The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-07-02

Constitution and the Uniou---deas to him in the
hour Of death, as they had ever been in the vigor
Of Iifs OF that Constitution and Union, whose
defense in the last aud 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, aud
which, no doubt, fastened the final catastrophe =
nation now deplores with sincerity and una
niniIy, 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 Christiau--dying, but ever living and tri.
umphant--
..The world recedes, it dsappears-
Heaven opens on my eyes my ears
With sounds seraphic ring
Lend, lend your wings mount fly
Oh, gravel where is thy victory
OH death where is thy sting'"
"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 sensbty, what has just fallen
from the Senators who have preceded me. We
have heard, sir, the voice of Kentucky-and,
upon this occasion, she had a right to speak-in
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 unmndfuI of the tie
which bound her to the dead. When the earth
opens to receive the mortal part which she gave
to man, it is then 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 carnations 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 at no loss for
these. This land, sir is full of the monuments
of his genius. His memory is as imperishable
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-
pored, 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
a 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 a Pendleton and Wythe with the
last of whom he was in the daily habit of IA
miar 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 Patrick Henry,
and of George Keith Taylor. In short, sir, no
lived in a society in which the examples of
Jefferson, and a Madison, and 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 we'll said by
the Senator from Michigan, Mr.. CAss, at
period when the recent revolutionary struggle
had given more elevated tone to patriotism
and impaired higher cast to public feeling and
to public character. Such lessons were worth,
perhaps, more to him than the whole encyclo-
pedia 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.
ptious for its exercise. The circumstances of
the early settlement of Kentucky, the generous,
daring, and reckless character of the people-all
fitted it to be the theatre for the display Of those
commanding qualities of heart and mind which
he so eminently possessed. There can be little
doubt but that those people and their chosen
leader exercised a mutual Influence upon each
other; and no one can be surprised that with his
brave spirit and commanding eloquence, and
facinating address, he should have led not only
there but elsewhere.
did not know him, Mr.. President, as you did,
in the freshness of his prime, or in the full ma
turity of his manhood. did not hear him. sir,
as 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 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 his
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 little passed its zenith. The
effacing hand of time had just begun to touch
the lineaments of his manhood. But yet, sir, /
saw enough Of him to be able to realize what
he might have been in the prime of his strength,
and in the full vigoI of his maturity. | saw him,
sir, as you did, when he led the opposition
during the administration of Mr.. Van Buren, /
had daily opportunities of witnessing the exhibit
ton Of his powers during the extra session under
Mr.. Tyler's administration. And saw, as we
all saw, in n 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, in dissecting a
subject 1t may be, perhaps that he did not
seek to look quite so far ahead as some who
have been most distinguished for political FORE
cast. But it 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.
He had the capacity of seeing things as the peo-
pie saw them, and Of feeling things as the peo.
pie felt them. He had, sir, beyond any other
man whom have ever seen, the true mesmeric
touch of the orator---the rare art OF transferring
his impulses to others Thoughts, feelings,
emotions come from tho ro,dv mould of ~.