Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-09-18

ueilVeTeu Oh tHoJ QucBuOu. AIouo ~
would stamp him as statesman Of
the first rank. In Marsh's Remi-
niscences of Congress, 1t Is stated
that Calhoun and Webster were at
tentive listeners, and that the former
pronounced it TO be exhaustive of the
subject.
In 1853 he was reelected to the Sem
ate, andat the first session of Con-
gress afterwards, the Kaiisas-N ebras-
ka bill of Senator Douglass was pre-
scented. With one exception among
Southern Senators fGen. Houston,
of Texas,) Mr.. Bell was the only Sem
ator from this section who opposed
it. He described In It the fruitful
germs of the sectional trouble which
seven years later brought civil war
and all our woes. He opposed also
the Lecompton Bill, as IL was called:
the leading political measure of the
administration of Buchanan. In
March, 1859, he was retired from the
! Senate after twelve years of service.
In May, 1859, he was nominated by
the Constitutional Union party at Bal
timore as their candidate for the Pres
idency, Edward Everett, Of Massa-
chusetts, being his associate rs Vice.
Presidential candidate. Sectional
madness ruled the hour, and Sec
tional candidate was elected.
In the "winter of our discontent"----
ISG0-61, Mr.. Bell did not sulk I'm his
tent, because hewas a defeated can.
didate for the Presidency. Revisited
Washington In March Of 1881, as a
peace-maker. He returned home to
find, o month later, that he had fail
ed, and promptly took ground on the
18th OF April Of that year, against
the aggressions of federal power; and
In this faith he died. His letters to
this paper In the spring of 1865, con.
stltute his last public utterauce, but
they will be found by his biographel
to be full Of the conservative wisdom
which exemplified his public career.
A newspaper editorial cannot dc
Justice to Mr.. Bell, and we shall moi
u attempt 1t. This ctirsory review o.
the leading incidents OF his public
life was due to him, and to the people
!. of Tennessee. The historian Of the
times in which he lived and acted
will, we feel sure, say more than we
have space for. While in influence ant
station he was o balance-wheel In thu
Republic. So were James Madison
I and Webster in their time. AS h,
!. resembled these eminent men, he re-
sem led also Halifax, who is describ
: ed by Macaulay as one who "alway'
saw passing events, not In the poin
of view in which they commonly APP
pear to one who bears part in them
but In the point of view in which
: after the lapse of many years, they
. appear to the philosophic historian
: He had genius, and his mind wa
quick and comprehensive. His tast,
was refined, and il was cultivated b.
: extensive learning. His corrected
speeches on political subjects, and hi
literary addresses, may be studied q
models. From his very organization
he was conservative; and he was ,
noble patriot. He served his countr!
for more than a quarter of q century
of official life, which he bore himsel
with consumate ability, and incorrup
' tible official and personal Integrity
He reflected honor upon Tennessee
: and conferred dignity on American
craftsmanship. He has gone to hi
rest with q name untarnished. B,
his counsel he sought to restrain tn
madness of his cOuntrymen. HI
5 sought also to mitigate the evils
3 produced. Upon his fame there will
3. not rest no smirch of fanaticism o
: sectiOnalism and it will be treasures
as one of the chiefjewels of the State
and his countrymen from the Allan
: tic to the Pacific will do honor to hi
memory.