Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-09-20
miscellaneous.
col. BENT0N'S HISTORY.
A. d, ls37.-MARTIs v.x BUREN,, PRESIDENT
Retiring and Death of Gen. Jackson.

Ihe second ana last term OF General
Jacksons Presidency expired on the Sd
of March. 1887 The next day. at II. he
appeared with his successor. Mr.. Van Blu
| ren. on the elevated and spaci0us eastern
portico Of the Capitol as one OF the citi-
zens who came to witness the Inauguration
of the new President and no way distin
| guished from them. except by bis place
on the left hand Of the President elect
! The day was beautiful sky. balmv
vernal sun. tranquil atmosphere and
the assemblage was immense. On foot
! in the large area 10 front Of the steps or
derry without troops. and closely wedged
| together, their faces turned to the p0rtico
presenting to the beholders from all
the eastern windows the appearance of a
field paved with human faces-this vast
crowd remained rivited to their places
and profoundly silent, until the ceremony
! Of Inauguration was over 1t was the
/ stiffness and silence Of reverence and af
/ fection, and there was no room for mistake
as to whom this mute and impressive hom
age was rendered For once. the rising
was echpsed by the setting sun. Though
disrobed of power, and retiring to the
shades of private life, it was evident that
the great ex-President was the absorbing
object of this intense regard At the
moment that he began to descend the
broad steps of the portico to take his seat
in the open carriage which was to bear
him away, the deep, repressed feeling of
the dense mass broke forth, acclamations
and cheers bursting from the heart and
filling the alr-such as power never com
manded, nor man IN power ever received.
1t was the affection, gratitude and admi
ration of the living age saluting for the
last time a great man. TWAS the acclaim
of posterity. breaking from the bosoms of
contemporaries 1t was the anticipation
of futurity- ty-unpurchaseable homage to
the hero patriot who, all his life, aud in
all the circumstances of his life. in peace
and in war, and glorious in each, had been
the friend of his country, devoted to her,
reArdless of self Uncovered and bow
ing. with a look of unaffected humility
and thankfulness, be acknowledged in
mute signs? his deep sensibiiity to this
affecting overflow Of popular feeling. l
was looking down from a side window,
and felt an emotion which had never pass
ed through me before
/ had seen the Inauguration of many
Presidents, and their going away, aud
their days Of state. vested with power,
and surrounded by the splendors of the
first. magistracy of great Republic Bat
they all appeared to me as pageants, brief
to the view, unreal to the touch. and soon
to vanish. But here there seemed to be
a reality-a real scene-a man and the
people-he, laying down power and with
drawing through the portals Of eyerlast-
ing fame they. sounding in lis ears the
everlasting plaudits of unborn generations.
Two DAYS after, | saw the pa triot ex- Pres
ident in the car which bore him off to his
desired seclusion-I saw him depart with
that look Of quiet enjoyment which be
spoke the inward satisfaction Of the soul
at exchanging the cares Of Office for the
reposc OF home History poetry oratory,
marble aud brass will hand down the mil
itary EXHIBITS Of jackson: this work will
commemorate the events of his evil ad-
ministration. not less glorious than his
military achievements. great Is they were
and this brief notice OF his last appear
ance at the American Capitol is intended
to preserve some faint memory of a scene
the grandeur Of which was - impressive
to the beLolder. and the solace of which
must have been 50 grateful to the heart
of the departiug ratriot.
EIGHT Years afterwards he died az tie
Hermitage. in tie fall possession of all
his faculties, and strong to the last in the
ruliag passion of his soul-love of coup-
try Public history Will do justice to his
public life but a further notice is want
ed Of lima notice of the domestic man
of the man at home with his wife, his
friends his neighbors, his slaves and
this feel some qualification for giving,
from my long and varied acquaintance
with him.
First. his intimate and early friend
then rude rupture-afterward friend
ship and intimacy for twenty years, and
until his death in all, forty years of per-
sonal observation, in the double relation
of friend and foe, aud III ali the walks OF
life, public and private, civil and millta-
ry