Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-08-06
AND COUNTY. PA. SATURDAY. AUGUST 6, 1853

Carolina gave General Green" 1000 acres
Of Western land for that days work, now
worth million oil dollars but the day it.
self has not yet obtained its proper place
in American history.
The military life Of Mr.. Macon finished
with his departure from the camp on the
Yadkin, and his civil public lie commen-
Ced on bis arrival at the General Assembly
to which he had been summoned-that
civil public life in which he was continued
above forty years by Tree eleciions-Rpp-
essntative in Congress under Washington,
Adams, and Madison, and long Speaker of
the House; Senator in Congress under
Madison, Monroe, and John Quincy Ad-
ans, and often elected President Of the
Senate, and until voluntarily declining /;
tW'cs refusing 10 bs PusimasterGe General
undrr Jefferson never taking any Office
hut that to.whiCh he was elected and re-
signing his last Senatorial term when it
was only half run. But Characteristic
trait remains 20 BE- told OF his military life
-one that has neither precedent or imi-
tai,on, che example of Washington being
out OF the line OF comparison,) be refused
to receive pay or TO accept promotion, and
served three years as a private through
mere devotion 10 bis country. And all
the long length of his liz. was coniormable
to this patriotic and disnterrsted begin
ming; and thus the patriotic principles Of
the future Senator were all revealed in
early life, and in the obscuri.v of an un-
known situation. Coniormably to this
beginning, he refused to tcke anything un-
der the modern acts of Congress for the
benefit Of the surviving officers and soldiers
Of the revolution, and voted against them
all, saying they had all suffered alike, (citi-
zens and military and all been rewarded
together IN the establishment of independ-
ence; that The debt 10 the army had been
settled by pay, by pensions to the wounded,
by hali-pay and land 10 the officers; that
no military claim could be founded on de-
Preciated continental paper-money, from
which the civil fanctionares who perform
ed service, aud the farmers who furnished
supplies suffered as much as any. On this
principle he voted against the bill for La
| fayette, against all the modern revolutions
ary pensions and land bounty acts, and
refused 10 take anything under them, (for
many were applicable to himseIf)
His political principles were deep-root-
ed, innate, subject 10 no change and 10 nc
machinery Of party. He was Democratic
in the broad sense Of the word, as signify.
ing capacity in the people for seli-goy.
ernment, and IN its party sense as in iavol
Of plain and economical administration o
the Federal Government, and against the
Iatitudinarian constructions of the Const
tuition. He was party man, not in tht
haCkneyed sense of the word, but onl,
where principle was concerned, and wa
independent OF party in all his social rela
,ions, and in all the proceedings which h,
disapproved OF this he gave a strong in
stance in the case of General Hamilton
whom he deemed honorable and patriotic
: and utterly refused TO be concerned in
movement proposed TO affect him personal
ly, though politically opposed to him. II
venerated Washington, admired the varie
abilities and high qualities of Hamilton
and esteemed and respected the eminer
Federal gentlemen Of his time. He ha
atTtctiona'e regard for Madison and Monroe
but Mr.. Jefferson was TO him the full an
perfect exemplifica,ion of the Repuhica
, sta'esnan. His almost fifty years Of poll
; ical friendship and association with NJ
Randolph is historical, and indsolubl
, connects their namrs and memories in I'll
! recollection Of their friends and 10 hStor
> if it does them justice. He was the ear
, r i ,nt
! with him when he was Senator in CO..
, gress under the administration Of The cid
, | Mr.. Adams, and was able TO tell Congrt
! and the world who he was when he begG
s to aslonsh Europe and America by /
/ victories. H was kind observer of q
: conduct of young men, encouraging the
$ by iudicious commpndatlon when he sa
= them making efforts to become useful al
\ respectable, and never noting their taul
= He was Just in all things, and in that me
2 difficult OF all things, Judging political o
II ponents, to whom hr would do no wron
T. not merely in word or act, but in thougl
: He spoke frequently in Congress, aIwa
d to the point, and briefly and wisely a
Is was one of those speakers which Mir j
ftrson described DR.. Franklin TO be
t speaker OF no pretension and grea, prrior
i ance, who spoke more good sense whi
e he was getting up ont of his chair and Q,
e ting back into it than many others did
N long discoursrs and he suffered no rppo
ie er to dress up speech for him. He "
J. above the pursuit of wealth, but also aho
b. dependence and idleness; and, like an c
n Roman OF the elder Cato's time, worked
n the fields at the head OF hls slaves in the
as tervals of public duty; and did moi ce;
in this labor until advancing age render
- him unable 10 stand the hot sun of ,
p summer-the only SEASON OF the year wh
ct Senatorial duties left him al liberty to We
H. in his fields. think it was the SUNNI
a. OF 1877 he told me was the last he tried
n and found the sun too hot for him--tt
lie sixty years Of age, Senator, and the re
TO ser of all office. How often ! think
Id him, when see at Washington robusli
rd men going through a scene Of supplicati
lie tribulation, and degradation TO obtain of
no which the salvation OF the soul does
lis impose upon the vilest sinner His fie
ed his tlocks, and his herds yielded an am
on supply OF domestic productions. A 81
ed crop of tobacco-three hogsheads W
red the season was good, two when bad
ar. chased the eXoiics which comfort and
in ceSSity required. and which the farm