The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-08

original compass and melody, he said: Il am
not afraid TO die, sir. ! have hope, faith, and
some confidence. | do not think any man can
be entirely certain in regard to his future state
but have an abiding trust in the merits and
mediation of our Saviour II will assuage the
grief of his family to know he looked hopefully
beyond the tomb, and a Christian people will
rejoice to hear that such man, in his last
hours, reposed with simplicity and confidence
on the promises of the gospel"
Mr. Venable bore similar testimony:
"A Christian statesman is the glory of his
age, and his memory will be glorious in after
times it reflects light coming from source
which clouds cannot dim nor shadows obscure
1t was my privilege also, short time since, to
converse with this distinguished statesman on
the subject of his hopes in future state Feel
ing deep interest, | asked him frankly what
were his hopes in the world to which he was
evidently Fastening Il am pleased, (said he J
my friend that you have introduced the sub
iect Conscious that | must die very soon
love to mediate upon the most important of
all interests love to converse and to hear
conversations about them. The vanity of the
world and its insuhciency to satisfy the soul of
man has been long settled conviction of my
mind. Mans inability to secure by his own
merits the appreciation of God, feel to be true
trust in the atonement of the Saviour of men
as the ground of my acceptance and my hope
of salvation My faith is feeble, but hope in
his mercy and trust in his promises To such
declarations listened with the deepest interest,
as did on another occasion, when he said Il
am willing to abide the will of Heaven and
ready to die when that will shall determine it,
Thus, one by one they disappear from the
earth and lie>down with the innumerable dead
Adams, Calhoun, Clay, seemed the very pillars
of State The eyes of millions were turned to
them, the hearts of millions gathered around
them So vast were the interests that appa-
rently depended upon their existence, they
surely could not fall without danger to the po-
litical system of which they were such sup
ports. But they have fallen, and yet the sys-
tenn stands They no longer walk among
us, but all things move on according to their
accustomed routine, as if nothing had hap
pened. They have gone down into the grave
and the ocean of life rolls on in its monotonous
majesty, without ripple over the spot where
the wrecks have sunk
The great man, as he approaches the other
world, finds out of what little real Importance
to him are the inhabitants of this world, and
they discover for the first time how unessential
he is to their permanent welfare. We all
seem for while quite necessary to each other,
but when Death calls us the revelation is made
that human affairs are so ordered that indi-
vidual men may rise and fall, like bubbles upon
the wave, without checking or changing the
broad sweep Of that current which sets stead
lily from eternity to eternity under the laws of
an incomprehensible Providence
Adams, Calhoun, Clay, with all their vast
energies would have been insignificant in pub
lie affairs, had they not represented and sub
served certain elements or principles, prevalent
among the masses. Clay represented the Prin-
ciples of Compromise and Nationality; Cal
hOun, those of Slavery and State Rights;
Adams, that of Fundamental Right. The
spirit of Compromise has not departed with
Clay the Slave Power did not die with Cal
houn; and Hostility to Slavery and Wrong is
still rs active as though Adams lived to give
voice to its generous indignation. 1t was not
the Statesmen who created the Principles, but
the Principles that created the Statesmen; and
their creative power is still at work, giving
FORM position, and influence, to the statesmen
about to take the places of those who have
disappeared from this stage Of being.