Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1853-02-02
rHr ArcrDENT no GEN. PIERCE.

lie tV3tOWtug ftttrt ~ Ht"t 80 5'NiNn
in New England 10 The Editor Of the Rich
mond Enquirer:
Although you are acquainted with ihs
circumstances Of the late fearful acclden,
10 Gen. Pierce and his family. which has
struck 50 heavily upon the heart Of the ma
ton, have thought il probable that lew
niles from NE might be acceptable to you.
The rumoss current IN Boston were 20 I'M
satisfactory and distressing that | could no.
remain qaiei, bun ran up 10 Andover TO see
for myself what had been the consequences
OF the accident. found Gen PIERCE much
more composed than enc could expre, 10
fnd him. after such an affection. Indeed,
ii has never been nv fortune to witness
rorr toacaia- dIspliy OF patient, CHRISTIAN
resignation and moEsi strength, than was
exhibited by him then, end afterwards
Uae Who Was stranger 70 him, aud lgno-
Iaul u he laie sad event, would never have
stippp,ed that great, q crushing beieaye-
ase.a mad jus, happened 10 htm--ii was only
y those a 30 knex hin veil that the wrlsh.
ng u the v funded soul was visible On
he eye u nom 50 eoueulous 10 his
country and to hiHtseli; about 10 take his
seal q elevated rowefs ADD responsibilities,
70 invest hlnset IS h HE mal,audinous
cares OF State, he bad ia ked npa that pure
lar child as his great Consolation amidst SO
many anxieties. and tiie object araund which
all has hopes would gailseg \ laen tnnse anxI-
cites were over. Ia mouen, aud Ia ter
rlble d.ssIncluess be tad seru those hopes Ia
ruins---lhe Joy Of h,s Is an, the light Of his
eyes utterly exluguisiled. fw hearts
have fell pang more orirF, mole paralys-
ing. But The father 81 Tie poor boy was al
SO the peoples chosen Che, Alagistrale;-
short indulgence Of n.eprtssbie grief,
few burning tears upDa lie fresh grave. and
he turned himself Iesoiuiely sothe stern du-
ties Of his high vocation. Verify. heroic
traits belong TO no particular ume--io no
particular class. Cold is the nature that
cannot admire the noble selI-conlrol of that
LOVING father, overwhelmed by such sad
Memories, and yet addressing himself al
once, and SO earnestly 10 the duties of his
position. la the darkness Of the second
weary night after the accident, he was heard
communlng with HIMSELF well, my duty
remains TO neal that is left is--DuTY.
Ii was enormously stated that Mrs. Pierce
was in danger Of losing her reason in conse
quence OF the bereavement. There was
never any ground for such apprehension -
Probably no one unI,es 10 fine, cultivated
mind firmer reliance on Providence and
more profound submission 10 its DEGREES.
Many have expressed surprise that the sud
denness and severity OF the blow did not
crush her frad life al once. But The same
Almighty power which preserved her from
injury, gave strength and comfort to her
stricken heart. Mrs. Pierce is, as has been
often said truly 10 ordinary woman. With
her, as with her husband duty is the rule Of
conduct, aud self a, distance immeasura-
bly, remote. TO surrender life nov so
cherries 10 her, and rejon her gentle child,
would no douol have been great happiness
10 her; but she remembered what sorrow
aud weight OF cares had fallen TO her part.
ner's lot, aud all other feelings were lost IN
one--ta exert all her strength to sustain bis
bruised sprit
A VOID respecting the scene OF disaster
and shall stop No one can observe that
irregular pile q great jagged stones and re
member tie circumstances .of The iesrid!
descent. without feeling astonishnenl .hat
every life in. that Inflated car was not de-
stroyed. Any calculation of probabilities
must have consigned them all TO inevitable
death. And, vet most Of them were quite
uninJured-that poor innocent boy, The child
OF so many hopes. the heir OF SO much pro-
mise, was the only one taken. How mys-
ferrous are the ways Of God Who doubts,
that in His omnisclent counsel, i, was an act
full Of love and mescy' We may never
comprehend here its influence and bearing
upon the bereaved, aad upon the nation. but
we shall probably understand il hereafter,
and have one more cause to wonder al the
wisdom and the goodness of God.
As an opposite to the above, says the En-
qulIer. We copy from the N. Y. Presby,erl
an The following touching letter, written by
Gen. Pierce to a personal friend soon after
his retirement from the IT, 5. Senate some
years since, in reply to letter Of coincidence
on the death Of beautiful and manly boy,
his cherished son. A later and still more
melancholy bereavement, gives it an addi-
lIona interest, that all will appreciate. The
N. Y Express is right when it says that
General Pierce writes as Christian should
write, yet as one who, under the sorrowful
circumstances Of the case. must also . feel
i, like a man -
CONCORD New Hampshire, Nov. Both
My Dear Friead:-You have been often
in my thoughts since received your afec.
tionate letter of The l0h inst. 1t was one
Of the earliest of The kind from my person
al friends; soothing and grateful TO me a!
the time. And il has been pleasant since,
TO think Of you as among those who have
truly sympa.hized with US 10 the dark hour
of empowering affection.
Under bereavement like this, how trifing
20. how very ,rding do most Of The cares,
and purposes, and plans OF this world ap
pear! We can hardly realize how it Is,
that our hearts have been so engrossed in
huIe matters OF the day We open our
eyes, as II were, from dream, upon The re.
alines that are around and before us. We
see passing away written upon all things
of ms world. We feel that we are mere