River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-02-24
THE DEATH Or JEFFERSON.
An Interesting Incident Related NY
the Hon. Alexander H q. stuart

The Hon. Alexander H. II. Stuart,
of Virginia, has written an interesting
letter giving an account of the celebra-
ton in Stanton, Va, of the fiftieth
anniv ersary of the Declaration Of hide
pendence. He says:
Among the guests who assembled at
the celebration held at the Eagle tavern
on the Fourth of July, 1926, were most
of the prominent men of the town and
county. | well remember that Daniel
Sheffep, Chapman Johnson, Briscoe G.
Baldwin. Thomas ]. Michse, William
Kinney, C. Kinney, and other citi-
zens of the town were of the number,
and, think, Gen. Robert Porterfield,
Ames Bell, Charles A. Stuart, and
others of the same class from the coun-
try were present. The occasion was
marked by hilarity. The speeches
were brief, spirited, and appropriate.
Anecdotes were told. There were
brilliant flashes of wit and fancy, and
all were in good humor and seemed to
enjoy themselves. In this way passed
until nearly shutdown, and the COM
pany were preparing to separate, with
mutual Fluctuations of the pleasure
which they had enjoyed, and the ex-
preston of hope that they might meet
to commemorate many returns of the
suspicious day. AT this stage of the
proceedings some one came into the
porch and in a low tone communicated
to Mr.. Chapman Johnson something
which seemed to make deep impress
sion on him. /, who was then a youth
preparing myself to enter the univer-
sity, sat, with a few other young COM
pan;ons, near the foot ofthe table, and,
being on the opposite side from Mr..
Johnson, had full view of his face,
and, although did not know the ma
ture of the communication, could not
fail to observe the grave expression of
his countenance.
The mystery was soon solved. Mr.
Johnson rose, and in fitting terms an
nounced to the company that news had
Just reached him of the death, near
noon on that day, of Thomas Jefferson
After few remarks on the life, char
acter and public services of Mr.. Jeffer-
son, Mr.. Johnson requested all present
to fill their glasses, as he desired to Of
fer sentiment This was done. He
then desired that the company would
rise aud remain standing. While we
thus stood, deeply impressed with the
solemnity of the event which had been
thus Unexpectedly announced, Mr..
Johnson offered the following senti-
ment: The memory of Thomas JEFF
ferson, author of the Declaration of
independence Though the mortal
man may never witness another cele-
bration of the day which his pen has so
much illustrated, his immortal spirit
will be present and inspire the last an
them which hallows its memory. The
sentiment was purely impromptu. He
did not take time to commit it TO pa
per- He gave it to US as it came gush-
ing up, like the living waters from the
fountain of his great heart, and it
found a response in the heart of every
one who was present. As for myself,
every word that he uttered became, as
it were, engrossed on the tablets of my
memory, and, after the lapse of more
than fifty-four years, feel that | am
able to report Mr.. Johnson's toast not
only with substantial, but with literal,
accuracy.