The North-Carolina standard., 1849-09-19
THE LAVE LANES K. POLK

change of air. and to avail himself of the valuable
medicinal properties of the Bedford mineral springs
ne visited that lovely section of Pennsylvania for
short time, and returned much improved. =
-On his way up, he passed very hot and uncom-
Portable night at Cumberland but before sunrise,
we were seated in special coach, provided for the
occasion, and slowly ascending the rugged mountain
north of Cumberland; over a very bad road. After
several hours travel, during which the horses were
unable to go out of walk, we reached the summit.
where bright August sun, and boundless prospect
OF eternal hills, encircing fertile valleys, met the
view The driver was about to give the reins to four
sturdy steeds, when he was hailed by group of
about twenty, who had been concealed in luxurant
dlRgle on the road side. Z" Hollo, Jake, have you
got him :" Yes was the answer of the driver:
4" Well then, Jake, you must STOP"
The party advanced, and consisted of such group
and such men are only to be found among the yeo-
men of America 1t consisted of the Laird Of the
Manor, the proprety of many rich and fertile acres,
now waving with luscious crops, and his stalwart
sons, before whom the stubborn glebe and wilderness
OF Wood gives way; among them, all clad alike,
Were those who labored for their daily bread but
they all knew the dignity of labor and in their work
ing dress had left the harvest field to pay their
poets to the President of the republic.
The coach stopped, and as soon as the party were
sufficiently near Mr.. Polk asked, Well, where
we now F" An old man, with long white locks
streaming in the wind, and tall, slender frame, yet
firm step, headed the party, and replied, I" You have
just crossed the Pennsylvania line; you now in
Bedford county, and we, hearing that you were ex-
pected, left our work over in the fields, and came
here to give you welcome. suppose you are the
President. My name is j. s.. Ihave lived
here for sixty years. am "a years of age; and we
are all glad to see you."
The President got out of the stage, was introduced
to each one by name, and after shaking hands, and
few inquiries about his health, the old octogenaran
continued, in his honest and simple eloqnence-"Mr.
Polk, you are the second President of the United
States l have ever seen-the first was General
Washington, and shook hands with him blythe
side OF that mountain over there, where you see the
road turns He was then going up after the " w his
ky Boys,'' as we called them, and all thought
we were going to have among ourselves. One
of my neghbors, who has long since been dead, ask
ed Gen. Washington if we were going to have war
and the general sad Not unless God wills it. God
makes war and God makes peace, and let men do
what is right, and trust in God, and peace will come.
So, Mr.. Polk, you the second president ever
saw in my life, and it is only about five miles from
the spot where saw General Washington and then
he going to put down the whiskey insurrection;
and now, when meet you, we have this war IN
Mexico. Peace had just been concluded-the troops
had not returned.] A great many young men from
this country have goneto the war; and we have heard
that some have been killed, and some wounded, and
many died from sickness. Now, some of my neigh
bors, and the newspapers and politicians, call this
Polk's war: and they say Polk made the war, and
that these people would not have been killed only for
Polk.'
These last illusions affected the President deeply
the eloquent orator of Congress, the best stump
speaker of the land mute at this auson to those
fallen in battle-he bowed his head lows and the tears
ran freely over his cheeks. .-.. -..-E
But" continued the old man, raising himself to
his full altitude, than six feet, his white locks
streaming in the wind, his long, thin arm raised high
in air, and his finger pointed towards heaven, the
war comes from there 1.-The war comes from there
-and peace comes from there also. Mr.. Polk, my
boys read the newspapers to me at night. l know
all about Texas and the boundary, and we had to go
war. God made the Mexicans go to war to punish
o,,lH Ill A,eb ba1r nnlVy 500 ar
al Taylor and General Scott whipped them; and
thank God that you are our President, and you must
pray to him to help US in peace" do SO every
day of my life. and was thankful that we had such
men as General Taylor and General Scott to COM
mand our armes,'' was the reply. The President
was too much overcome to say much. and to conceal
his feelings he hurried into the stage, after hasty
farewell We had already separated short distance,
when the old mans voice was heard " Jake, Jake,
stop the house, and let the old woman shake hands
with the President Half an hours ride brought
US before large Pennsylvania farmhouse Every
thing on large scale-on all sides was evidence,
not Of abundance, but of afluence. large house,
large barn, large horses, large cows, large hogs
large dog large turkeys, large geese, large Chickens
a large garden stocked with large cabbages, and
arge woman thrusting mountains of leavened dough
into mammoth oven, gave evidence that the good
housewife had an instructive contempt for anything
diminutive. The driver now informed the President
that Mrs. S. was now before US. The President
alighted and informed the old lady who he was !
He was received Win an air ana ease SelOoIn eq
ed, never surpassed. "Well, this never expected,
that the President would come and talk to me. But,
did you see the old man? Well, am so glad. Oh!
he never will forget this; and will say 1t, though
am his wife, that he is of the best men In all
these parts and he is very smart man, too-onlY
he won't take any Office, and never would, but some
times they make him grand juTyman, and then he 8
the foreman (; but don't think he makes much at
that And now, Mr.. President, you must come In
and take some refreshment." In moment the long
oaken tables inside were covered with the biggest
bottes and we drank the old lady's cherry-bounoe,
and shrub and spruce beer, and sweet milk, out OF
the largest glasses ever made. The President drank
to the health of all the farmers and their wives, the
old lady gave US her benediction and we proceeded
en- route for the springs.
James X. Polk is now sleeping with the dead
The venerable patriarch will also soon be In his tomb
They both are above the world, its malice and It's
slanderabove our attery and beyond our generation
The tableau which presented itself on the lofty
summit of the Alleghany-with the bright morning
sum- group of twenty farmers from the harvest held,
the old man of eighty -four holding the President OF
rolling over his cheek for those slain In battle In
Mexico and the old repeating to him the words
of Washington, which he himself had heard uttered
near the same spot than half century ago. with
his finger pointing to heaven, :" God makes war
God makes peace !'' was such scene as the genius
of Huntingdon or a Cole could convert into Por-
ton of the history of our times Pennsy10a"'0"' =
FIRE. We regret to learn that on Saturday night
last Ist instant about o'clock, the valuable and
beautiful Mansion of Mr.. Henry X. Burgwyn, Hlii
Side, Northampton County, N. c., was destroyed
by Fire; together with nearly all his Furniture &C.,
Toss estimated at between $4,000 and $l5,oO0-
partially insured in the North Carolina Mutual In
surance Company. The Fire supposed to have been
communicated to the building by the hand OF an