Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-07-09
]. x. POLK,
Born NOVEMBER, 1875.
DlEp JUNE Is, 1S49.

The body lies in state to-day The noble
drawing rooms are shrouded in black, and every
window in mourning with black scarts of Grape
The tall white columns Of the majestic portico
facing the south are completely shrouded in black,
giving soemnly majestic and funeral aspect to
the Presidential mansion.
The funeral took place at four O'Clock this al
ternoon, masonic ceremonies being first perform
ed in the drawing room over the body. | saw
the body before it was encoflined. The features
are in noble composure Death has impressed
upon them the seal ofmalesty. In his life, his
features never wore that impress OF command and
intellectual strength, that seemed now chiselled
upon their marble outline. He was habited in Il
plain suit of black, and copy of the Constitution
of the United States placed at his feet, Before
being taken to the cemetery, the body was her
metioally soldered within copper coffin
From the housejhe funeral cortege, which was
very large, (all places CT business being closed
by order Of our good Wing Mayor, } proceeded to
services performed by the Reverend Mr.. McFer-
rem, it was conveyed to the cemetery, followed
by vast concourse of citizens. The body was
desposited in the Grundy vault, temporarily !;
but it will soon be removed to a vault on the
lawn eff the ex-Presidential mansion, where a
willow now stands, and over it will be erected
stately marble cenotaph thus the body of the
President from Tennessee will lie entombed in
the heart Of its capital Mr. Polk, by will, the
evening before his death gave the lawn TO the
State, in perpetuity, for this purpose.
Mr. Polk sent for the Reverend DR.. Edgar, of
the PRESBYTERIAN Church. seven days before his
death, desiring to be baptized by him. He said
to him iulpressively
'Sir-IfI had suspected twenty years ago that
should come to my death-bed unprcparsd, it
would have made me wretched man yet am
about to die, and have not made preparation. |
have rot even been baptised Tell me, sir, can
there be any ground for man thus situated to
hope :"
The Reverend Doctor made known to him the
assurances and promises of the Gospel that mer-
cifully run parallel with man slife.
Mr. Polk then remarked, that he had been
prevented from baptism in infancy by some acct
dental occurrence, that he had been several times
strongly inclined to be baptized during his adj
ministration, but that the cares and perplexities
of public life hardly gave him time tor the SOL
emn preparation requisite, and so procrasination
had ripened into inaction, when II was now al
most too late to act. In his conversation with
the Rev. clergyman, Mr. Polk eyinced great
knowledge of the scriptures, which, he said, he
had read a great DEAL and deeply reverenced as
Divine truth ; in a word, he was theoretically, a
christian.
The conversation fatiguing MIR. Polk too much
for him to be then baptised, it was postponed, to
take place the next evening but in the interval,
the ex-President recollected that when he was
governor and lived here, he used to hold many
arguments with the Rev. Mr.. McFerren, the Ia
Tented and popular Methodist minister of the
place, his warm personal and political FRIEND and
| that he had promised him when he did embrace
christianity, he, the Rev. Mr.. McFerren, should
baptize him. He therefore sent for the Rev DR.
Edgar, made known this Obligation and expires
sed his intention to be baptized by his friend, tbs
Methodist minister. The same day the venerable
Mrs. Polk mother of the ex-Presdent, a yer,
pious Presbyterian lady, arrived from her resi-
dence, forty miles distant, accompanied by he
own pastor, hoping that her Distinguished sor
would consent to be baptized by him
"Mother,n said the dying ex-Presideat, taking
her affectionately by the hand, II have never in
my life disobeyed YOU but you must yield to
your son now, and crafty my wishes | Elus'
De hspsi, ID by tbs Rsv. Mr., MsFsrrsn."