The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-09-03

= }
MORRILL,, in an address of touching sim
plicty aud interest Senator Fnor ad-
dressed the Senate with tie classical
ability which characterzes him, from
whose remarks we omit the passages
of merely biographical notice, presented
also in those of Mr. Morrill,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
Mr.. MORRILL,, Of Vermont, then rose
and addressed the House os follows:
Mr.. Speaker, being the only represen.
tativc now present from my State. it be-
comes my sad duty to inform the House
of the dacoase Of my colleague, the Hon
JAMES MEACuAM
At II o'ciock M on Sa'urdiv last
not having been appriscd Of his condi
ton since his departure from this city
hoping that the cooler and more braciug
atmosphere of the North had proved
beneficial to his system, aud seeing that
we were not likely to adjourn immedi
ately, | sont a telegraphic despatch
summoning him to return here without
delay; but he had already oheved that
higher snmmons-a more swift despatch
to which we all must in turn give
heed and had departed to
"Thc undiscovered coutry from whose bourne
No traveller returns
This event took place at 8 o'clock on
Saturday morning last, at his residence
in Middlebury, Vermont Ga Tuesday
preceding our recent adjournment he
left here, By the advice of his physician,
to lin his family. and, before We had
heard Of his arrival there, we are sur
priscd bv the announcement of his death
His hcal,h had been failing, as was APP
parent to us all from the commencement
Of the session aud at some periods he
was so i'll and suffered SO much as to cx.
cite not only the apprehension Of his
friends, but Of himself IT was my for.
tune to be frequently with him upon
such occasions, and in one of these de-
spending moods walking in the front
Capitol grounds, lie volunteered to give
me few facts relating to his carly his.
tory. with which | was unacqnaiut d, re-
marking that | might be called upon to
use them at no distant oay. | rallied
him by saying that his chances for life.
with bis naturally robust frame, were
far better than mine, but, if he desired
to make so poor a trade, | would
exchange facts wi,L him-my trash for
his riches. His little boy then here,
running mp to us at the moment, broke
off the story in tho middle, never to be
resumed And now lie is broken off in
the meridian Of life aud n the midst Of
usefulness, but. we trust. in the Chris
tian's hone. to be restored and renewed
10 tie life incorrUpitJie amt amn1Ortai
Little dreaming that any recurrence
10 that conversation would ever become
necessary. did but half garner in my
memory his modest, and as | now find,
far too mtaere recital of some events in
his personal history.
James Meacham was born in tie town
of Rutland, Vermont. A. ID 1910, and
was consequently at the time OF his de-
cease forty'six years of age. lie lost
his parents while mere youth, and
was thus loft to commence the battle of
life with 10 resource but an active and
vigorous constitution. lie disclosed at
once bis mastery over himself and the
accidents of his petition, by putting both
his hands and his mind s'ernly to their
daily task, While serving an aprren-
ticesbip in his native town in o cabinet
making shop be found time and means
to prepare himself for admission to Mid
dlebury College, and from this iusttu
ton he subsequently graduated with
marked distinction. After remaining
here year or two as tutor, he prepared
himself for the ministry at the Andover
Theological Institution, and then became
settled pastor Of tho church in the
town Of New Haven, Vermont After
a few years of most acceptable labor
here, where lis discourses, by their fer
vor, point, and classic elegance, bad &C.
cured the foundation of growing rep
utation, his alma mater sought aud OBJ
tanned his services by calling him to
the professorship of Elocution and Eng
ish literature. This station he filed
or three or four years with equal honor
to himself aud advantage to the institu
tion.
In A ID. IS4o he was first elected a
member of this House to FIJI a vacancy
occasioned BY the resignation of the Hon.
George p. Marsh, who had received the
appointment of Minister to Constantine
pie After four successive elections he
was again a candidate, by the unanimous
nomination of his party, for fifth term
of service in this body.
For the past four years, and until the
commencement Of the present session OF