Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-02-08

]
CAssIUs NJ. CLAY Of Kentucky. Men
Of tried integrity and capacity, like
these, are to be selected from.
EulOgy on Capt. ThOms.
I'VE have been favored with a copy Of the
Western Chronicle, of Centerville, Mich. Sd ult.
containing an Eulosy pronounced by l.. C..
CoFfINBERnr, Esq, 27th Dec. AL. 5s55, being
the anniversary of ST. John the Evangelist, on
| the Life and Character of CuARLEs F. THoNs,
recently deceased. Mr.Thoms having resided
many years in Lewisburg, (where he is still
remembered with affection and venera,ion by
many) few extracts from the Eulogy will
be read with interesL-Ed. Le,cis. Clronl
CHARLES FREDERICK THoMs, the sub
jrct of this address, was born at La Chaud
Fond, IN the Uanton,non. of Neufchattel,
one of the French provinces in Switzer-
land. 1t was here, where the deep blue
waters of the Lemcn-emblem of truth
reflected the rays of the meridian sun, on
the one hand, and the cragged peaks Of
the everlasting Alps-emblem Of integrity
reared their towering heads, and pierced
the very sky to catch the last rays Of the
setting sun on the other, that his young
mind was trained in those lessons of truth
and integrity, and his soul imbued with
that sincerity and virtue, which in after
life SO signally characterized the man. 1t
was here, among the teeming vines of his
native hills, that he was impressed with
that overHowing benevolence, and gener-
Gus urbanity which so remarkably distin-
guished his character and elevated him to
SO prominent position in the affections
of his fellow men. 1t was here that he
for many years pursued quiet and hum
/ bic life But the tOcsin of war was sound
ed throughout Europe, aud here, in his
native village, its reverberations first
caught his ear and awoke the fires Of pa
triotism within his breast; he laid aside
his pruning hook, donned the sword and
/ epauistte and rushed to the red field of
battle, there to defend his country's rights
1t was in the grand army of the Empire,
from the hand Of Napoleon, that he re-
ceived his Captaincy in the invincible
"Swiss Guards" 1t was under the auspi-
ces of Marshal Massena that he was first
led to battle, aud proved himself worthy
follower of that indomitable and cool tenn
pered chieftain, st the brilliant battles of
Rivoli and Zurich. He passed unscathed
the carnage Of Marengo, the slaughter of
Arcola, and the sanguiuary passage of
Lodi. He survived the disastrous Span
ish campaign, in which the brave Soult
was pitted against Wellington, that dis
tinguished chieftair who won the brightest
laurels on the field of Waterloo that ever
graced hero's brow. But it was at the
battle Of Wagram, where the bravest hearts
had cause to tremble, and where the iron
nerves of heroes had need to shrink in con-
sternation from the fearful terror and de-
vastation which two hundred cannon scat
tered across that fatal field.
The ncon-tidc of the second day had ar
rived, and still the fortunes of the battle
were against the Imperial armies of
France. Still that .emi-circle of Austrian
bayonets extended unbroken before them
1t was then that Napoleon resolved upon
decisive stroke, which was not only to
determine the fortunes Of the day, but to
decide his own destiny, and the fate of
Europe. He ordered M'Dorald, with
eight battallions, to charge the centre of
the Austrian army; MDonald moved
forward with sixteen thousand men. In
that devoted column might have been seen
at the head Of his company, that stout
built Frenchman, who, but few weeks
since greeted US in the streets, with his
military bow, and his bland "bon jour"
Yes, there, with M'Donald, he pushed
forward against shower of iron from the
throats of hundred cannon, which were
brought to bear upon the head of the ad-
vancing column. In vain the heroic
M'Donald covered his advance with bat
terry of one hundred pieces little time
was sufficient to dismount every piece and
leave the head of the charge again exposed
to the Austrian battery. In vain the col
umn advanced for although the rear
gained ground, the advance melted away
in the terrible FIRE from the Austrian guns.
The fate of France rested upon the sue
cess of that charge, and every Frenchman
felt it. There was but one thought that
dwelt in the minds of those heroes, who
stood there while the fate Of Europe rest
ed on their shoulders and that was
brilliant thought, although unaccompauied
by shouts, huEzas, or vire u Emperur;
that thought was the silent offspring Of
determined will, and fixed resolution
that thought was victory. And though
those veteran heroes, after they had ad-