Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-07-03

L
broken fragments to tell the story oformer magnfcence
amid the very ruins that announce decay and desoaon
often with him during his last Illness when the
world and the things of the world fast fading away
before him. He knew that the silver cord was almost
loosened and that the golden bowl breaking at the
fountains but he resigned to the will Of Providence,
feeling that He who gave has the right to take away in
his own good time and manner. After his duty to his
Creator and his anxiety for his family his first
for his country and his first wish for the preservation
and perpetuaton Of the Constitution and the Union dear
him in the hour Of death they had been in the
gor OF fe of that Constitution and Union whose de-
fence in the last and greatest crisis of their peril had
called forth all his energies, and had stimulated those
memorable and powerful exerons which he who Witnessed
can never forget and which doubt fastened the final
catastrophe nation depores with sincerity and
unanmiy not less honorable to themselves than to the
memory Of the object of their affections. And when
shall enter that valley through which he has
passed before u.s. and which leads to the judgment seat
God may be able say through faith in his Son.
Saviour, and in the beautiful language of the hymn of
the dying christian-dying, but living and hium-
plant
The world recedes; it disappears;
Heaven opens my eyes my
With sounds seraphc ring!
Lend, lend your wings! mount fly
Oh, grave, where is thy victory?
Oh, death, where is thy stngT
Let me die the death Of the righteous, and let my
last hour be like his
Mr. HUNTER, ofVircina. said: Mr. President we have
heard with deep sensiby what has just fallen from the
Senators who have preceded We have heard sir the
voice OF Kentucky; and upon this occasion she had
right to speak in mingled accents of pride and sorrow
for 1t has rarely fallen the lot of any State to lament
the loss of such this But, sir Virginia too is
entitled to her place in this 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 men, it is then that affection is
eager to bury its bosom every recollection but those of
love and kindness And sir when the last sensible tie is
about to be severed it is then that we look with anxious
interest to the deeds of the e and to the emanaons of
the heart and the mind for those enduring monu
ments which the creation Of an immortal nature.
In this instance can be at loss for these
SIR is fall of the monuments Of his genius His memory
Is imperishable American history itself for he
of those who madet Sir he belonged to that marked
class who the of their century; for twas
good fortune not only to have been endowed with the
pac to do great things but to have enjoyed the oppor
tunites of achieving them know sir it has been said
and depored that he wanted of the advantages of
an early education but it perhaps has not been remem
bered that in many respects he enjoyed such opportunities
for mental training rarely fall to the lot of
He had not chance to learn much from books but he
had such opportunities of learning from as few
have enjoyed Sir it is to be remembered that he
reared at time when there state Of society in
the commonwealth which gave him birth such has
yer been seen there before since 1t was his early
privilege to see how justice administered by Pen
dleton and Wythe, with the last Of whom he in the
daily habit Of familiar intercourse He had constant OPP
portuntes to observe how forensic questions
aged by Marshall and Wickham. He was old enough,
too to have heard and to have appreciated the eoqence
of Patrick Henry, and Of George Keith Taylor. In
short sir he lived in society in which the examples of
Jefferson, and Madison, and Monroe living in
fuences, and which the setting Of Washington
cast the mild efulgence of its parting rays.
He was trained too, has been well said by the Sena
tor from Michigan Mr.. Glass;, at period when the re-
cent revolutionary struggle had given more elevated
tone TO patriotism and impaired higher cast to public
feeling and to public character Such lessons worth
perhaps to him than the whole encyclopedias Of
milk Of
his early learning favorable to the development of his
genius but the theatre upon which he thrown was
eminenty propitous for its exercise The circumstances
OF the early settlement of Kentucky the generous dar
ing and reckless character Of the people, all fitted 1t to be
the theatre for the display of those commanding qualities
Of heart and mind which he eminently possessed.
There can be little doubt but that those people, and
their chosen leader exercised mutual influence upon
each other and no be surprised that with his
brave spirit, and commanding eloquence and fascinating
address, he should have led only there but elsewhere
did not know him, Mr. President, you did, in the
freshness OF his prime in the full maturity of his
manhood. did not hear him. sir as you have heard him.
when his voice reused the spirit Of his counrymen for
war when he cheered the dropping; when he rallied the
doubling through all the vcsstudes of long and doubt
full contest have him. sir, when, from the
height of the chair he ruled the House of Representa-
ves by the energy of his will when upon the level
Of the foor he exercised control almost as absolute by
the mastery Of his intellect When first knew him his
sun had little passed its zenith The effaciae hand Of
time had just began to touch the lneamens of his man.
hood But yet, sir enough of him to be able to
aze what he might have been in the prime of his strength
and in the full vigor Of his manhood saw him. sir as
you did, when he led the Opposition" during the adm
nistration Of Mr.. Van Buren, had daily opportunities
Of witnessing the exhibition Of his powers during the
extra session under Mr. Tylers administration. And
saw, all saw in recent contest the exhibition of
power his part which was most marvellous in one OF
his years
Mr. President he may not have had as much Of analy-
tic skin as some others in dissecting subject may
be- perhaps, that he did not seek look quite so far
ahead who have been most distinguished for po
itica forecast But it may be truly said Of Mr. Clay
that he exaggerator He looked at events through
neither end of the telescope but surveyed them with the
naked eye He had the capacity Of seeing things MS the
people them and Of feeling things as the people felt
them. lie had, sir, beyond any other man whom have
ever seen the true mesmeric touch OF the oratorthe
rare Of transferring his impulses Others Thoughts
feelings, emotions from the ready mould Of his
genius radiant and glowing, and communicated their
own warmth every heart which received them His too
was the power Of welding the higher ntenser forms
Of passion with majesty and ease which none but
the great masters Of the human heart ever employ
his good fortune TO have been one of those
who form IL were sensible link and living tradition
which connects age with another and through which
one generation speaks its thoughts and feelings and APP
penls to another And unfortunate is IL for country
when il possess such for is to them that
we chiefly owe the capacity to maintain the unity of the
great epochs Of human history and preserve the conss
tency Of political action.
Sir IL may be said that the grave is still new-made
which covers the mortal remains Of one of those great