The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-22


of the deceased That has already been ably DONE far
as the limits of euiogy this floor will admit by the
gentlemen who have preceded me- desire only to add
a leaf To the garland which about to deposit ON
the cold tomb of the hero, statesman and friend His
viii occupy prominent place in the brief but
eyent history of the republic OF the Lone btr He was
one Of those noble spirits Who looking forward into the
future destiny Of America, with soul conscious OF right,
and dsegarding the denuncatons OF the selfish and
wmnded dared TO Join the people of Texas in their in
FAINT struggles for political independence. He stood by
her In the hour of her trials He watched her when
her borders threatened by Indian hordes and Next
squadrons. From first to last he the efficient
friend Of the annexation of that splendid country to the
United States and when in spite of all the efforts OF
foreign nations and of shortsighed politicians in
country, the Lone Star added to the bright
American constellation the grateful State of Texas sent
him of her representatives to the Senate of the
United States. From that time the of THOMAS j.
RUsK has become part of our own history.
Among the conscript fathers Of the land his strong
intellect his clear Judgment his manifest integrity OF
purpose and his devotion to the duties of his station,
secured for him not only the respect of his associates
but elevated standing in that august body Before the
close of his second term he elected their temporary
presiding officer
His private character was without stain To stern
integrity fearless candor and high of honor he
united the positive virtues of benevoence charity and
hospitality The poor the unprotected and the distressed
appealed to him without receiving and con-
ISOLATION But will say The name and fame
oTnoMAs j. RusK belong to history and to it his friends
Mr.. CLARK, of New York 1t is my privilege, Mr.
Speaker upon this occasion of national TO add
few words expressive Of the sentiments of that portion
of the people of the Union have the honor in part to
represent.
You have heard from of the of that
State whose early liberties he aided in achieving from
representative of that other State which added to her
ancient renown by giving him birth and from the
friends of his youth and his manhood the tribute of
praise clad in the language of eloquence and affection
But, sir there when the geographical lines
which permit times to address each other north
and southern men vanish from view and 1t is
of them when discardng the preudices of birth and
education and unmindful of the particular place in this
silent hall where party lines may locate u.s. we
gather as common mourners around the grave OF an
American statesman We forget in the sadness of the
hour the especial of public policy which, in his
lifetime he advocated the particular section of the
country with which his personal sympathies were allied
and together because of the public loss inflicted
and the national glory eclipsed.
Mr.. Speaker when the intelligence first upon the
North that General RusK longer in existence but
had passed from earth mid the gloom which occasionally
settled upon his life thrill of through the
heart of every man you We behought ourselves of
his place in the councils of the nation, and of the long
years honorable service by which that place had been
We remembered how that eventfnl period In Amer
lean history which witnessed the early struggles Of the
people of Texas for constitutional freedom found him
dwelling among them We reflected how natural it
that his young affections should have allied themselves
with those of people many of whom had, like himself
wandered from the land of Washington and how impos
sibe it that chains Of governmental tyranny such
those their fathers had broken, should be forged anew
upon who had brcathed the air of America, and
had listened In their cradles to the wonderful story of her
revolution
We fancied Mr.. Speaker that again the future
senator of Texas standing strong and undsmayed before
the walls of San Antonio with the freshness of youth
upon his brow and the fire of truer courage than the
days of ancient chivalry had Witnessed cleaning in his
eye.
We also remembered The Aomo; and, it were, heard
~ A.. r.
We followed the little band of brave from the field
in which their victory had been and saw them gath
the charred remains of the heroes of Goliad and
with pous sympathy and tears deposit them beneath the
stained carth whose humbest Sod with nothing but the
DEVELOPS of the morning to gid it, grander
mcnt than that which to-day tells the story of Ausertz
and listened again to the strains of eloquence which
flowed from the lips of the weeping soldier
While, Mr.. Speaker the scenes of that extraordinary
conflict were, by one again flashing back upon our
vision. remembered how, when the last victory had
been secured and Texas had earned her place among the
nations of the earth of the noble men who had
founded her empire willing to bestow that empire
upon the nation of his birth.
We were reminded Of that immortal man in whose gen
tie footsteps he had chosen to tread and amented al
most that the opportunity had been denied to besow
equal honors upon one of the heroes of revolution
second only to that from which liberties sprung.
Such, Mr.. Speaker of the reflections OF the
people among whom live when we were told of the
death of the whose loss to his family and to his
try the representatives of the nation deplore He
southern but, other northern and southern men
have done, he employed the labos of his life to give
strength and honor to the American Union
Like other statesmen of America while representing in
Senate the special interests of southern State, his
comprehension large enough and his patriotism
enough to enable him to upholdand strengthen the
pillars of the republic.
The of his fame full for he fortunate
enough to have been enabled by the aid of that Provi
dence which superinends the affairs of men, to write his
mpershably upon the history of his country He
forth tn have been he
of his manhood, the compecr in the Senate of those
markable whose names speak, crowd upon your
memory while the sounds of their voices seem still to lin
ger in the arches of yonder hall With them, he will
live in the grateful remembrance of people till the
language which they spoke shall be lost to mankind
the republic whose genius they illustrated shall have per-
ished from oblivion of the lessons they taught.
Mr.. Speaker, had not intimate personal acquant
with General RUsR, but he was known to he
known to thousands of my of the North
by the record of his life and by his able and honest per-
Torrance of the public trusts he bore.
But may be permitted to say here in the presence of
witnesses of his daily fc that in the discharge of those
trusts he acquired fame for integrity of purpose, and
conduct and character, unsurpassed In body of by
undistngushed in the estimation of the
try for their unyieding resistance to those temptations
which beset public in the halls of Congress.
may be further permitted to say-and can utter
higher prsise--that who knew him even for a
moment doubted that every promise which he made would
be implicitly and specifically performed and that every
word which he spoke true.
His great marked characteristics were courage honesty
and truth and without intending to diminish the honors
of the dead to detract from the just fame living men,
say that has public during