Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-17
Last Hours of the Postmaster General.

Last Hours of the Postmaster General.
We find in the W Washington Union, of Sun
day, more extended account of the closing
scenes in the life of the late Postmaster Gen.
eral Brown than we have elsewhere seen. We
quote as follows:
On Monday, the 2Sth Of February, Governor
Brown returned home fiom his department pale
and exhausted, and, after dining, sought his
room, complaining of chilliness and indisposi-
ton. After a severe chill he seemed totally
unnerved; but Mrs. B. imputed his weakness to
over fatigue, not dreaming how nearly exhaust
ed were the springs of life. On Tuesday morn
ing a physician was called in, who declared his
disease to be pneumonia, and for two days he
continued violently ILL., suffering great distress
from difficulty in breathing. On Friday his
malady took One of those capricious turns upon
which the sanguine are so apt to found hope,
and which tempt the sufferer, from feeling re-
| lief to imagine that a restoration 10 health is
certain. Considering his disease conquered,
his family admitted his assistant, (Mr. Horatio
King,) who eonversed freely upon the business
of the department; and on the same day the de
feat of the Post Office Appropriation bill was by
accident revealed to him. On the evening
when his beloved family thought him out of all
danger, and were almost gay in the anticipa-
ton, they were suddenly informed of the ne
eessity of apprising their relatives of his dan
ger, as all hope of recovery was at an end.
| His devoted wife was prepared for speedy
recovery, but not at all for death; and, steadily
refusing toadmit despair into her heart, through
out five long days and nights with fortitude
and strength tLat seemed superhuman, she sat
in speechess anguish by his side, his minister
ing angel, his guardian spirit, his earthly sus-
tainer and support. During the severest Pc
RODS of his disorder, he was delirious, and it
was remarkable to observe, from the iDcoherent
words he uttered, how entirely the elevated
principles of the man retained their predomi-
nance. There was constant expressions of trust
in God, and prayers for resignation to bear it.
Though all his intense sufferings he never mur-
INJURED or expressed the slightest impatience of
its long continuance, but in moments of unus-
ual anguish, would cast his eyes upward with
the words, -'Oh my blessed Lord
During the last two days and nights, he ram
bled on eoherently-tbough at intervals, per-
fectly sensible. His low CALCULATIONS were so
indistinct between the distressing gasps for
breath that only word here and there was in
telligi-le. At one moment, turning his ewes,
| fraught with whole souls tenderness, upon
his agonize1 wife, he said: My--dear-wife,- =
name of his country seat near Nashville;) y then,
as his mind wandered off, she was only able to
catch isolated words, such as postage-sustain
itself-ah!-the Democracy-will have a-hard
battle
To an elderly lady, who had specially endear-
ed herself to him by her attention during his
illness, he said, placing his hand upon her head,
with touching solemnity, "GOd bless-you,' -
and soon after he grasped the hand of "Uncle
Ben," who had been for forty years his faithful
body servant, and expressed in isolated words,
the regret he felt at requiring such fatiguing
attendance On the night before his death,
there was in all that moumful household no
sight so touching as that little group of dark
faces, huddled together in the room adjoining
the chamber of death, with chairs drawn close
to the door, the tears falling like rain, as they
listened to the weakened respiration of their
idolized master.
About midnight he joined fervently in
prayer offered up by DR.. Cranberry, a Method.
ist clergyman of our city. At the close of this,
he turned long, lingering gaze of wistfnl ten
deness upon the face he loved best on earth.
and said, in voice clearly Ineligible to all
around: "My-dear wife, we shall meet again
when the fashion of the world passeth away"
From this hour he sank slowly but surely, and
it is consolAtory to think that his last moments
were free from acute suffering-the bodily en-
ergies waning gently like the twilight, and the
mind, Inough clear, partaking Of thatlgrowing
langour which had crept over the frame with
which it was associated
From this time his devoted wife seemed to
absorb all his thoughts. He was patient and
thankful for the smallest attention, aboundinq
IN tender anxiety for her, following her slight
est movement with his eyes, with that anxious
wlstfnl, appealing look which seemed to say
81 can no longer trust myself to speak" After
the power of speech had left him, he extended
his arms, clasping her to his heart with fervor
which even the approach of death could not di-
minish And so he died. On Tuesday morn
ing at twenty minutes past nine O'Clock, clasp
ing her hand and gazing into her eyes with
that earnest look which even death could not
not alter, his spirit burst its bonds and rose on
triumphant wings to find, we believe, happiness
in the bosom of God