Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-07-19
Address of G. W. Elder. ESQ.

FELLOW CITIZENS We have laid aside our
business, and left ripe harvest in the field to
meet in this haliowcd placc-to mingle with the
wall Of sorrow which goes up from this nations
heart, the voice Of prayer and the song of praise
for no other voice, nor any other song, is kin
dred to the deep feeling which this ventinspires
The affective providence which has bereft this
land Of its lstIate-which has laid low It's
mighty one, q" lOosened the silver cord, ," and
broken our curious pitcher al the well--seems
to say, !" j his Is time for the heart to feel
rather than for the tongue to speak"
But whilst these States mourn their loss, the
thought that " all Is still we'll" should inspire US
with the deepest thankluness for when the
rulers OF other nations lay down their power, il
IS often taken up soiled with the dust and stained
with the blood OF carnage, amidst the noise of
battle and in sight Of armies, who, sick Of toll
and blood, lean heavily on their spears But
We have seen no such sad drama. The sceptre
Of our power fell from the hand Of General
Taylor, who for the first time grew too weak to
WELD any sceptre in the world, as noiselessly as
" snow fake falls upon the sod"-the pride of
the highest place, and power well suited to
dazzle the eye, passed TO Fillmore silently,
peacefully and beautifully as a summer cloud
passes from the face of morning sky.
Born near the close Of our Revolution, when
the cradle hymns Of every child were the songs
Of LiDeEty-whcn every mother taught the infant
love; and, after hers then came its country's
claim-he appeared upon the stage of life at a
propltious moment TO fulfil the high destiny in
store for him. lmbued with these early lessons
after the feelings of the child had deepcncd into
the principles of the man, is 1t strange that
Zachary Taylor should carry through life de-
Yoton TO has country of the most feryid kind
should ever carry into all his acts an integrity
and purity of purpose which must be admired
whilst these virtues, which so adorn and give
loyclIness 10 the human character, are esteemed
good beautiful among men: Nor was it
strange that he enjoyed, in an unusual degree,
the confidence OF all parties. Even the bitter
spirit Of party never cast repToach upon his
honesty II he erred, all felt that il was a frail
freak of the head, and not the heart. His firm
ness-that moral power which best separates the
little from the great-has often been tried on the
battle field, where the strong man NAV at times
swerye, and talter, and fail but in this respect
he never felt the touch Of infrmity Others
might lean on his arm but for himself, he relied
on his own self-sustaning power
For the great and good to die, whether in
public or in private life, is a subject to be
mourned but for Chief Magistrate to die,
IN whom all the elements of moral power
seemed so well and SO fifty blended, is n proYi-
dence before which nation may well pause,
and with subdued feelings depIore its loss
In this time of trouble, when new and exciting
questions of policy distract and divide our ma
tlonal councils-now when angry pre- iudccs and
bitter sectional feeling has made one portion of
our family look with distrust upon the other-do
VIC need the military frmncss of Gen. Taylor-~
need his hand to pour oil upon the troubled wa
ters, if that would allay them and if not, then
there would seem need for voice like his to be
heard along the waters saying peace be still"
II was the request OF a great man once that
no one should write his epitaph, for he said none
hp far,b pf
Taylor, for he has himself Inscribed il on the
hearts of all the living in a dialect bright aud
enduring as the stars Nor let any try to sketch
the simple virtues which adorned his private
life, for these his modesty concealed from men :;
and let the man who writes the history of his
public life, study well to lead his reader along
that bright and brilliant career which has so
lately and so well surprised the world.
But see the Chieftain in his last battle where
the tears of the brave and the folies of the wise
are seen, hear him utter those words so full
OF truth and beauty, while his mind busted itself
amid the scenes of his past life, % have ALWAYS
tried to do my duty'-and listen to those other
words, so simple and so beautiful that they sound
like the prattle Of child, " My only regret is
Tor the friends leave behind me-" These were
the words of that man for whose brow his coun-
try had woven her choicest garlands, and on
whose grave she sheds her tears
q For there's n tear for all who die
a mourner DER the humbest grave;
But Nations swell the funeral cry,
And Triumph weeps above the brave"