The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1850-07-18

memory. 1cs, thcfc SAT quiet ana
placid as tho gentle brccHs from The
Potomac that cooled his heated brow,
the man whose very pathway to his
Log Cabin school house in Virginia,
the bloody ground, was bcsct by the
tomahawks Of the savage, and who
hal passed through four wars, and
many Of the bloodicst and most glor.
ious battle fields OF his country, un.
scathed at the head Of the greatest
Republic Of this or any other country
protected, not by bayonets, but by
the affections Of his countrymcn.--
Yet in few short days, in the midst
Of this quiet, this peace, this prospcri.
,y and favor, he was called to APP
rroach that doom which awaits us
all.
Mn. WEnsTER-Mr. Secretary, at
a time when the great mass of our
fellow citizens enjoy remarkable health
and happiness throughout the whole
country, it has pleased Divine Provi.
dence to visits the two Houses Of
Congress, and especially this House
with repeated occasions for mourning
and lamcn.ation. Since the com
mencement Of the session we have
followed two Of our members to their
last home and We arc now called
upon, in conjunction with the other
branch of the Legislator, and in full
sympathy with the deep tones Of attic.
ton which l am sure is felt through.
out all the country, to take part in
the solemnities Of the funeral Of the
late President Of tho United States.
Truly, sir, was it said in the CON-
munication read to us, that great
man has fallen among us. The late
President Of the United States, or.
iginally soldier by profession, hav.
ing gone through long and splendid
career Of military service, had, at
the close Of the late war with Mexico,
: become so much endeared to the rco-
pic Of the United States, and had in.
spired them with so high degree Of
otregard and confidence, that with
out solicitation or application, with
out pursuing any devious paths Of
Of policy, or turning a hairs breadth
to the right or to the left from the
, path of duty. great and powerful
and generous people saw fit, by popu-
lar vote and voice, to confer upon
him the highest civil authority in the
, hation. We cannot forget that in
other instances, so in this, the public
feeling was won and carried away in
a degree, by the cclat of military re-
nown. So it has been always, and
so it always will be, because high re.
spect for noble feats in arms has been
and always will be outpourcd from
J the hearts Of the members of q popu.
lar government. But it will be
great mistake to suppose that the late
, President Of the United States owed
his advancement to the civil trust, or
his great acccptibility with the poo
pie. to military talent or ability alone.
l believe, sir, that associated with
the highest admiration for those quail.
tiles possessed by him, there was
spread throughout the community
high degree Of confidence and faith
in his integrity, and honor and up
rightness as a man. l believe he
was especially regarded as both a
firm and a mild man in the exercise
Of authority, And l have observed
more than once in this and in other
popular Governments, that the prcva-
lent motive with the masses Of man.
kind for comforting high power on
individuals, is confidence in their
mildness. Their parental protection
is regarded as Of sure and safe
character. The people naturally
feel safe where they feel themselves
to be under the control and protec-
ton Of sober council-men Of impair.
tial minds and a general patcrnal
superintendent. l suppose, sir
that no case ever happened in the
very best days Of the Roman Repuh.
lie, where any man found himself
clothed with the highest authority in
the State under circumstances more
repelling all suspicion or personal ap-
plication, all suspicion Of pursuing
any crooked path in politics, or all
suspicion Of having been actuated by
sinister views and purposes, than in
the case Of the worthy, and eminent
and distinguished, and good man,
whose death we now deplore. lie
has left to the people of his country
a legancy in this. He has lelt them
a bright example, which addresses
itself with peculiar force to the
young and rising generation, for it
tells them that there is a path to the
highest degree Of renown, straight
onward without chance or deviation.
Mr.. Secretary, my friend from Louis
lana, (Mr. Downs has detailed,
n