Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-12
GENERAL JOSEPH LANE.

| From the New York Times.
The brief dispatch announcing the
death of Joseph Lane, which came
from Oregon a day or two since, can
have had but very little significance
for the great majority Of the people
who read it. Yet the man 10 whom
it related was at one time one Of the
foremost figures in the republic. Had
he died thirty years ago, the nation
would have gone in mourning for him,
yet so fleeting is fame in our country
that the present generation scarcely
recalls his name and knows next TO
nothing Of his most evcntful history.
Joseph Lanes grandfather was an
American, born near the present site
of Raleigh, n. c., in the early colonial
times. He and his two brothers did
good services during the war of the
Revolution. His son, John Lane, the
father of Joseph, was at the battle Of
Kings Mountain and served in the
patriot army until the surrender of
Cornwallis at Yorktown. He voted
for George Washington for President
aud lived TO see jackson in the same
Office. The son of this old soldier was
born in North Carolina in 1901. Early
in life he went TO Indiana Later he
became a power in the politics of the
West. When the Mexican war broke
out he was one of the first to go to the
front and by hard fighting and distin.
guished bravery won his way to
major generalship. Returning to his
home, all Indiana united in doing him
! honor, and later on President Polk, in
slight recognition of his services, made
him Governor Of the Territory of
Oregon, to which place he was reap.
pointed by President Pierce. In 1852
he had thirteen votes in the national
convention which nominated Cass for
President, and at one time during that
memorable meeting seemed almost
sure Of the nomination. As old vii
liam Allen used in after years TO re.
| late, Joe Lane came nearer being
| President than any man who ever
missed" But though he missed the
presidency, he did not lose influence
with his party. In 1853 he was elect
ell to the United States Senate from
the new State of Oregon. He sympa.
thized with the South in the struggle
then pending, and later was nominated
for Vice President on the ticket with
Breckenridge. He carried eleven Of
the slave States, but was buried out of
sight in the free North. Little has
been heard of him since. He spent
the last years of his life in his fayorite
| Oregon. Some months ago, 10 par
ty Of excursionists who called on him
for a speech, he said II come not as
celebrated man or n distinguished
soldier, but as n humble citizen of
Oregon. Only once during my term
of office did / have occasion to visit
this portion Of the Territory. II was
on the first of July, now almost thirty
years ago, that courier arrived at
Oregon City, bearing the news that
Mr.. Wallace, living on Budd's Inlet,
where Olympia is now situated, had
been murdered by the Indians With
an army of six men, tried and true
comrades in arms with me in the con-
ilict with Mexico, we proceeded down
the Willamette river in canoe to the
Columbia, down the Columbia, and
thence up the Cowiltz 20 the Catholic
mission. Here we procured mules
and horses and added three fresh re-
cruits to our force. We took the In.
dians by surprise, and demanded
surrender of the murderers. The old
chief after viewing our forces and
looking me in the eve, concluded TO
accede to this demand, and the MUIR
derers were accordingly delivered up,
tried and executed. This made good
Indians Of them" During the same
speech Gen. Lane, referring TO his
service during the Mexican war, said /;
Two years ago looked over the old
army register, and | found there only
five of the seventeen American gene
rails who entered the Mexican war sur
viving. OF the seventeen who entered
the struggle, fourteen were younger
than myself One by one these brave
men have answered TO the last roll |
call Since | last looked over the |
register, Pillow has been called away, |
Cadwalader and Gushing followed, and |
on the first of the present month |
Shields answered the summons and
passed over the dark river, across the |
valley and shadow of death. During |
the last few years the roll has been
called once in six months and one by
one these gallent men have responded
Joseph Lane has now been called and
he too has responded to the summons.