The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-11


pesred 10 the greatest advantage. Ee never
PED word Of the confusionS which he
found the affairs OF the depart .nent. or the
neavy arrears Of accumulated business.-
re went diligently to work 10 repair what
has Trend had Of necessity neglected: he
noaselessly and thoroughly restored order
where it was wanting; he finished without
hurry. bu. mpletely, what remained 10
oe oone; and he did i: all in such a manner
that tie was alike faithful! TO bis affection for
the memory and good nayue Of his prede-
cesso-.- and faithful To his country. We
al remember with pride the yigor with
which he repelled ar invitation for az en-
tangl.ng alliance with foreign powers re-
srecting tie government of Cuba. AL
parties have joined in pyaising the ability
which he display during tnis sho.t period
OF administrative service.
Before he retired from the cares OF ofEce,
whlcn TO him we're no, oppressive, his ma
i've Gufr mon wealth sent him to the Senate
OF the United States. It wastoo late. His
nervous excitabiiity. heightened by lis
sufiersngs as an invalid, Wildly united
hlIn foy place in body in which the de-
bates were daily becoming more fierce
His health, was broken; hescould not bear
the late ant. uncertain hours OF labor which
the Senate demanded; and under the per.
enF'ory and wise directionsoi his physi-
cian, he soon retired to private life, which
he was never again TO leave.
The caimess Of his quiet years allowed
MIN 20 nurse bis constitution, and his old
age was beautiful and happy. There was
no voice which his countrylnen so loved to
hear on questions OF public Interest, The
culture Oh science, the advancement OF
learning. Otherslive only for themselves;
Everett lived for others, and was never so
happy as when he played upon the great
instrument Of the rational mind, and
| found iha: his touch brough: on. tones in
harmony with the movements Of his own
| soEl. This mode Of life was attended with
something OF trial; for the sensiIveuess
which was requisite to MS success in
keeping up asysnpatny with the mird o!
the people left him more than ever acutely
susceptible OF pain from public censure,
and even from the Idle cayils Of tr!lers, or
| the sneers of the envious and maiign. Ect
the current OF public opinitl was SO strong
| in bis favor, he called out 80 much afec-
tionate approval by his singular disinte--
ested evo;ion 20 the public good. tina. his
.ass years were among the happies' OF his
| three -seore.anu-.eE - happier than the
years OF impatient, aspiring youth; happi-
er than tho years Of political conflict. II
was a remark Of tie late John G. Calhoun
that there IS no reward 80 much to be- de-
sired as aior man 10 stand well with his
Kind" Everett 5000 well and beloved
| among his telle~-Inen.
lie saw the clouds tha. were lowering
over tie land, and prayed earnestly that
they e sght Oe Gispeiled. For The sake CT
tee Union he kept constantly before the
mind Of the alton the name and memory
lot Washington +; and devoted himself with
!ea.nestness = setting apar. Noun. FER
non es the spot where all americans nigh.
E,eet with an equal glow OF PATRIOTISM
There at least tie transient passions Of the
day were to be k1shed by recalling tho
Ii n 1t n I, fylN of en
disloyalty was 10 be rebukea by the pres
ent Influence OF the father OF the country.
His 3esil in this cause led him to accept tie
run;hcent invitation OF the Ledger and
when he had, in that way, become accls-
toned TO discourse to a cloud OF listeners,
whose number was inoelcu!abls, his love
Of sym pathy assisted TO make that journal
his favorite way Of access to the public
But bis vi-ws as q statesman could not be
suppressed; and his papers IN the ledger
| reae .ted at FIRST indirectly, then more open
~, his judgments .s on pubiic affairs.
TO promote the great end Of maintaining
! the Union, Everett W as no. an advocate for
con cession, brt for conservatism. He had
in his manhood resisted Z nallification with
all his might; he now resisted every thing
that tended to secession. To keep the Con-
stitution as it was, and thus avoid all con-
fiict with the South, was the keynote OF
his policy and when men sought to aver:
the storm which threatened ruin, one party
looked to him, in connection with another
name, to bear, in the Presidential contest,
the standard on which was inscribed 'The
Constitution and the Union" The se]ec.
tion was just, for he was ever lover Of the
Union, and ever supporter of the Consti-
tuition, in its simple integrity, unimpaired
and unchanged. Without attempting to
solve the question whether he was right in
the attitude which he assumed, it Is Ger
TAI h a N0 II hof ttNn v>foa
as candidate which he consented to occupy
fittedthe conduct and opinions of his Efe.
It is, perhaps, less know tina. in the three
fold division which prevailed at the Presi-
Dental election IN 1860, it had been the in
tention Of Mr.. Douglas, as he aYowed 10
one or two e, least OF his friends, in case
the decision had gone 20 Congress, to have
the ticket which bore the name of Everett.
When the storm burst he could not remain
quiet, and there was out one direction in
which he could move. Like Douglas, to
whom in SO many respects he formed a
contrast, he rallied to the support Of the
Government, as the only mode in which he
could rally N support OF his county,
Those whoibefore charged him with want Of
tirmness, had not kept ia mind tina: his
delay grew oa. Of his desires and his COM
vic:ions: when events left no hope Of &
peaceful issue. he was instant, in season
and Out OF season, abroad and at his tire
side, with friends and before the people, in
giving to the contes. unity Of action and
dednileness Of purpose; aud while he Ut
the last spoke bravely for universal emau-
cipation, that gentleness which, made him
so Glow to accuiesce in the stern and terri
BILE necessity OF civil war, inspired him in
the last public &C. OF his life to send conso-
iation TO those who had been subdued. He
died as he lived, harbor;ng no persistent Ill
will even to traitors, being satisfied II
those Who have engaged in rebellion will
give up the institution which led them in
to evil; and wishing to heal the wounds in-
flic.ed ON the Union, not BY the block. not
by confiscatioD, not by revenge, hut by the
establishment forever Of human freedom.
I have failed in this sketch, Ii have not
made it clear that the course Of life OF our
departed friend was marked by integrity
and consistency, which had their root ia
his own nature. Are there nny who wish
Ella career had been didezent7 It could not
have been different, except by his ceasing
so be himself
Il Is equally vain to wish that he had
devoted his powers to the completion Of
some special elaborate work. 10 WAS an
coas1a ro 1,O nratcryrget. u6o<