The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-12-02

III VI texture, Vet nave often III Their ''-tNt
uncertain rustlings"
"fled me, thrilled me
With fantastic terror
Never felt before,
AS have conjurel up in Imagination the
bright scenes upon which their magniiiccnce
once looked down. and reviewed iii reality the
many sad and despairing histories of HE gay
participants. \ table, ornate and unique in Its
construction. claimed originally the ownership
OF the noted Gov. Cooke; the chairs and olhe'
| odd bits of furniture rejoice in various noted
persons as their former posSessors: Il sofa be-
lon@cd to the divine Catacizv, and n footStool
once held the pretty feet of the lovely Madame
iodlSco. OF course there has been method in
the collection of this room, but scarcely house
here but holds SOME mrnvutoy4 Mat lad thcN
tongues could "a tale untold Of past grandeur.
of magnificent festivities Of proud hopes, and
aspiring ambitions, that have yielded and scat
tered before the encroachment> OF newer actors
upon the gilded gay attractive scenes, and who
Will in their turn retire before Il tre>hcr set OF
| eager aSpirants, or 90 down under the destroy
ing touch of this fascinating, exciting, corrupt
ing vhrl of political and social life.
The sudden death of Yicc-Prcsident Wilson,
after all expectations and anNictirs Of such an
event had been lulled 10 rest by his rapidly raj
lying strength ana health, has been the theme
of universal conversation during the week. and
as is customary has ELECTED from private as
we'll rs public citizens and the press Il variety
of opinions upon his life and character. Nearly
everyone, however, seems willing to assert and
believe that he was Il good if not great man.
And there can he no doubt that he died ut the
end of his long and eyrntful career with fewer
real enemies than is common for public men to
have. Often not 10 have enemies indicates Il
lack of positiNoness IN ones character But
surely this could not be said or even thought of
a man who, against every adverse circumstance,
unaided and alone, raised himself from the low
lieSt of the loWly to the second highest position
in our national government. 4 man who said
of himSet-"Want sat at my cradle. | have
known what it was to ask Il mother for bread
and she had none to give" Truly, it must
have required an indomitable will, Il never
swerying persistcncy, an untiring patience. an
almost supcrhuman courage TO advance along
the rugged road that las terminated ia such 4
successful career. And whatever other, may
choose to think, | for one bow my Soul before
that rugged, toisomc, struggling life. Scanned
by the critical eye, he was not il great man.
lacking nearly all the essential rrquirem, nt~ of
statcSmanship-the broad scholarship. the rul-
tured experiences, the wen balanced reasoning
the carefully controlled impulses; but in heroic
cndeayor, in an honest, earnest. active life, he
was great, and might put to shame many men
of lottier intellccts. 1t seems hard to believe
that any one who was 50 much of a partisan It's
Mr.. Wilson could ut all times be sincere, and
vet such is the general impression he has left
upon the masses. Bitterly opposed is he was
to the south for SO many Years, his Kind words
of reconciliation since the war seem to have
borne good fruit, for | have heard no one speak
more kindly of the dead Nice-PreSident than
many Of those once so desperately confronting
southronS The post moltem examination held
upon Mr.. Wilson's remains the day Of his death
seems to have had something shocking and cruel
about it. Such examinations in the Interests oI
science and humanity are undoubtedly Il ncceS-
sity, bat rs wanton qualification of idle curl
osity become barbarous. In the case of public
hlcil IL 10 VI cbulsc very SIdtHS my " nave IL
settled beyond doubt that they have a brain
there are so many of whom you would never
have suspected such a thing in lifetme-but
when one reads that the Vice President of the
nation, in its grand and magnificent capitol, was
actually cut up and laid around loose, his head
in one place, his brain in another, his body in
still another, and his heart on the table, imag-
nation pleads to shut her eyes TO the sckening
details, and decency asks if the physicians could
not have been little less explicit in their de-
rection of the body has proven Il stumbling
block to the faith of many, and yet something
of the kind seems to have been carried on here,
for the separated parts recollectcd, rc-adJustcd,
and re-habilitated, were said by the many who
went to see to look as natural As life rs they
lay in state in the lofty rotunda of the capitol,
resting in magnificent casket upon the same
catafalque that was used for Sumner and Lin
coin, aud otherwise surrounded by all the pomps
and trappings of woe. To-day the last sad rites
were held in the Senate Chamber, where he has
passed so large i portion of his life and labors,
and whose walls shall echo to his voice never
more All portions of the Senate, the rotunda,
and galleries were heavily and appropriately
draped in Grape. Over the Vice-Preslent's
chair hung sombre folds of the same, whilst
and Wreaths, made beautiful addition to the
fitting adornments. Upon the floor of the SEN
ate were the President of the United States,