Nebraska advertiser., 1858-04-01
Died.
IFrom an Omaha pnper.l

IETom an Om8na papef.l
At his residence in Omaha, on the morning Of the 23d
inst, Hon. 7. b timing, Secretary and acting Governor
Of Nebraska, in the Sis year Of his age. 49,
Profound gloom rests upon our city. Its master spirit
has left usl The chief architect OF our fortunes, and the
gallant and daring leader Of our public enterprises 10 no
morel but the loss is not TO Omaha alone. When Cunning
died, the brightest star Of eur Intellectual and political
was stricken out-a luminary, whose full
orbed glory has frightened our pathway OF progress,
from the earl lest days Of our Territorial existence. No
wonder then, that the tEmourDers 80 about the streets"
that every countenance is expressive Of sadness-that
the Judge upon his bench, the Juror in his box, and the
lawyer with his unfinished brief, unite in asking q res
pite from business, q season 10 oOnsecrate to sorrow. No
wonder that our business houses are closed, and that the
merchant has shut up his ledger, and the banker his
vaults, and that every heart echoes back the sad tones
Of the munned funeral bell. No wonder that 3 length
ened procession from two cities, draped in the dark ha-
biiiments Of woe, follow the cold and stidened cOrse 10
its last resting place. The tribute is paid to no ordinary
dead. The leader Of our little army Of Progress has
gone, and time and sad thoughts are necessary TO recov-
ef from the great bereavement. It's hard for this COM
munity to realize that Gov. Cunning is dead-thaE the en-
ergy, the ardor, the hopefulness which was our reliaIes
n every trouble, and our inspiration in every enterprise
are lost forever. 1t is still harder fer the writer Of this
feable tribute, his GmicUs OmniuB hOTGTIm-tO feel
thai the heart 80 lately warm and t~hrobbing with noble
impulses is cold and mOtionless in deAth-that the eye
which shone with the hreS Of genius and the light Of
truth, will look upon him no more, and that the hand
whose cordial grasp was ever significant Of WelcOune, Is
stih and nerveiess now. But alas IL Is too true. leNy
water" Would for a moment that ! were gifted with
his lofty genius, that / might do justice to his memory.
But even thea the depth Of my grief would prevent its
coherent expression, for
whilst memory bids me weep thee,
Nor thought, nor words are free, .-
The grief is fixed too deeply
That mourns q man like thee.o
Gov. Cunning was a native Of New York whence he re-
moved with his family to Michigan, where he was reared
and educated. He graduated At the University Of Ann
Arbor at the early age Of sixteen, taking high rank as .
scholar, and giving promise Of . brilliant and useful CO
reer. He particularly excelled in Bellies Letters and
classic department ofliterature, and we have often seen
him in his last sickness. thumbing the dear old volumes.
over which, in early days, in the full flush Of youth,
and the first budding OF bis ambition, he dreamed Of
usefulness and fame. We hare often been astOnished
at the ripenees Of his scholarship, and the purity Of his
taste, after the earnest, exciting and distracting stTug-
giles which have characterized his brief, but brilliant ca
reer. There could be no greater evidence Of his early de-
votiOn and application 70 study, and Of his ability TO
grapple with and master any dihiculty that INSTRUCTED
the pathway Of knowledge. After his graduation, when
the clangor Of arms was borne upon the breeze from the
sunny South, and TO armsP was the Watchword Of Amer
lean patriotism, he went to Mexico, and served ont the
term Of his enlistment with credit ard distinctiOns but
has often been heard to regret that he was not permitted
to engage in those great conflicts which have added new
brightness TO the prowess Of Americsn arms. From that
day 70 this, single handed and alone, he has fought the
battle Of life and wherever we ind him, his course
Is marked By an earnestness which laughed at opposi-
ton, and an energy which almost converted desire into
destiny.
Alone and q stranger, he came to KeOkuE, Iowa, a. IN
agent Of . telegraph company. Some anonymous arti-
cles, married for their singular ability, force Of thought,
and purity Of style, which we're published in the; sDis-
patch Of that city, excited AZ inquiry % their aufhoF-
ship, which was finally traced 70 the obscure telegraph
operator Thomas B. Cunning. He was Immediately
placed in the editorial charge Of the paper, which from
thattime took rank a. the leading democratic Journal Of
the State, but the young editor, animated by q noble and
self-reliant ambition, AMI confident Of his own powers,
turned neither TO the right nor TO the len, but boldly
struck out for himself upona b~Oistero1s and stormy sea,
and his policy was 1t once recognized a. an element in the
politics Of Iowa About this time haUisrried Nara
retta Murphy, whose heart, though beTeaved and bleot-
ing today has the fearful and tender gympathy % msge
than che community. Nay Heaven deal gently with her,
ana nay the hope Of re-uuion N Drfghter World soHs
80 ne SoTrSv yhicA eTsrrAelns hRId o. {aN 10