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

of sincere admiration entertained by the people OF that
State for the worth and services OF General hus has al
ready made provision for the erection OF his statue at the
capital of the State And nations sorrow bears test-
mony that his and his usefulness were the property
Of the whole country.
speak here not only the representative OF the dis
trict in which General RusK has lived since his i'm
migration to Texas, but who has seen him at
his home, with his family, around his own hreside,
amongst his neghbors, in the court on ihs tented
field and ia the blazing front of battle the same pure
and just and generous and noble at all times and
everywhere worthy Of imitation In his leading
characteristics. than any other 1t has been my fortune
know.
move the adoption of the resolutions which send TO
the Clerks table.
The Clerk read the resolutions, as follows
0d has heard with deep deep ' ,s, The an
R That Of rpso, 70, s the a ase' sssa 'n
Rssod That the proceedings House relation the death
Rrsk be communicated to tho iamy Of the de-
Rs,af That further respect memory Of the
deceased, this House do adjourn.
Mr.. KEITT Mr.. Chairman, the resolutions before us
communicate only official intelligence of the death OF the
distinguished senator from Texas The public voice has
already been broken into sobs over his bier and 1t is MT
ting that now in high estate, should celebrate
funeral tribute to his memory. On behalf then, OF the
Commonwealth of South Carolina, on whose soil he was
born lay glove upon his freshly closed grave
Sir, the symbols of mourning are thickening around
At the very threshold of legislative career we
have been summoned away from the passions and stres
OF political warfare and carried to those last scenes OF
lfe in which ambitions hushed and rvares forever
sed In the brief tract of time lying between the close
of the last and the beginning of the present Congress-
around how many Of the trusted of the land have the
curtains of time been closely drawn Men fresh from the
cabinet, and with the prestige of renown upon their
covered with august and reyered trophies
representatives uphodng the fasces of popular authority
all of these coming from every portion OF the Union and
drawing and they advanced have min
q n
glories enter and disappear forever
Over the loss of Of these there deeper cry
of grief than that of the amented RUsK With that
ntuive sagacity which detects genuine merit and that
president forecast which goes forth earesy to meet the
future and anticipates events ere yet they formed the
big heart Of the people felt that great man had fallen
one whose step upon the round and top of the
republican ladder General RusK gravtaed superiority
by the laws Of his mental and moral nature These
ried him to distinction the instincts of the eagle carry
him above the mountains up to the very Certainly
1t noble thing to bear, like banner historical
thousand and In turning to the past to
see looming through the night Of ages series of figures
barded with iron, daped with ermine who resemble you
and bear the that you do but it Is shallow
philosophy that undertakes the efforts of him who starts
noble line
Born of humble parentage and to fortune,
young RUsK went forth to begin the warfare of life Rear
ed upon soil still wet with tho blood of patriots euc
ted by stirring themes Of heroic daring and with heart
chaened by the sacrifices and lowered with the wealth of
historic struggle he followed in the of those
and glory The splendid courage and magnanmous
rifces through which Independence had been
and established he displayed behalf of that people
whose he had espoused and whose soil he lived
In the very front of the foremost Of Texas he kept
watch and ward, while the clone star blending
its scattered rays into unity it wheeled upward TO
mnge its brightness with the blaze of the federal conse
laton
AS Secretary of War; he organized the of Tex
as military leader he conducted her armies victo-
ny legislator he aided to establish her civil polity;
and Chief Justice, he systenatized her jurisprudence
In walking back softly the path he trod we may
we'll ask what high qualities Of head and heart he had to
win such signal success As orator it not given
him to utter those burning words which sometimes cleo
trify whole people, those words which strike like
flash of lightning which penetrate which do not stay
to be scanned, ''probed, vexed, and criticised - which
illuminate and gone but with intuitive sagaeity he
cut TO the heart of every measure and realizing it, and
stripping it of exrnsc appliances, he presented in
few short sharp, abrupt sentences AS statesman it
not his excellence to elaborate theories of civic
omy expound the rudiments Of government but with
ready insight into the needs of society he appreciated
and administered the living principles upon which each
phase of it rests and founded The eminent feature in
General RUsK' craftsmanship its practcabilty The
power of his mind lay in the perfect equilibrium of all its
forces With equal facility he unwound the threads of
delusion with which opponent had encoed his sub
ect and presented the construction and accumulation Of
proofs necessary to its calculation.
Truth a ray shot from Divinity itself lie who seeks
it must sock it reverent and afraid seek it in the
attitude ascrbed by the great epic poet OF England the
brightest chcrubim at the footsoo of the Omnpotent
throne, who
Approach not but with both wings vail their eyes"
Yet, when possessed when realized he who would ap-
ply it to human affairs without reference to the atmos-
phere of modifying circumstances only and betrays
It, Wise craftsmanship consists in the judcous appca-
ton of abstract truth to the imperfect and progressive
conditions of humanity 1t this craftsmanship that
made General RUsK representative man.
But his claim to homage lies not alone in the pure
and magnanimous victories of mind His genial
and gentle spirit One of his last acts to secure
few homely comforts to his aged mother who yet lives
upon her native soil in the Palmetto State of this how
ever need not speak for how many homes in the land
of his adoption have been relieved of want by the hand
of him pllowed and covered up in his bed of mper
turbable sumber! Taken all in ALL General RUsK
of the who may be regretted but sup
Piled Ardent minds like his keep their first enthusiasm
but pent up like the central fires of the Garth Generous
hearts like his give up the affections Of le but worship
their memories In the inner of the shrine How
sad, too the bereavement For if ever any man had
right he certainly had not to consent to DEATH 1t
hard thing for him fall in the midst of the torchrac
of fame with the light still brightly burning to fall
when he had shaken off the dust raised by his tagging
competitor; to fall when he had shaken off the very
WEAKNESS of the and his hand just outsetch
cd for the golden reward of his many sivngs and tolls
But he is gone. Gone the aspirations of gene
and noble intellect gone too, the precious
hopes of admiring friends but, radiant and flashing
through night and darkness, still lives the example of
life well and virtuousy spent The captain who has
ricd his countys flag around the world may drown away
out of sight but the monuments he has reared will
speak for themselves and the surviving will tell