Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-25

=, 4L0R Of Ohio, said In the Congress OF 1899,
!, Ieaker, when the announcement of the death Of
1eral Washington made in this body, appropriate
resolutions passed express the high appreciation
of the Representatives of the people Of the
public services of the Father Of his Country and their
profound grief for their loss His death was considered
great national calamity and in the beautiful and ap
proprate language Of General Henry Lee who
the resolutions introduced by John Marshall he pro-
claimed having been First IN war; first in peace, and
first in the hearts Of his fellow citizens The whole
nation cordially responded to that sentiment and from
that day this the high eulogum has been adopted by
the people Of the United States Of America the Just
and expressive tribute to the greatest man. take him all
in ALL that country had then, has since produced.
Time rolled on and the sentiment of his own country
has OF late years become the intelligent opinion of the
whole world And in proof of this might cite, among
others the opinions of the late Pre-
mer Guizot Of France and the great though eccentric
writer and statesman, Brougham, of England, men of
vast celebrity
Our country then in its infancy, has grown up, in
little more than half century to be the first Republic
in the world having increased from three or four millions
to nearly twenty-five millions Of inhabitants and extend
ing from the Atlantic to the Pacific During the
present year the nation has been called upon to mourn
the death OF two Of her most distinguished citzentwo
men, born since the establishment Of our INDEPENDENCE
Graded in the Revolution and brought up as it were at
the feet OF the fathers of the Republic whose long public
has attracted to Them and all that concerned them
more than to any Others the admiration the gratitude
and the hopes of the whole people, These men-Henry
Clay and Daniel Websterhaye both been gathered to
their fathers during the present year. When during
our last session, the official announcement was made in
this house of the death of Henry Clay listened with
heartfelt sympathy, che eloquent and beautiful eulo-
ges then pronounced upon his character and felt in the
funess Of my heart the truest grief AS one Of the
representatives of the great and prosperous State Of Ohio
this floor, desired then to mngle nv humble voice
with those who eagerly sought honor his memory Butno
opportunity was afforded me- and could only Join with
meekness Of spirit and bowed mind in the appropriate
funeral honors which rendered the ustrios dead
by Congress And only desire to say that no State
in this Unionnot even his beloved Kentucky-more
deeply felt the great loss which, in the death Of Mr. CLAW
the nation had sustained than the State Of Ohio and
the public meetings of her citizens without distinction Of
party in the city in which reside and many other parts
OF the State expressed in appropriate and feeling terms
their high estimate of his great public services and tsr
profound grief for his death.
And now sir since the adjournment of Congress at its
last session, he who co-operated with Mr. Clay in the
legislative and executive Departments at various times,
or nearly forty years. and to whom with his great COM
patriot more than to any Others the people looked for
counsel ana for security and has paid the
DEBT OF nature and will never be among men,
The formal announcement in this body of the death Of
Daniel Webster has elected just and eloquent tributes to
his memory and brings freshly to view the beautiful
traits of his private character and his great and long
continued public service in the Senate and in the exec-
tive departments of the Government In all that is said
IN commentator of the private virtues and preeminent
public services Of Daniel Webster heartily concur and
wish, sir that could find words sufficiently strong and
appropriate to express what in my Judgment were the
great claims Of these two eminent upon the admra-
ton and upon the gratitude of their countrymen They
were In many respects exemplars for the young men of
our country Born in humble life, without any of the
advantages conferred sometimes by wealth and positions
struggling with adverstes in their earlier years ri-
umphing all obstacles by their native strength of
intellect by their genius, and by their perseverng in
dustry and great energy they placed themselves in the
very first rank of American statesmen and for than
forty years the great leaders Of the American mind
and amongst the brightest guardians Of their common
country.
Sir, it my good fortune to have known for many
years both these great patriots and to have enjoyed their
friendship; and think but express the general senti-
ment of the intelligent people of this great country when
say that our country is in very large degree indebt-
ed to them for its present unexamped prosperity for its
peace and domestic happiness and for its acknowledged
power and high renown all the world. In my jadg-
ment the words of the National Legislature SO beauti
fully and apy embodyng the true character the Father
OF his Country not appropriately uttered then
in reference to him than they might be applied now
far relates to the cUa affairs and action of Govern
ment within the last forty years. Henry Clay and Daniel
webster and 1t may be properly said of them that within
that time they have been emphatically frst in war,
first In peace and first in the hearts Of their fellow
zens. But, sir the great men of country must die:
and If the great men of country pre-eminenty good
men, their loss Is the severely felt Nothing human
is perfect; and far from believing much less from
asserting that the eminent Of whom have spoken
were without defects of character But believe their
virtues far outweghed the imperfections of
ture that to dwell upon such defects on this occasion
would be improbable and futile as to object to the
light and heat and blessings of the glorious sum- guided
by the Omnpoent hand because occasional shadow or
spot may be seen on his disk These guardians of our
country have passed away but their works ex
amples are left for guidance and part of the last
ing and valued possessions of this nation. And Mr..
Speaker,
When the bright guardians of country die
The grateful tear in tenderness will start
And the keen anguish Of a ming eye
Disclose the deep Affections Of the heart"