The North-Carolina standard., 1850-04-24

ure. never consult her. act to the best OF my
judgment, and according to my conscience. If she
approves, well and good. If she does not or wish.
es any one else to take my place. l am ready to va.
cate. We are even.'' IN. Y. Herald.
JOHN C. CALHOUN. The sorrowful news, of which
the people of the United States have been in hourly
expectation for some days, has at last reached us,
and one of the most ilustrious this country
produced, has been gathered unto his fathers. JOHN
CALDWELL CALHOUN, the orator, statesman, Philoso-
pher, and patriot, has descended from the lofest PIN
nac!e of humane fame and greatness, into the dark
vale OF The shadow of Death. This nation and the
world has lost of its shining lights. The con-
steation of Genius has been shorn of one-half its
reugence. The circle of the truly great has grown
much narrower. An intellect, one Of the noblest
and cultivated to the highest degree of power and
ceence, has been struck from the world of mind
heart, worthy of its associate mind, great, noble,
full of all high impulses, and attuned the purest
sentiments, the loftiest aspirations, has shrunk from
its once vast proportions, into the dust that minges
with its mother earth. What impressive lesson
of the mortality of all human things! An intellect
that seemed almost divine emanation, sinks as eas-
ly, quietly, and INCREASINGLY, under the inevitable
decree which the sin of Adam brought upon man
kind, that of the idiot, the infant. Who that
heard read the vigorous thoughts of John C. CAL
houn, delivered with such resistless energy, few
days ago, but have found it difficult to realize
the conviction that such mind fastening to the
common doom of all! And yet, even then, when he
stood up the bold, fearless, and invncible champion
of what he believed to be the truth, the seeds of
mortality were rpening in his worn frame-the shad-
ow of death threw its pail over the glow of his
genius, and the decay of matter had begun to mock
the undying vigor Of his soul and the nextinguisha
BILE brightness of his intellect. Let thank God
he died d-not by the gradual surrender of mind to
matter.-the failing of the sense and the decline of
intelligence, but in full possession of all the noble
powers by which the Almighty had distinguished
him from the rest of his fellows.
John g. Calhoun leaves eternal monuments of his
greatness and his virtues behind him. He leaves in
the minds and hearts of the whole people of this
Union, profound conviction of the unconquerable
honesty of his purpose, the power OF his in
teect, and the purity of his patriotism. This feel
ing, pervading this whole country, warns ap-
proach the more Southern portion of Union, un-
til it attains exaltaon that admits rival, and
makes the Southern heart overflow with afectionate
devotion and sincere admiration. His singular and
untring service in behalf of the bright land, where
his great mind first saw the light and where it ripen-
ed into such glorious refugence his romantic attach
ment to the rights, the interests, the PRINCIPLES, the
institutions of his own South, must ever challenge
the admiration of the world extort involuntary res
pect from his enemes and command the eternal graf
tude and affection of all whose lots cast in the re-
gion which his genius has protected and Illuminated.
The time and the occasion are not favorable for the
full expression of estimate of the character and
intellect of John G. Calhoun. He was, intellectu-
ally, the greatest man the country ever produced
and, if we do not add, that his moral qualities were
equal to his intellectual, it is because, among the
truly great men who have filled such conspicuous
positions in the history of this Republic, there are
no degrees of moral excellence. But of Mr.. CAL
houn we say, that the crewning beauty of his
character was that amid all the contests and corrup-
oas of politics, he maintained the purity of his heart
and morals He cultivated the domestic virtues and
kept himself aoof from the vices, dissipatons and
ollies in which many of our great frittered away
their talents. He devoted himself to thinking read
ing, writing, and speaking for his country and her
institutions. No other care study occupied his
time, engaged his talents. For thirty-ive years
he served his country in the Cabinet, in the Senate
in difficult administrative trusts. In all, he
ly and equally great. His mind was no less praci-
cal than philosophical. His action and his speech
were equally wise. He comPrehended clearly and
fully the whole theory of institutions with fac
ulty of analysis. excelled, and, at the same
time possessed familiarity with the practical details
of their administration, which rendered him the most
efficient executive officer ever connected with our
government
But we must forbear. The limited time and space
allowed us, forbid doing Justice to the feelings
excited by the mournful demise of this illustrious
man. On some other occasion, we may attempt to
lay before readers the chief in the history
prominent and influential of his age, who, toe, since
Jefferson and Madison, has been the great organ of
that doctrine, which, we believe, is the only true
basis for the perpeuy of this Union, and the peace
and harmony of these States-the doctrine of State
Sovereignty and strict construction of the Constu
ton. NeD Orleans Della.