The Portland daily press., 1870-04-14

| The life OF great statesman, who has held
high public stations, and who has been the
| leader Of strong political party, must be
closely identified with the life and growth of
his country, and his biography must be the
best political history OF his times. Such a
statesman was Daniel Webster; and such a
political history is George T. Curtis "Life Of
Webster" recently published. We have here
the story of the great mans life told by the
and warm admirer, Mr.. Curtis was made his
literary executor. In these volumes he has
ia'.hiuliy discharged the solemn trust,
anu at the same time, performed the
| most sacred Office Of fiiendship. The calm
| and dispassionate manner in which tho No.
| ntical views OF Mr.. Webster are here present.
ed and discussed will make the work a v,,n,-
BILE contribution to the political history NJ orr
country during one of the most interesting
periods of its existence. Nor is the work of
| interest to the political student alone. II
| gives us the story of grand life from its be-
| ginning to its close,-a story of universal
interest. We can quote only the account
OF the last hour Of that existence. Who.
upon reading it, will not exclaim, with
the eulogist Of the great man, "Oh, fer
ono hour of WsbstArr' Ii was past
midnight, when, awakening from one of
the slumbers that he had at intervals.
he seemed not 10 know whether be had not
already passed from his earthly existence.
He made strong effort to ascertain what
the consciousness that he could still perceive,
actually was, and then uttered these we'll
known words al still livel" as II he had sat-
isfied himself of the fact that he was striving
to know. They were his last coherent utter
ances. A good deal later, he said something
in which the word "poetry" was distinctly
heard. His son Immediately repeated to him
one of the stanzas of Gray's "Elegy". He
heard 1t, and smiled. After this, respiration
became more difiicrlt, and at length it went
on with perceptible intervals. All was now
hushed within the chamber; and to us who
stood, waiting, there were but three sounds
in nature; the signing of the autumn wind in
the trees, the slow ticking of the
clock in the hall below, and the deep
breathing of our dying friend. Mo-
ments that seemei hours flowed on. Still
the measured beat Of time fell painfully dis
tinct upon our ears; still the gentle moaning
of the wind mingled with the only sound that
arose within the room; for there were no sobs
of women, no movement of men. So grand,
and yet so calm and simple, had been his ap-
proach to the moment when we must know
he was with us no more, that he had lifted us
into a composure, which, but for his great ex-
ample, we could not have felt. At twenty
three minutes before three o'clock his breath
ing ceased; the features settled into superb
repose; and DR.. Jefries, who still held the
pulse, after waiting for few seconds, gently
laid down the arm, and, amid breathless
silence, pronounced the single word "dead."
The eyes were then closed, the remains were
removed from the position In which death
came, and all but those who had been ap-
pointed to wait and watch, slowly and mourn
fully walked away. Thus there passed out
of this world the great soul of Daniel Web
ster; devoutly thankful for the good he had
been permitted to do, conscious to the last
hour Of life in all his rich affections and splen-
did faculties, fully believing that he was enter
ing another state of existence, and humbly
trusting that his aims on earth had been to
do the will Of Him to whom he felt that all
created intelligence and all human power are
to render up their account
MARK TWAIN having been engaged to
conduct new department in The GALAXY,
with the first "copy," for the May number,
sends the following characteristic letter to the
editor:
BUFFALO, April q
Mr.. f. p. Church, Editor of tue GALAXY.
DEAR SIR: My own paper, the Buffalo
therefore / accept your offer, and from the
present time forward will edit and conduct a
department of Agriculture In the Galaxy
magazine. I thank you for leaving to me the
selection of department; and in choosing
that Of Agriculture feel that my judgment
has answered your highest expectations.
have not made this choice at haphazard.
the subject of Agriculture had been wholly
overlooked by the magazines of the day as
sensational topic, and that all that was neces-
sary for us to do was to enter in and seize
this rich opportunity. Fortune is secured to
us. Nothing can prevent such consumma-
ton. In this virgin soil will insert a reap
ing hook that shall blossom like the rose up
on this sailless desert will launch trium-
phal barge in this deep mine Of afiiuence will
plant sturdy tree Of prosperity whose fra
graace shall slake the hunger OF the n aked,
and whose sheltering branches shall stretch
abroad until they wash the shores Of the re-
motest lands of the earth.
II never can touch the subject of agricul-
ture without getting excited. But you un-
derstand what mean.) Under the head of
Memoranda" shall take hold of this neg
lected topic, and by means of series of farm.
ing and grazing articles of blood-curdling in
terest will proceed to lift the subject of agri-
culture into the first rank of literary respecta-
bility.
Herewith please find my manuscript for
your May number.
p. ST. have no practical knowledge of ag-
riculture, but that need not interfere. You
may have noticed that the less / know about
a subject the more confidence have, and the
more new light I throw on it.