Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-23

AnNo l828-J Quincy Adams President Retir-
ing Of Mr.. Macoa

DUCT governed IN all his actions by and Judgment
and deeply imbued with Bible images this ytuous and
patriotic man (whom Mr. Jefferson called "the last Of
the Romans had long fixed the term Of his political ex
sence at the age which the Psams assigns for the limit
Of manly lfe "The days Of years are threescore
years and en and if by strength they be four
years. yet is their strength labor and sorrow for it
is soon cut off, and we fly away He touched that age in
1928 and true to all his purposes he was true to his re-
solve in this and executed it with the quietude and in
difference of an ordinary transaction. He was in the
middle Of third Senatorial term and in the full
sion Of oil his faculties Of mind and body but his time
for retirement had comethe time fixed by himself but
fixed upon conviction and for considered and
nexorabe to him fixed by fate To the friends who
urged him to remain to the end of his term and who in
sisted that his mind good ever he would an
swer that good enough yet let him know that he
ought to quit office before his mind quit him. and that
he did not to risk the fate of the Archbishop Of Gre
NADIA He resigned his Senatorial honors as be had worn
them meeky, unosentatously, in letter of thanks and
gratitude to the General Assembly of his State and gave
to repose at home that interval of thought and quietude
which every wise man would wish to place between the
turmoil of life and the stiffness of eternity He had nine
years Of this tranquil enjoyment and died without pan
or suffering June Goth, 1887 characteristic in death in
life 1t eight o'clock in the morning when he felt
that the supreme hour had come had himself dressed
upon the bed by turns conversing kindly with those who
about him. and showing by his conduct that he was
ready and waiting, but hurryng nothing 1t was the
death of Socrates, all but the hemlock and in that full
faith of which the Grecan sage had only glimmering
He directed his grave the point Of sterile ridge
(where nobody would wish to plough and covered with
pile of rough int-stone (Which nobody would wish to
build wtb deemng this serility and the uselessness Of
this rock the best security for that undsturbed repose
Of the bones which is still desirable to those who in
different to monuments
In almost all strongly -marked characters there is
usually incident sign in early life which shows
that character and reveals to the close observer the type
Of the future man. So it was with Mr. MACON His firm
ness his patriotism his sefdenal his devotion to duty
and disregard of Office and emolumen; his modesty in
tegrty sefcontro and subsection Of conduct to the con-
vtons Of reason and the dictates of virtue all steadily
exempfed in long life all shown from the early
age of eighteen in the miniature representation of in
vdual action and only confirmed in the subsequent pub
lie exhibitions Of long, beautiful and exalted career
He of that age, and student Princeton College, at
the time of the Declaration of American Independence
A small volunteer corps then the Delaware He
quit his books, joined it. served term, returned to
Princeton, and resumed his studies In the year 17S
the Southern States had become battlefield, big with
their fate and possibly involving the issue of the
supported by the friends of the British cause and the
conquest of the South fully counted upon Help was
needed in these States and Mr. Macon quitting college,
returned to his native county in North Carolina Joined
militia company private and marched South Caro-
na then the theatre of the enemy operations He had
his share in all the hardshps and disasters of that trying
time; at the fall of Fort Moulrie surrender of
Charleston defeat at Camden and in the rapid winter re-
treat the upper part of North Carolida. He
in the camp the left bank Of the Yakin when the sud
den flooding Of that river in the brief interval between
the crossing Of the Americans and the coming up the
British arrested the pursuit OF CORVALLIS, and enabled
Greene allow to his wearied and exhausted
men. In this camp destitute of every thing and with
gloomy prospects ahead, summons to Mr.. Macon
from the Governor of North Carolina requiring him to
tend meeting the General Assembly of which he had
been elected member, without his knowledge by the
people Of his county. He refused to go and the Incl
dent being talked Of through the camp came to the know
ledge Of the general Greene himself and able
to know He felt at once that if this report was
true, this young soldier character and
determined to verify the fact He sent for the young
man. inquired of him, heard the truth, and then asked
for the of this unexpected conduct-his prefer
ence for suffering camp comfortable seat in the
General Assembly, Mr.. Macon answered him, in his
quaint and sententious way that he had seen the faces
of the British many times but had seen their backs
and meant to stay in the army till he did Greene Instant
~ saw the material the young made Of and the
handle by which he was to be worked That material
patriotism that handle of duty and laying
hold Of this handle he quickly worked the young soldier
into different conclusion from the one that he had ar
rived at. He told him he could do good mem
Der Of the General Assembly than a soldier that in
the army he but man, and in the General AS
semby he might obtain many, with the supplies they
needed by showing the restitution and suffering which
he had seen in the camp, and that it his duty GO
This view of duty and usefulness decisive Mr. Ma
con obeyed the Governors and by his repre-
sensations contributed to obtain the supplies which en-
abled Greene to turn back and face CORVALLIS, fight
him. cripple him. drive him further back than he had adj
vanced (for Wilmington is south Of Camden) disable him
from remaining in the South of which, up to the battle
Of Guilford he believed himself to be master and send
ing him to Yorktown, where he was captured, and the
war ended
The philosophy Of history has yet laid hold Of the
battle of Guford, its consequences and effects That
battle made the capture at Yorktown. The events are
told in every history their connexion and dependence in
1t broke up the plan Of CORVALLIS in the South
and changed the plan Of Washington in the North Corn
wallis subdue the Southern States and was doing
it until Greene turned upon him at Guilford Washing
ton with Sir Henry Clinton then New York
with 900 British troops He had formed the heroic