New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-06-02
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Death of Silas Wright.
From Benton's Thirty Years. View be published in ft
days by the Appetonsl

Death of Silas Wright
From Benon's Thirty View published in few
III .54 days by. the Appetons.l
He died sunddenly Mt the age of fiftv-two, and with
out the suerings and premonitions Which usually &C
company the mortal transit from time 20 eternity
letter that he was reading was seen total rom ms
hand: aphysican was called \: IN Two hours he was
= Though diving Ut the age deemed young in states
men lie had attained all that long life could give
al high otfice national fame, fixed character and uni
"A yeTsaI esteem He had run the career of honors in
ii the State of New been representative and
3 senator in Congressand had refused more offices,
II and higher than he ever accepted He refused cab
/ rem, and under Mr.. Polk, whom he may be said to
have elected; he refused aseat on the bench Of the
federal Supreme Court ne rejected instantly the
i nomination of 1874 for Vice President Of the
4 United States, when that nomination was the cleo
i ton. He refused to be put in nomination for the
Presidency. He refused to accept foreign missions
He spent that time in declining Office which others
did in winning it; and Of those he did accept it
/ might well be said they were thrust upon him.
Office, not greatness, was thrust upon him. He was
born great, above office, and unwingly descended to
i and only took it for its burdens and to satisfy
importunate public demand. Mind, manners, morals,
4 temper habits, united in him to form the charac-
ter that perfect, both in public and private life,
and to give the example Of patriot citizen-of a
farmer statesman-of which we have read in Cincin-
i natus and Cato, and seen in MIR. Macon and some
Others of their stamp by nature-formed in
no school and of which the instances are so rare
i and long between.
his elocution smooth and eqnable his speaking always
addressed to the understanding, and always enchair
ing the attention of those who had minds to under
stand Grave reasoning was his forte. Argumenta-
ton was always the line of his speech. He spoke to
a the head, not to the passions and would have been
disconnected to see anybody laugh, or cry, at any
thing he said. His thoughts evolved spontaneously
in natural and proper order, clothed in language Of
md posi ly con
eelyed that an eXtemporaneous speech, or the first
dranght OF an Intricate report had all the correctness
Of finished composition. His manuscript had no
bots-a proof that his mind had none and he wrote
a neat compact hand, suitable to clear and solid
mind.
He came into the Senate in the beginning of Cen
eral Jackson,s administration, and remained during
that of Mr.. Van Buren,; and took ready and active
part in all the great debates of those eventful times
The abest speakers of the opposition always had to
answer him and when he answered them, they show
ed by their anxious concern, that the adversary was
upon them whose force they dreaded most. Though
taking his full part upon all subjects, yet finance was
his particular department, always chairman Of that
committee when his party was in power, and by the
iucidty OF his statements making plain the most in
tricate moneyed Details He had Just conception of
the difference between the functions of the Finance
Committee of the Senate and the Committee Of Ways
and Means of the House-so little understood in these
latter illness those Of the latter founded in the pre-.
negative of the House to originate all revenue bills
those OF the former to act upon the propositions from
the House, without originating measures which might
affect the revenue to coerce either its increase
/, or prevent its reduction.
In 1914 he left the Senate, to stand for the Gov
ernship OF New York and never did his self.sacri-
hcing temper undergo stronger trial, or submit to
greater sacrifice. He liked the Senate he disliked
the Governorship, even to absolute repugnance. But
what was said to him (and truly asthen believed and
afterwards proved) that the State would be lost to
Mr. Polk, unless Mr.. Wright was associated with him
in the canvass ; and to this argument he yielded He
stood the canvass for the Goyernorship-caied it
\ and MIR. Polk with him and saved the Presidential
i election that year.
4 Judgment was the character Of Mr. Wrights mind;
purity the quality of the heart Though valuable in
the field of debate, he was still more valued at the
\ council table, where and honesty are most de-
4 manded. General jackson and Mr. Van Buren, relied
upon him as OF their safest conasellors. candor
4 which knew no guile-an integrity which knew no
| deviation--whch worked right on, like machine
| governed by a law of which it was unconscious
the memorable conditions of his nature ruling
his conduct in every act public and private. No foul
legislation ever emanated from him. The jobber, the
Spectator, the dealer in false claims, the punderer
whose scheme required act of Congress all these
found in his vigilance and perspicacty detective
police which discovered their designs, and in his |
integrity scorn of corruption which kept them at
distance from the purity of his atmosphere.
His temper was gentle--his manners simple-hs |
intercourse kndly-his habits laborious-and rich
upon freehold of thirty acres, in much part Guilt
waited by his own hand. In the intervals Of senatorial
duties this man. who refused cabinet appointments !
| Bench-who measured strength with Clay Webster
and Calhoun and on whose accents admring Senates
hung this man. his neat suit of broadcoth and fine
linen exchanged for the laborers DRESS might be seen
in the harvest field, meadow carrying the foremost
| row and doing the cleanest work: and this not as
/ recreation or pastime or encouragement to Others
but as work. which was to count in the annual cult
vation and labor to be felt in the production of the
needed crop. His principles were Democratic. and
innate founded in feeling, still more than convic-
ton, that the masses were generally right in their
sentiments, though sometimes wrong in their action
and that there less injury to the country from
the honest mistakes OF the people, than from the in
terested schemes of corrupt and intriguing politicians
/ He was born in Massachusetts, came to mans es
tate in New York, received from that State the only
| honors he would accept and in choosing his place
OF residence in it gave proof of his modest retiring
unpretendng nature Instead of following his pro-
esson in the commercial Or political capital of his
State, where there would be demand and reward for
his talent, he constituted himself a village lawyer,
where there neither, and pertnaciously refused
to change his locality. In an outside county, the
extreme border of the State taking its name of St.
Lawrence from the river which washed its northern
side, and dividing the United States from British
America-and in one of the smallest towns of that
county and in Of the least ambitious houses of
that modest town. lived and died this patriot states
mana good husband Che had no children)-a good
neighbour kind relative-a fast frend-exact and
punetual in every duty, and the exemplicaton Of
every social and civic virtue
4 ANECDoTE OF PAksoN hla"y years ago there
old D. D., and although he was eminently benovo.
lent man and good christian, yet, it must be con-
fessed he loved joke much better than the majority
even of nveterate jokers. 1t was before church or
gans were much in use and it so happened that the
choir of his church had recently purchased double
bass viol Not far from the church was large town
pasture, and in it huge town bull One hot Sabbath
in Summer he got out of the field and came below
ing up the street. About the church there pen-
ty OF untrodden grass, green and good and Mr..
Bull stopped otry its equality, perchance to
tain if its location had at all improved its flavor at
any rate the reverend doctor in the midst of his
sermon, when Boo-wOo-woo!o went the bull.
J.. The clergyman paused looked up at the singing
seats with grave face, and said:
" would thank the musicians not to tune their in
struments during service time, it annoys me very
i much
The people stared and the minister went on
:" Buo-woo-woo!n went the BULL ms he walked to
+ another spot.
The parson paused again, and again addressed the
choir:
g really do wish the seners would not tune their
. Instruments while am preaching, for as l have al