Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-04-18

his last desire 70 look Out upon the 0ooutlfu
sunlight, and this noble edifce, where he ha
labored so long. and where he believed the fu
ture safety of tho Republic rested and then
as if fully satisfied, with eyes full of oelestia
radiance, he exclaimed, i see it l see it
The gates are wide open! Beautiful Beau
tiful " and the plastic form was stilled tn
casket was broken, and Solomon Foot entered
upon eternal rest.
Mr.. Speaker, the life of good man like thai
of him we mourn IS not confined to its imme
date and most az parent results. Its influence
lives Op, inspiring other men to lives of noble
ness and duty 1t is the pillar of FIRE by nigh
and cloud by day that safely guides us in ou
weary wanderings. Let us mark it we'll, 81
that when to us the last dread summons come
We each may
" Go, not like the quarry slave 1t night
Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained a7d ssothet
By An unfaltering trust, approach our graves
Like one who wraps the dFapery Of his couch
About him and lies down TO pleasant dresms.''
l bmit the following resolution
Resolved That, - further mark Of respect The
deceased, the House do now adjourn.
HON J. g. hoRRILL's KuLoGY.
MIR. morrill,. Mr.. Speaker, never before
10 the history of our Government has state
been called upon to mourn the loss of both it,
Senators at a single session OF Congress. Yer.
mont weeps. for her Senators are not Only
e few days since and our tributes of sorrow
believed the grave and wreathed the memory
of Collamer, whose unblemished career had
conferred honor, not only upon his State, but
upon our whole country. Tnen the Senator
whose decease we now mourn spoke, in un-
broken health and strength, of the life and
many virtues of his late illustrious associate
in terms Of great fulness and rare beauty
but how remote from him was the suspicion
that In so brief time his Survivors would be
called upon to delineate his own character
his private worth and public services, not less
conspicuous, and though much unlike, NOV.
ing IN orbits wide apart, equally meritorious.
Seldom has any state been represented by the
same Senators for so long time, and still
more seldom 30 ittingly represented by those
OF go much eminence and unQuestioned integ-
rity and ability.
My colleague Mr.. Woodbridge has so hap.
PLY and eloquently portrayed the history of
Senator Foot, while Others have so genera usly
his worth, that little more re.
mains for me to contribute. Like many men
who have risen to distinction in after life, Ito
copy his own language applied to another, J
- be owed nothing at all to the Fictitious aid s
or the accidental circumstances of birth or
fortune or ia nily patronage" Having los
his father at the early age of seven years, be
was indebted to an excellent and pious mother
Tor bis early training and Instruction, and for
the foundation OF those high-toned principles
OF honor and integrity which always guided
him AS a private citizen and disting uished him
as public man. Not born to atiuence, he
was while yet boy taught the lesson OF earn
ing his board by the sweat of his brow An
incident at this time shows that his ambition
had early been touched by the eternal fire.
A man with whom he lived for a short time.
" hen about fourteen years of age, sent him
with team to drag - in some seed sown the
previous day. Along in the middle of the
forenoon the team was discovered without a
driver, and the work accomplished appeared
very IL considerable. At last young Foot was
found in corner of the fence lying fat on
the grass. To the question as to what he was
doing there he replied, " am thinking what
L shall say when get to be member OF Con-
gress. Thus I" the child is the father of the
man." 1t any of these field thoughts ever
found utterance in Congress, they had not to
walt much longer than those said to have been
conceived in the early morning on the ram
parts OF Quebec, and which many years after
embellished one of the most memorable
speeches OF Daniel Webs er.
w bile yet u young man, Mr.. Foot often
represented Rutland, the place of his residence,
n the Legislature of Vermont, and nearly as
often was made Speaker OF the House OF Rep
resentatives and here he first displayed his
aptitude for the discharge of The
iuties OF presiding officer over dellberstive
assembly. This faculty was soon discovered
and early recognized In the Senate of the Uni
ted States, where he was repeatedly elected
to the office OF President pro tempore, and
where he Was perhaps more frequently called to
the duties OF the chair han any other Senator.
Ii is just to say that much of The dignity as
cribed as well as properly pertaining to that
branch of Congress may be credited, for the
last fifteen years, TO Senator Foot's high ex-
ample of decorum, order, and thorough knowl-
edge Of parliamentary routine. He dispatched
business with admirable promptness, with
equal fairness and grace and he held at ali
times both Senate and the galleries under
complete control by his commanding presence
and ms most unmistakable emphasis His call
to order, Ike the sound OF a trumpet, was
heard and needed. From his decisions of
law there was no appeal asked
Dr. desired. HIS digni6ed bearing and urban
ty during his service in the chair as we'll a.
in the faithful discharge of all other senate
rial duties, his massive features and courtlv
manners, will cause him to be associated with
AND long remembered as u prominent figure
! representative man-of the Senate of the
United States. He will also be remem bered
ss one of the last of those who entered the
1eid OF statesmen while the great men of the
asst generation-N ebster Clay, and Colhoup
yet fingered on the stage.
His speeches while IN this House on the
Mexican war, IN 1876 and ls47, we're able and
earless e1positions of Its origin and character.
md received the hearty approval of a large
proportion oil the northern people. In the
senate not oil OF his speeches have been re-
ported IN the Globe certainly one of his best
lever appeared, for the reason that be retained
he report for revision until it was too late to
'e inserted. His patriotism infolded his whole
country, and bidding defiance to all party ties.
when the honor and glory of his country
eemed imperiled, he rpused all the energies
Il his impassloned nature and rushed to the
escue. This temper appeared in his speech,
n 1886. on the Central American question,
When England exhibited her Evolutionary am
'itIon tor universal empire, by her pretensions
connected with Honduras. He said
Standing IN opposition as do to the pres
mt national Administration differing from
as do most widely and radically upon al
most every question of domestic policy, am
he more happy In being able to accord to it
he tribute, worthless though 1t may be, of
ny sincere and entire approval of the position
has taken upon this question. However we
nay be divided among ourselves, however we
nay contend and wrangle upon questions of
Domestic interest and of local policy, yet,
Ehen it comes to question with foreign
'ower, wherein our national honor and our
ationsl interest s-e concerned, as in the
resent instance, let US exhibit to the world
he beautiful and sublime spectacle of a great,
united, harmonious people people hav-
Dg one mind, one heart, and one purpose"
Among the speeches reported, that upon
be Kansas constitution, better known as the
Lecompton Swindle,' was one of his best,
nd OF marked excellence. The plot to force
pro-slavery constitution upon free peonIe