Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-03-20
rhe late rossnas.sr General, Aarsa '.


The death Of the Postmaster General has been
one Of the grestest incidents Of the past week. aud
has awakened corresponding feeling il the pub
lie miud
Ga Monday, the 28ih Of February, lie returned
home his department Tale and exhausted, and
after dining sought his room, cOmpsiaing Of chill
illness and indisposition. After q severa chill he
SEEMED totally unnerved; hut Mrs. Brown imputed
his weakness to oyer-fatigne not DR. aiming how
nearly exhausted we're he fpFirgs Of life. On Tues
day morning physician was called in. who declsr-
ed hi disease 10 be pEeumonis; and for two days he
continued violently ill., suffsTiag great distress from
ihenlty in breathing On Friday his mals6y took
one Of those capricious turns upon which the san
guiue are so spt 30 found hope aud which tsmptthe
Sufferer, from feeling relief, TO imagine that res
toraiioo 10 health is certain. Considering his dis
ease conquered. his family admitted his assistant,
tMr HOraiio King who converted freely upon he
business Of the department. and on the same day
the dsfsat Of the Pest Office appropriation bin vas
hyacciient resesledto him, and nthe evening whsn
his beloved family thought him out Of all danger,
and were almost gey in the anticipation, they were
suddenly iaforTel Of the necessity OF ppPrizing
their relatives Of his danger, ali hope OF recoSe
rs Ees at an end.
Tae poser Of desth il hard lesson to learn, and
there are some hears Ehieh j. dlicul % impress
vi b fear. His devoted vie was prepared fer
speedy recovery, bnt not a, ell for eah end stead
lily T5fusing imi despair into her heart through
Ont, give f9Bg days aud nights with a f5tiuie and
sFer oh hal seemed superhumap; she sat IN speech
less angui. ny his eide, his mini ieTng angel his
suerdieR spirit his earthly sUsiai er an1 support
Blu alas the summons had been sent forth, the
angel of death had started upon his erapd, the
seeds Of die. ase loug soRn had tzken deep root,
and we're alb }ut to hear fruit During the seversst
period &C his disorder he was delirous, AID it was
remarkable to Observe, from the iDcOherent words
he ualered how eaiiFely the elevated principles Of
the man retained their predominance, There was
IN, ftrir
resignation 10 bear H. Through all bis inter 81 suf-
feriDgs he nurmured or expressed the slight.
est impstieuee q. its long coniinusnee, but ia mo-
mens Of unusual anguish wOud cast bis eyes upward
with the words "0b my blessed Lord
During the iasttw days and nights. he rambled
on ocoherently-though, at intervals, perfee ~
sensible. His low CALCULATIONS we're so iadstinct
between the distressing CRAPS for breath III At only
word here and there vas ineligible At one mo
meni turning his eyes, frsught with whole sOuIs
tenderness, upon his agoDized wife, he said: My-
dear vife-we-Wil gO-baek-Tennessee,--A
rosr 1.-THE name Of his country seat near Nashyille)
thee, ss his mind wandered eff, she only able
to catch isolated words, such as pesage,-su stain
itself-ah the dCmocraoy-will have a-har3 bat.
tle.
To an elderly lady, who had specially sndeared
herself to him by her attention duriog bis illness,
be said placing his hand uFoa her head with
touching solemnity, God bess-you," and soon
after he erssped the hand Of Uncle Ben Who
had Been fer forty years his faithful body servant
and expressed in isolated words the regret he felt
at recurring such fatiguiDg at eadance On the
night before his DEATH there In ell that mournS
tul household DO sight touching he little group
Of dark faces, kudIle1 together in the adjon-
ing the chamber Of death, with chairs drawn close
to The docs. the tears falling like rain they list
eued to the weakened respiration Of their idoized
master 1t spoke elOquenuy for the cha. acer of
the man Who in life, had ever dispensed kindness
and favols, not TO the rich and powerful, but the
unprotected, the defenceless, the widow, aud the
fatherless
On the evening referred to, being told By Mrs.
B. that the President was in the room, he seemed to
rally, and as Mr.. D. took his hard said, in clear
and distinct manner, g Mr. Buchanan, have ens
dsavored to discharge my duty faithfully-to do
what thought best fer the god of the country"
Ia voice broken with emotion, the President re-
lied sYou have done more han your duy;" and
TO the closing words of the dying man-brOken by
gasps for utterauce-"I thank-you-fcr-yo
kindness-to me-sud-mUe the President add
ed, every interview, Governor Brown, has in
creased my attachment for you
About midnight he Joined fervently in prayer
offtre up by Dr. Cranberry, Methodist Clergyman
of cur eIiy. At The close of this, be turned long,
lingering gaze If Ristful tenderness upon the face
he loved best or EARTH and said, in voice clearly
iGtelligIble to al around, "My-dear wife, we shall
meet again when the fashion Of this world passeth
away" From this hour be sank slowly but surely
and is consolatOTy to think that his last
were free from acute suffering-the bodily energies
waning gently like the twilight, and the mind
though clear, partskDg of that growing laugour
which had crept over the frame with which it was
associated.