Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-07-27

ceremonies ~ h0lpr O1 t6n. Taylor we take
from the National 1ntelligencer Of Monday
the 10th inst
The Funeral.
Can this be teath1--tben what s life OF deatht
"speat r'--b,,t he spos not Wake r'---but
still he slept.
But yesterday, apl. who had mghtief breah'
A Thousand warriors by his word were kept,
In awe; he said, ss the Centurion saith,
"so,' and he gosth, "rome" and forth he stepp'd
The trump and blisle till he spale were dumb
And now nonsht loft him but the muffied drum
When it became our melancholy duty.
nine years ago. 10 record some account oi
the funeral obseures Of the lamented
Harrison, we little thought that, during
our brief remaining term Of life, it would
ever, certainly not 40 soon, be our lot to
repent the tale of another. Presidential
Funeral. But that mysterious roll of
human fate, written in Heaven, but slowly
unfolded, line after linz, by the unelring
hand of Time. has manly things in reserve
for us ALL Of which we dream. and nations,
like individuals, are sometimes shocked BY
the advent of calnmites rs Sudden aud
unlocked for rs they are great. Such an
event has befallen this youthful Republic .
and no stranger who beleld this city du-
ring the last few days could doubt that
some great and appalling stroke had fallen
npon The community. The silent atreets--
the public officers, and even the private
dwellings, sllrotded in mourning--the
national colors wherever visible. displayed
at half-mast. all told the story to the eye ),
while the looks of the people y2ille pause
in public business the rapid arrival Of
strangers, the groups collected in earnest
conversation, or intent on public prints
bearing their well-known badges of mour-
ming. still more unfalingty impressed the
fact upon the hefelt.
During the part Of Friday. the stream
Of people might be observed directing itself
toward the Presidential Mansion, whie
those who left it carried il their countcr-
nnccH ali unusual gloom and in their hands
a lcaf flower. u withrred branch. to be
treasured np as n memorial consectated
ly ts having rested on the bier Of Zachary
Taylor The body Of the deceased presl-
dent was OH that day placed III the great
East Room Of the Executive Mansion on
an elevated platform, in its centre, under
a canopy Of black. being deposited in
coffin covered on the outside with black
velvet and drapcres Of silver and lined
with velvet also, but Of the plrsst white.
The shroud was Of satn, and Wl,ite
cravat was gracefully thrown around the
neck. The counteilance there exposed
wss one not to be passed over with slight
and transient gaze. It fixed every eye
1t had three things in,pressive1y written
upon it npriuhtness, benevolence, and
pence. The face looked iust as in life
frank, manly, simple. kind, with almost
smile about the mouth. On the coffin lay
n protnse quantity Of flowers and bud=.
which were continually being removed by
the crowds who gathered from all quarters
to contemplate the spectacle. and were rs
often renewed
The lunera was appointed for Saturday
The weather was cool, and the morning
oponed with clear sky and welcome
breeze, botl, continuing throughout tho
day. Funeral snlltes We're fred ut sunrise.
all stores were closed and very soon the
sound of the drum was hsard--tio
were in motion, and the streets
began to be throngsd with horsemcn mud
vehicles OF all descriptions. The lines of
railroad brought such trains of cars as are
seldom witnessed for number. and all dense
ly crowded. The city rescmbled some
hive, alarmed and astir for general move
and yet, with all the hustle and movement
there was mingled prevailing qnietness, n
chastcned ab&tSining from nl tumutuouB
noises, which reminded one of the Sabbath.
The troops. heatened to their appointed
rendezvous, the various civic associations
to their respective halls of meeting while
the whole population. with a countless
addition Of strangers from NIL the adjacent
States of tho Union, grouping themselves
Mt the intersections of streets with the
main avenue. or Mt the open windows of
houses where the procession was to pass
From those latter the saslcs were in many
cases removed, and, story above story,
heads, with eager look, were
peerlng out upon the scene. In Some
places the very roofs We're almost literally
tiled with human heads. It is estimated
that no less than hundred thousand
human beings Were concentrated in this
city on that memorable day. The avenue
itse!t 1--WE mean of course Pennsylvania
Avcnue) was by the activity of marshals
posted from point to point along its whole
length, kept entirely clear of all vehicles
and horsemcn but such as formed q part Of
the funeral cavacade.
THE rUNERAI. VICE.
Never had it been our lot to be present
at any scene of such solefilnity and dignity
as that which the East Room of the
Presidential Mansion offered on this oc-
casion. Here laid in state the vcnerated
dead and here the last ceremonies of the
church were appointed to be performed
Beneath the capacious sable canopy the
mortal remains of Gen. Taylor lay cofined.
and around those remains were clustered
n host of the distinguished living. At the
foot Of the bier sat in sadness the successor
to the honors and the responsibilities of
the Executive chair, with the constitu-
tional advisers of the President at its
head were the Ministers of Religion, in
the habiliments of their high office; to the
right, occupying the southern portion OF
the room, were the distinguished Chiefs of
the Army and the Navy. The General
in-Chicf of the Army, Winfield Scott,
with his staff; Naval Commanders Of
licers of the Marine Corps the Major of
the Militia, with his aids, and officers of
the Engineer Corps, presented a spectacle