The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-13
n LATE POSTMASTER GENERAL, AARoN
VENABLE BROWN
When hearts, whose truth Yas proven,
LIKE thine are laid In earth,
There should a wreath be woven
10 tell the World their worth"

~ Wh Nhc NvfN thtH WIZ"
The death Of the Postmaster General has been one OF
the greatest incidents Of the past week, and has awaken
ed a corresponding feeling in the public mind
On Monday, the 2sth of February, he returned home
from his department. pale and exhausted, and, after
dining, sought his room, complaining OF chilliness and
indisposition. After a severe chill he seemed totally I'M
neryed but Mrs. b. imputed his weakness TO oyer-fa-
tigue, not dreaming how nearly exhausted were the
springs Of life. On Tuesday morning a physician was
called in, who declared his disease TO be pneumo-
MIA; and for two days he continued violently Ill,
suffering great distress from difficulty in breath
ing. On Friday his malady took one of those ca
PRECIOUS turns upon which the ~sanguine are so apt
to found hope, and which tempt the sufferer, from
feeling relief, 10 imagine that a restoration TO health rs
certain. Considering his disease conquered, his family
admitted his assistant, Mr. Horatio King } who oonversed
freely upon the business of the department; and on the
same day the defeat 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 anticipation, they were suddenly in
formed of the necessity of apprizing their relatives of his
danger, as all hope of recovery was at an end.
The power of death is a hard lesson to learn, and there
are some hearts which it is difficult to impress with fear.
His devoted wife was prepared for a speedy recovery, but
not at all for death and, steadily refusing TO admit des-
pair into her heart throughout, give long days and nights
with a fortitude and strength that seemed s~uperhuman;
she sat in s~peechless anguish by his side, his ministering
angel, his guardian spirit, his earthly sustainer and sup
port. But, alas! the summons had been sent forth, the
angel of death had started upon his Grand, the seeds of
disease long Gown had taken deep root, and were about
to bear fruit. Outing the severest periods of his disor-
der he was delirious, and il was remarkable to observe,
from the incoherent 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. Through all his
intense suffeTings lie never muruured or expressed the
slightest impatience at its long continuance, but in mo-
ments of unusual anguish would cast his eyes upward
with the words, "oh my blessed Lord
| During the last two days and nights, he rambled on
neoherently-though at intervals, perfectly sensible.
His low calculations were SO indistinct between the dis
tressing gasps for breath that only a word here and
there was Ineligible. At one moment, turning his eyes,
fraught with a whole souls tenderness, upon his agonized
wife, he said My-dear-wie ,-we-will go-baok-
Tennessee Melrose, (he name of his country seat near
Nashville } 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 endeared herself
to him by her attention during his Illness, he said, placing
his hand upon her head, with touching solemrity, 'sGod
bless-you," and soon after he grasped the hand of
80 Uncle Ben, who had been for forty years his faithful
body servant, and expressed, in isolated words, the re-
greet he lelJ AT requiring Sucn n latlgulnS attendance. On
the night before his death, there was in all that mournful
household no sight so touching as the little group of dark
faces, huddled toge ther in the room adjoining the cham
Der 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. IL spoke eloquently
for the character of the man who, in life, had ever dis
| pensed Kindness and favors, not TO the rich and power,
full, but the unprotected, the dcfcnceless, the widow, and
the fatherless J H#
On the evening" referred TO, being told by Mrs. B. that
the President was in the room, he seemed to rally, and as
Mr.. b. took his hand, said, in a clear and distinct man.
ner, "Mr. Buchanan, l have endeavored to discharge nv
duty faithfully--to do what / thought best for the GOOD
of the country" In a voice broken with emotion, the
President replied, " You have done more than your
duty = and to the closing words of the dying man
broken by gasps for utterancc--"I hank-you-for-
mime the President add.
ed, 'every interview, Governor Brown, has increased my
attachment for you
About midnight he Joined fervently in a prayer offered
up by DIR. Cranberry, u Methodist clergyman of our city.
At the close of this. he turned a long, lingering gaze OF
wistlul tenderness upon the face he loved best on earth
and said, in "a voice clearly intelligible to all around,
"My--dear wife, we shall meet again when the fashion
of this 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 suhering-the bodily
energies waning gently like the twilight, and the mind,
though clear, ~partaking of that growing langour which
had or spt over the frame with which it was associated.
All Thou dost is right,
BY darkness Thou preparest us for light 1922. "
And blest, thrice biest, Almighty God, are those
With Christ who suffer ere they tase repose,
Toe soul away IS better than to die,
In sheltered wales where mist too Oft arise
And from us hide the sun and azure skos.
To calm his struggles, catch his latest sigh;
With softest touch they closed his weary eyes,