Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-07-10

/
guished public services and patriotic devo-
ton once tempted in the body Of which
these are the remains, Lam not permit
tedsto be silent.
| 10 better Instance Of an American man
of the people or ola true american Repub-
llcan, can be cited than that of James Mon
roe. Els leader, his better, his master,
was the father whose statue mounts the
plynth of yonder monument. But Wash
ington was unrivalled and stands alone a.
mong men upon earth The patron of
| Monroe lies at Monticello; his compeer and
eaual'at Montpelier and no ties of patron
and pfoteges in our past history can ap-
proach the group Of Jefferson, Madison and
Monroe in political philosophy, in constitu-
+! tional lore and in patriotic action combined
Washington stands alone and above all
hey apart, and grandly, by themselves
Washington is the great type of nationali-
ty; they are the triple bands Of individual
rights Of State sovereignty. and of Repub-
lican truth Washington is supreme, but
they are subordinate in supremacy only
special only in a greatness necessary as the
supreme.
James Monroe was couhtry-boy Of
estmoreland, the eounty-man Of Wash
Eington. From the 18th to 73d year Of his
age, for ffty-fve years, he was almost in
| cessantly in the public service At Is he
left his letters and science, his Horace and
bis Homer, at William and Mary, to enlist
| in the battle-felds Of Independence He
took commission low down next to the
ranks, severely wounded before he arose to
a higher rank than that Of Captain, and
never rose higher IN the tine Of the militia
~. In the staff Of Lord Stirling he was an
aid de-carnp, and acquired the title of COL
mel Of q regiment of Virginia, which was
never raised. He was a Commissioner of
Virginia to the Southern camp. He was a
Legislator Of Virginia. He was member
fthe Continental Congress. He vas q
member of the Convention of Virginia to
adopt the Federal Constitution He was q
Senator Of Virginia in Congress. He was
q Minister to France. He was twice Gov
ernor of Virginia. He was again Minister
to France. Minister to England and to
Spain, and again to England He was
Secretary Of State, and III the war of Free
Trade and Sailors Rights" for which he
had contended as early as 1907. He was
Secretary Of both Treasury and War He
was twice elected President Of the Uni
ted States, and once almost unanimously
And from the height Of the Chief Magis-
tracy Of the nation he again descended to
the ranks Of the people and became mag
istrate Of the quorum Of gentlemen Justices
of the Peace for the county of lLoudoun.-
And, lastly, in the year 1S29-'30 he was
President Of the first Convention Of Vir-
ginia to reform the Constitution Of the
State.
This last post infrrnity and old age COM
PEELED him to resign and then, in 1880
| his course run, his good fight fought, FILL
Of years and full Of honors, the great and
good old man retired to the bosom Of his
family in the State Of his adoption. There
he had told the tale OF his youthful love {;
there he had inhaled the perfume Of conjp-
gal affection there he had married The wife
Of his bosom there he had buried her, and
there, weary and heavy laden with labors
and years, he sought reposo. Soldier,
| Legislator, Commissioner, Diplomat, States
man, President, Justice Of the Peace, Con-
ventionist and Constitutionaliss, he had FL
led every measure Of public place and illel
it well, and had received nearly 500, 600
Of State and Federal pay, and yet retired
poor:-a debtor for TIE Gopernmcmt, nott
h:-having spent all and moro than al his
substance IN bis country 'ssorTice, and went
out Of her high places an honest man, i'm
poverished by his self-sacrifcing patriot
ism He became involved in debt By
pledging bis private means for the defence
Of the country in the war Of 1912, and died
before o grateful return was ever made. =
The full debt to him never was and row
never can be repaid.
Plain, practical, didactic, man of action
not Of words, he was efficient and potent al
in wondrous words Of usefulness, and
| thousands a thousand fold more brilliantly
| illumined BY genius, were not half so sue
Icessfui BY the force Of good common sense
and the inspiration of good earnest, hon
est purpose Ia the Federal service, he was
| signally blessed and happy He aided es-
sentially in purchasing Louisiana and in
acquiring Florida, and was the first to give
Executive sanctionto the good cause Of
Colonization, which, in spite Of all that is
said to the contrary, is redeeming the prom
Use Of America to give back to Africa freed
man and a Christian for the slave aud the
savage which Africa gave to America and
The only Black Republic. hopeful of any
good 20 either country or race, and the best
known asylum Of the Free Blacks every
where, hands down to postcrity the name
Of q Virginia President--tho name s'll0n-
rouio." We are told "blessed is he peace
makers" he then is blessed, for he poured
oil on the troubled waters Of party politics,
and they were stilled by his wise and mod
crate administration at home; and when the
| Holy Alliance, abroad threatened to inter
| vene against the liberty Of the Colonies Of
Spain in South America the still small
voice his message to the guardians of the
United States capital subIimely mnttored
the warning that the hoary Despotisin Of
the Old World should not dare to lay It's
mace on the liberties Of the New. What
ever be the Interpretation Of the Monroe
Doctrine for the future, it was then and
| thereby that the Southern Republics sprang
into life and assumed a separate and equal
station among the Nations. Il was then
| that the North American Republic taught
the world to respect its example and its