The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-01
7 H E R E 2 UBLIC.
WASHINGTON:
MONDAY MORNING. APRIL /. 1850.
Death or MIR. Calhoun.

wbelmed, yesterday morning, by the an
nouncement that Mr.. CALHOUN was dead.
The distinguished citizen had been in pre-
carious health for some weeks; but the i'm
preston had become quite general that he
was slowly, but surely, recovering. In
deed, it was announced that he was pre-
pairing reply to the comments which had
been made, in and out Of Congress, upon
his late speech upon the state of the
country. Apprehensions of fatal and
sudden termination Of his disease were
confined to the friends who gathered
around the bed of the sinking statesman,
to cheer his waning hours, or to catch the
last auguries of an expiring oracle. Even
these were buoyed up, by occasional in
dications of vigor, to hope for a perma-
nent improvement of his health--mistak-
~ n:~l,ar;nns of the lamn for renova-
tons of the oil of life.
Early in the session Mr.. CALHoUN's
more familiar friends discovered what
they deemed admonition of approaching
death. From time to time he would grow
better and then relapse, but during each
period of convalescence he was weaker
than before, showing too plainly that in
the successive conflicts of nature, the
King of Terrors had drawn closer TO the
last citadel of strength. These mournful
indications had dissipated all expectation
Of his appearance in the Senate in the
possession of physical strength equal to
the shock of contending minds grappled
together and wrestling over matters big
with the destines of the human race His
fast friends no more hoped to see him
there as he once appeared to them, the
| war horse with his neck clothed in thun-
der" but they chung to the delusion that
he would be spared them yet awhile to
animate them by his counsel and direct
them by his experience. Nor did they
abandon this phantom until Saturday last,
when towards evening his pulse became
uneven and weary, and betokening sys-
tenn worn out and wasted by burdens
above its strength.
Mr.. CALHOUN entered public life during
the turbulent times which preceded the
last war, and from that period TO this has
taken an active and prominent part in
every question which has agitated the
country. This is not a time to write his
history or his eulogy but we may here
remark that, however during the excite
ments of party contests his opinions may
have been combated or his motives as
sailed, his private life was ever free from
suspicion. In the relations Of husband,
father, son, neighbor, his conduct was
without reproach. He was ever temper
ate in living, austere in virtue, and studi-
Gus in habit His physical structure bore
no comparison with the proportions of his
mind and his death now may be as
cribed rather to the exhaustion of a body
incapable of sustaining weight so dis
proportionate to its strength. Within
breathing time of the hour of his death, that
mind was busy with the theme upon which
it bad made its last effort in the Capitol of
his country. Itwas peculiarly Of his to
have always topic of inquiry and Of
thought, which for the time occupied his
soul exclusively. Isolating himself and
his theme, he would examine il under so
intense a light as TO obscure every other
subject. Hence he too often appeared as
propagandist-bu no more of this. The
ast.question which commanded his whole
being was perhaps the one which most ex-
cited him.
During Saturday bis mind was entire
ly composed. He had a distinct percep-
ton Of his near end. He spoke connect
edly of his family, the scenes of his tri-
umphs, the arenas Of doubtful strifes, the
cause of the South and the union of the
States. He was prepared for his fate, and
awaited the summons Of his Creator with
composure and confidence. As the night
advanced his pulse became weaker. At
six O'Clock in the morning, the cold and
clammy damp Of death gathered upon his
brow. His mind, however, was yet clear,
his spirit composed, and the fire Of his eye
unquenched. His attendants beheld him
passing away without a sign of pain, with
out a change of feature TO denote mortal
pang. His life ebbed in its wasted tide
till quarter past o'clock on the morn
ing Of the 31st of March, when there re-
NAMED on earth Of this illustrious man no
thing but cold, emaciated corpse.
We find in the Savannah Republican a
/ loAA.. L.. L.. 49,. 4