Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-06-25

sfates Senate an9lin $40 the Legislature of the
State ratified his appointment by the Governor.
In 1850, the death Of General Tay lor, then Pres
dent of the United States, removed Mr.. Fillmore
from the office Of Vice President to that of Presi-
dent This left a vacancy at the head of the SEN
ate which Mr.. King was unanimously called upon
to fill, for no one would compete with HIM for
station for which he was eninently fitted. lie |
was thus placed next in succession to Mr.. Fillmore
for the Presidency and would have filled that lofty
station, had that distinguished parsonage vacated
his Office before the expiration of his constitutional
term.
Mr. King was now approaching the end Of his
earthly career. Not only because his three score
years and ten were nearly completed but because
.lso that Consumption, that most insidious foe to
worth and genius, had laid upon him its relentless
grasp. But he spared yet longer to give to
his fame its fullest expansion and to find 1t cock
tensive with the habitations of the twentyodd mil
lions of people constituting his country. An oaken
garland broader and more digIlitied than any he
had heretofore worn, yet to encircle his brow
and his heart, amid its faint throbbings, was TO be
once more gladdened with the shouts of approving
millions.
This dar one year ago, the delegates from the
different parts of our land representing the whole
American Democracy met at Baltimore, to deslg-
nate the suitable persons to represent the majesty
of the nation, in the offices of President and Vice
President of the United States. The same kind
Providence who hath lavishly, and many
occasions, showered down his blessings upon
favored country put it into their hearts to set apart
the names Of Franklin Pierce and of William Il.
King. In November, triumphant majorlties at the
ballot box ratified all that had been done at Balti
more and North Carolina was honored among her
sisters in having given birth to the second officer of
the Republic and the county of Sampson had her
own peculiar share in this honor.
y. ,cl,o SrEf
mingled with the wa:lngs of sorrow! Shall We
not pause, as pass, to drop a tear of pity over
the manglcd remains OF yOn beautiful boy Per
haps he is the ried treasure of some obscure indi
vdual whose life was bound up in the lads life !!
Perhaps there lies the total wreck of father S
earthly hopes No. No O., it is not total wreck
that We now look upon but it is the brightest
Jewell riren from c4,Sket full nigh unto bursting
with the wealth OF earth. The father OF the boy
is the observed Of all observers. Every breeze
Il, hun Irr IL ht.I with the incense OF tattery I'LL
of glory, in which the most ambitious OF
earth's SOILS might delight to battle. But amid
all this he is 4 man, and Il good man too and all
this and more than this would he gladly exchange,
Tor the single privilege of once breathing life
J into that nanglcd form /; and of saying to the
grief-strlcken partner Of tis1 soul-"See, thy son
| Iiveth ~
| But while the hand ofCioI is thus falling with
Il sudden and crushing weight upon the recip-
lent Of the first of erth's honors to mark the in
security of all earthly hopes-discase, like moth
frettiny garment, is wearing away the life of the
second in position. The 4th of March has not vet
come and alas alas time and disease are running
perous race for him who is looking to the hon
ors of that day. With that natural longing to
which have before referred, to be remembered
after death, he desires to have his name written up
on one more column before he goes hence-even
the column that shall bear the record of the Vice
Presidents of the United States. lie knows that
he must very soon go down to the grave, and, not
prudent in the affairs of this world only he hath
not forgotten the God who had been so bountiful
to him on earth, nor the Saviour who had died to
purchase for him true Immortality. But the in
stincts of life aud of lfes pursuits are still within
him, and he would fain grasp the earthly prize
although not uamnful of the heavenly Willing
to try every eXpedent to spin out to the necdful
period the eady attcnuated thread of life he seeks
the mild climate ofthe West Indies. What effect
this may have had We cannot tell ; yet the anxious
ly looked for period came. But it found him in "a
foreign land, unable to mingle in the gay pageant
i'll his country's metropolis, where his own name
was upon every lip, and kind wishes for his healtht
and happiness were in every heart. In this foreign
land, with trembling hands and scarcely throb
bling heart, he embraces, in an imperfect and most
unsatisfactory manner the last office conferr, up
on him by his country.
And now these trembling hands are stretched
out, and this scarcely throbbing heart yearns to
wards his native land. He cannot die i'll peace
this foreign soil. He feels that the sleep of
death cannot be in quiet where the American flag
stretches not out her majestic folds. He returns
to his native land to die there. And however
prosperous he may have been in life, and however
worthy of all honor III death, cannot help think
ing of him uttering to his countrymen, the pite
Gus cry Of Wolsey:-
San old man broken with the storms of State,
Is come to lay his weary bones among ye:
Give him little earth for charity
lie died on the 18th day ofApri, in the comu
Mon of the Protestant Episcopal Church, calm
and peaceful death-at his own residence in Ala
bama-a few hours after he had reached it.
This was to him the last Of earth"
Such the public life of William r. King.
On the wicked Macbeth, honors thickened not more
rapidly than on this good man-but like the vir-
tutous Ducan,
IS He bore his faculties most meekly, he wasl
Most clear in his great Offices
In private life, Mr.. King sincere and trlsty
friend, honest and humane, and conscientiously
discharged all his relative duties. He was an a
greeable anil Instructive companion, and most
hospitable and accomplished gentleman. But above
all, as we have already said, he Christian.
And although the path of life that he trode is O.
pen to view to but few of us, we have all the
privilege of initiating him in assuming to ourselves