve
ment then bigger than mans hand which was with
in quarter of century, with its golden draperv
the whole horizon. Yet many New England boy-manv
STRIPPING from anywhere this side the mountains inn
PEELED by the irepessbie spirit of progress guided by
Judgment so clear in its ptions aud rapid in its
combinations. as to seem intuve and sustained by
will potent the lever of Archimedes has exhibited
all the high qualities have mentioned and that TOO
IN the construction OF imperishable monuments-not
monuments like the towering pyramids of Egypt bar
nn OF utility the wastes of sand they overIook-nor
Ike the huge walls Of the Roman coliseum within which
human beings were wont to be degraded cruel level
Of wild beasts but OF monuments of purer ORDER of
Otter structure, OF more comprehensive proportonsdedi.
Gated to tho higher sentiments of the human heart and
adapted to the of human societyrnonunen,s
made up of the wilderness reclaimed and converted nto
cultivated fields; of the towns, with their bristing spires
which crowd our horoughares of the teemine commerce
our inland seas and, above ALL of the millions of Free
men who sleep securely under their own roof and
stand in conscious sovereignty upon fertile soil of their
own broad acres In wordhe noble aggregate of these
monuments Is before the world in the peerless prosperity of
he great vest | have selected the New England boy
os-'hoHahe srpp'ing, as the type OF class. And
mat class would DO difficult find more characteristic
representative than the individual of whom am here to
speak, whether regard the vigor the perseverance, or
tue success of his exertions
al the age OF % years, without parimony without re-
sources OF any kind except those he possessed in his acute
a"deomprehensive intellect, his high purpose and ndom
liable will, but recently married of congenin
'pr't he landed at Little Rock, and entered upon the
practice OF the law, which necessarily restricted then,
aaa of several years afterwards. almost exclusively to
eases before the territorial courts involving the titles land
ana personal violence among border population. In
lending these cases. Of which, of his high in
ehgehce and untrng industry, he obtained large
popoH,on he was frequently required traverse his
,c", the whole country which forms the State Of
ARKANSAS and portions OF that included In Missouri Even
p' one who participated in them, it would be difficult TO
epc' the scenes incident professional life, in times and
"'ae' circumstances when the law administered al
aos without books-'he courts often held in the open
"f-the ea,hern thong serving the place of prison
nen The land had roadside streams no bridges
e country for many miles between certain points of
r"eWeh, was unmarked by human habitations.
through all this the course of the young lawyer on
ara and upward-undismaycd, unchecked by difficulties
hch SEEMED indeed but excite still greater activity
o strong energies of his nature. Storing his mind from
oooKs whenever the me ans were within his reach
'' was ever improving his powers by those exercises
aaong men, and in the practical affairs of life, |
which qualify the of business be useful 10 his
'"ows, while giving due attention his own intel
",' BAT u IS moi necessary that should follow ID
" ueal the steps d him would represent. II is Of
"s and not the particular means of their accomplish
e" nave TO speak And it the results attained by my
aSed colleague may be the of his WORTH then
" vac success OF his exertions he has established repua
m ''r wisdom and sagacity which might satisfy the amb
Ieyo A..