The southern press., 1852-07-03

wish for the preservation and perpetuation of the
Constitution and the Union--dear to him in the
hour of death. az they had ever been in the vigor
of life! OF tht Con .'itution and Union, whose
defense in the last and greatest crisis OF their
peril had called forth all his energies, and stimu-
lated those memorable and powerful exertions,
which he, who witnessed, can never forget, and
which, no doubt, fastened the final catastrophe
nation now depores with sincerity and una
nimiy, not less honorable to themselves than to
the memory of the object of their affections.
And when we shall enter that narrow valley
through which he has passed before us, and
which leads to the judgment seat of God may
We be able to say, through faith in his Son, our
Saviour, and in the beautiful language of the
dying Christian-dying, but ever living and tri
umphant-
"The world recedes, it disappears ..
Heaven opens on my eyes my ears
| With sounds seraphic ring (; ...
Lend, lend your wings mount fly
Oh, grave! where is thy victory?
Oh, death where is thy stng'"
Let me die the death of the righteous, and
let my last end be like his
Mr.. HUNTER. Mr.. President, we have
heard, with deep sensibility, what has just fallen
from the Senators who have preceded me. We
have heard, sir, the voice of Kentucky-and,
|
mingled accents of pride and sorrow; for it has
rarely fallen to tho lot of any State to lament
the loss of such son. But Virginia, too, is
entitled to her place in this procession for she
cannot be supposed to be unmindful of the tie
which bound her to the dead. When the earth
opens to receive the mortal part which she gave
to man, it isthen that affection is eager to bury
in its bosom every recollection but those of love
and kindness And, sir, when the last sensible
lie is about to be severed it is then that we
| look with anxious interest to the deeds of the
| life, and to the emanations of the heart and the
mind, for those more enduring monuments
which are the creation of an immortal nature.
In this instance we can be ut no loss for
these. This land, sir, is full of the monuments
of his genius. His memory is as impershable
as American history itself, for he was one of
those who made it. Sir, he belonged to that
marked class who are the men of their century;
for it was his rare good fortune not only to be
endowed with the capacity to do great things,
but to have enjoyed the opportunity of achiev-.
ing them. | know, sir, it has been said and de.
plored, that he wanted some of the advantages
of an early education; but it, perhaps, has not
been remembered that in many respects, he en-
joyed such opportunities for mental training as
can rarely fall to the lot of man. He had not
chance to learn as much from books, but he
had such opportunities of learning from men as
few men have ever enjoyed. Sir, it is to be
| remembered that he was reared at time when
there was state of society in the common
wealth which gave him birth, such as has never
been seen there before nor since. 1t was his
early privilege to see how justice was admins
tered by Pendleton and Wythe, with the
last of whom he was in the daily habit Of IA
miliar intercourse. He had constant opportu-
mites to observe how forensic questions were
managed by Marshall and Wickham. He
was old enough, too, to have heard and to have
appreciated the eloquence of a Patrick Henry,
and Of George Keith Taylor. In short, sir. he
lived in society in which the examples Of
Jefferson, and a Madison, and a Monroe, were
living influences, and on which the setting sun
of Washington cast the mild effulgence of its
departing rays. ...
He was trained, too, as has been well said by
the Senator from Michigan, Mr.. CAss,l at
period when the recent revolutionary struggle
had given a more elevated tone to patriotism
and impaired higher east to public feeling and
TO public character. Such lessons were worth
perhaps, more to him than the whole encyclo.
peda Of scholastic learning. Not only were the
circumstances Of his early training favorable to
the development Of his genius, but the theatre
upon which he was thrown, was eminently pro-
pitious for its exercise. The circumstances OF
the early settlement of Kentucky, the generous
daring, and reckless character Of the people-all
fitted it 20 be the theatre for the display of those
commanding qualities of heart and mind, which
he so eminenty possessed. There can be little
doubt but that those people and their chosen
leader exercised mltnal Influence upon each
other; and no one can b. surprised that with his
brave spirit AMI cpmmlnlng eloquence, and
L i
there but elsewhere.
did not know him, Mr. President, as you did,
in the freshness Of his prime, or in the full ma.
turiiy Of his manhood. did not hear him, sir,
~ you have heard him, when his voice reused
the spirit Of his rountrymen for war-when he
cheered the dropping, when he rallied the doubt
ing through all the vicissitudes Of a long and
doubtful contest | have never seen him, sir,
when, from the height Of the chair, he ruled the
House of Representatives by the energy Of hi,
will, or when upon the level Of the floor he ex.
ercised control almost as absolute, by the
mastery Of his intellect. When / first knew
him, his sun had a little passed it's zenith. The
effacing hand Of time had Just begun 10 touch
the lineamcnts Of his manhood But vet, sir,
saw enough Of him 10 be able 10 realize what
he might have been in the prime Of his strength,
and in the fall vigoI Of bis maturity. ! saw him.
sir, ~ you did, when he led the " opposition
during the administration Of Dir. Van Buren,
had daily opportunities Of witnessing the exhibi.
| ton OF his powers during the extra session under
Mr. Tyler's administration And saw, as VIC
all saw, in a recent contest the exhibition Of
/ power on his part, which was most marvellous
in one Of his years.
Mr.. President, he may not have had as much
Of analytic skill as some others, 10 dssecting
| mi r,aay hn 80 h. a -
seek 10 look quite so far ahead as some who
have been most distinguished for political fore.
cast Bot il may be truly said Of Mr. Clay, that
he was no exaggerator. lie looked at events
through neither end OF the telescope, but sur.
veyed them with the natural and the naked eye.
lie had the capacity Of seeing things as the PEG.
| pie saw them, and Of feeling things as the PEG.
pie felt them. He had, cir, beyond any other
man whom have ever seen, the true mesmeric
touch Of the orator-the rare art Of transferring
his impulses 10 Others. Thoughts, feelings,