Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-07-20
WASHINGTON.
TIL e. FUNERAL.
MONDAY, JULY Is, 1850.

Blu, yesterday, and who had migh,ier breath
thousand warriors by his word kept
In he said, the Centurion saith,
Co. and he goeth come, and forth he steppd
The trump and bugle till he spaks were dumb
And now nought left him but the muffied drum"
When it became our melancholy duty, nine years
ago, to record some account of the obsequies OF
the lamented HARRISON, we little thought that, dur
ing our brief remaining term OF life, 1t would ever,
certainly not soon, be our lot to repeat the tale
of another Presidential Funeral. But that myseri-
ous roll of human fate, written in Heaven, but
slowly unfolded, line after line, by the unerring
hand of Time, has many things in reserve for us ALL
of which we little dream and nations, like ndl-
viduals, are sometimes shocked by the advent Of
calamities as sudden and unlooked-for as they are
great Such an event has befalen this youthful
Republic and no stranger who beheld this city
during the last few days could doubt that some
great and appalling stroke had fallen upon the COM
munity. The silent streets-the public Offices,
and even the private dwellings, shrouded in mourn
ing-the national colors wherever visible, display
ed at half-mast, all told the story to the eye; while
the looks of the people, the pause in public busi-
ness, the rapid arrival of strangers, the groups
collected in earnest conversation, intent on pub
lie prints bearing their well-known badges of
mourning still more unfaiingly impressed the fact
upon the heart.
During the after part of Friday, the stream Of
people might be observed directing itself toward the
Presidential mansion, while those who left it
carried in their countenances an unusual gloom,
and in their hands leaf, a flower, withered
branch, to be treasured up as memorial con-
secrated by its having once rested on the bier
of ZACHARY TAYLOR. The body of the deceased
President was on that day placed in the great East
Room of the Executive Mansion, on an elevated
platform, in its centre under canopy of black,
being deposited in coffin covered on the outside
with black velvet and draperies Of silver, and lined
within with velvet also, but of the purest white
The shroud was of satin and white cravat was
gracefully thrown around the neck. The counte-
nance there exposed was one not to be passed over
with slight or transient gaze 1t fixed every eye.
II had three things impressyely written upon it: up
rghtness, benevolence, and peace. The face look
ed just as in life: frank, manly, simple, kind with
almost smile about the mouth. On the coffin lay
profuse quantity of flowers and buds, which were
continually being removed by the crowds who
gathered from all quarters contemplate the spec
tacle, and were as often renewed.
The FUNERAL was appointed for Saturday.
The weather was cool, and the morning opened
with clear sky and welcome breeze, both con-
tinuing throughout the day. Funeral salutes were
fired at sunrise; all stores were closed and very
soon the sound Of the drum was heard-the mill
tary were in motion, and the streets began to be
thronged with horsemen and vehicles Of all de-
scriptions. The lines of railroad brought such
trains of cars as are seldom witnessed for number,
and all densely crowded. The city resembled
some hive, alarmed and astir for general move
and yet with all the hustle and movement, there
was mingled prevailing quietness, chastened
abstaining from all tumultuous noises, which re-
minded one of the Sabbath.
The troops fastened to their appointed rendez-
vous, the various civic associations to their respec-
tive halls of meeting; while the whole population,
with countless addition of strangers from all the
adjacent States of the Union, grouped themselves
at the intersections of streets with the main avenue,
or at the open windows of houses where the pro-
cession was to pass. From these latter the sashes
WeIe Ill many cases removed, anu, story ABOVE
story, clustering heads with eager look, were peer
ing out upon the scene. In some places the very
roofs were almost literally tiled with human heads
1t is estimated that no less than hundred thousand
human beings were concentrated in this city on
that memorable day. The avenue itself 1--WE
mean of course Pennsylvania avenue) was, by the
activity of Marshals, posted from point to point
along its whole length, kept entirely clear of all We
hcles and horsemen but such as formed part of
the funeral cavalcade.
THE FUNERAL SERVICE.
Never has it been our lot to be present at any
scene of such soemnity and dignity as that which
the East Room of the Presidential Mansion offered
on this occasion. Here lay in state the venerated
dead; and here the last ceremonies of the Church
were appointed to be performed. Beneath the ca
pacious sable canopy the mortal remains of Gen.
Taylor lay cofhned, and around those remains
were clustered host of the distinguished living.
AT the foot of the bier sat in sadness the Successor
10 the honors and the responsibilities of the Execu-
tive chair, with the constitutional advisers of the
President; at its head were the Ministers of Reli-
glon in the habilimens Of their high office; to the
right, occupying the southern portion of the room,
were the distinguished Chiefs of the Army a, the
Navy. The General-in-Ch of the Armv. WIN.
FIELD ScoTT, with his Staff; Naval Commanders
Officers of the Marine Corps the Major Gener,I