Washington telegraph., 1850-08-07
REM ARKS

OF the Unlted states Oh the Death of Presls
dent Taylor
Mr. WEBSTER. MIR. Secretary-A,,
time when the great mass of our fellow
citizens enjoy remarkable health and bar
pness throughout the country, il ba.
pleased Divine Providence to visit II.
two houses of Congress, and especianv
this House, with repeated occasions e..
mourning and lamentation. Since ,bo
commencement of the session we hav.
followed two of our members to their I.s,
home, and we are now called upon =
conjunction with the other branch Of ,bo
Legislature, and in full sympathy with
that deep tone of affiiction which I am
sure is felt throughout all the country 70
take part in the last and due solemnitias
of the funeral of the late President Of
the United States.
Truly, sir, was it said in the comm.
nication read TO us, that "great man
has fallen among US" The late Pres.
dent OF the United States, originally
soldier by profession, having gone
through long and splendid career of mil.
itary service, had, at the close of the las,
war with Mexico, become so much en-.
deared to the people of the United
I Safes. and had inspired them with 50
| n'Sh degree of regard and confidence
that, without solicitation or application
without pursuing any devious paths Of
policy, or turning hairs breadth 10 the
right or the left from the path of duty. 2
great, and powerful, and generous peo.
pie saw ft, by popular vote and voice 10
confer Oh him the highest civil AUTHORITY
in the nation. We cannot forget that
as in other instances, 50 in this, the pub.
lie feeling was won and carried awav. in
some degree, by the eclat of military re.
nown. So it has been always; and 50 il
always will be, because high respect for
noble feats in arms has been, and ALWAYS
will be outpoured from the hearts of The
members of q popular government But
il will be a great mistake 10 suppose tha,
the late President of the United States
owed his advancement TO high civil trust
or his great acceptabiliIy with the peo
pie, to military talent or ability alone.
! believe, sir, that associated with the
highest admiration for those qualities
possessed by him, there was spread
| throughout the community high de-
gree of confidence ard faith in his integ
rity and honor and uprightuess as a man.
[ believe he was especially regarded as
both a firm and a mild man in the exer.
else of authority; and | have observed
more than once, in this and in other
popular governments that the prevalent
motive with the masses Of mankind for
conierring high power on individuals, is a
| confidence in their mildness, their pater-
nal, protecting, secure and safe charac.
ter. The people naturally feel safe when
they feel themselves TO be under the con.
troll and protection of sober counsel Of
impartial minds. and a general pateraal
supe-intendence.
/ suppose, sir, that no case ever hap.
pened in the very best days of the Ro.
man Republic, when any man !ound
himself clothed with the highest author-
~ in the State under circumstances more
repeIlng all suspicion of personal appll-
cation, 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, aud eminent. aud distinguish
ed, and good man, whose death we now
deplore. He has left to the people of his
country a legacy in this: he has left them
bright example, which addresses itself
with peculiar force to the young and
rising generations; for it tells them that
there is path to the highest degree OF
renown-straight, onward, steady. with
ou; change or deviation.
Mr.. Secretary, my friend from Louis
lana (Mr. Downs) has detailed shortly
the events in the military career OF Gen.
Taylor. His service through his life was
mostly on the frontier, and always hard
service-often in combat with the Tribes
of Indians all along the frontier for ma.
ny thousands Of miles 1t has been Just
ly remarked by one of the most eloquent
men whose voice was ever heard ID
these houses, that 1t is not in Indian wars
that heroes are celebrated, but that 1t Is
there that they are formed. The hard
service, the stern discipline, devolving
upon all those who have a great extent
of frontier 10 defend, and often with irreg-
ular troops of their own being called on
suddenly to enter into contests with saw
ages, 10 study the habits Of savage lie
and savage war. in order to foresee and
overcome their stratagems-al all ihese
things tend to make hardy military char
acte-s.
For very short time, sir, had con-
nexion with the Executive Government
of this country, and at that time very per
ilous, embarrassing circumstances exist
ed between the United States and the
Indians on the borders, and war was ac'
tualy raging between the United o'a'TS
and the Florida tribes; and | very wei,
remember that those who took couDsel
together on that occasion officially, an"
who were desirous Of placing the militia
ry command in the safest hands, came 10
Il.