Iron County register., 1900-02-15
RICHARD w. THOMPSON DEAD.
JndianR's Old Man Eloquent, Her
Veteran Statesman, Passes
Away.

Terre Haute, Ind, Feb. 10.-Col
Terre Haute, Ind, Feb. 9.-Col
Richard w. Thompson, ex-secretar,
of the navy, Indiana's Old Man Flo
queEt die d Thursday.
Dick Thompson, as the Indiana
statesman was known to the people O.
the United States. was a product O.
the year (1S09) that gave to the world
Darwin, Longfellow, Gladstone, Ten
nyson, Holmes and other famous mer
who are all dead. He served in con
gress with Lincoln, John Quincy
Adams, Calhoun, Clay and Webster.
Born and reared in Virginia in the
midst of slavery he perhaps never
questioned its ethics, but when the
test came nc consideration of early be
lief, practice, prejudice or environ.
ment could twist his conception oI
liberty and union into license to de.
stroy the Union. 1t was this stead.
fast devotion TO national life that WOE
him the distinction of being a trusted
counselor and adviser of both Indi.
ana's great war governor and the great
war president, with whom he had
served in the Thirtieth congress from
1S49 to 1851.
His grandfather was a federalist
and friend of President Washington
His fathers second wife was a grand
niece of Gen. Washington. The only
two presidents that Col. Thompson
had not seen were Washington and
the elder Adams. From Monroe he has
personally known every president. He
personally knew Lafayette, and was
one of the first to reach the side OF
John Quincy Adams when that states
man fell dead in the national house OF
representatives.
He was made secretary of the navy
by President Hayes. In this office he
became useful and very popular off.
cial.
The resignation of Secretary Thomp.
son from the cabinet to accept the
presidency of the American branch OF
the Panama Canal Co., at a salary OF
$4,000 Il year, marks the time of the
secretary's retirement from official
life. He remained in this position foI
six years. the salary being reduced the
last two years to $4,000.
A work giving his recollections OF
the presidents from Jefferson to Lin.
coin, inclusive, and a novel based oh
real life in Virginia s5 years ago have
been published, and in 1876 he pub
Ished "Papacy and the Civil Power"
The Guard of Honor.
With clatter of iron hoofs the cav.
airy escort cantered forward to form.
the guard of honor. Orders flung
from rank to rank down the broad
avenue, brought troop and platoon
into line. With crepe
shrouded colors lowered, they FLED
past, scarlet-capped artillerymen, cay
airy. with their orange plums and fac
ings, and the ranks of the blue-clati
infantry, moving with machine-like
cadence. At the rear, with rumble of
heavy wheels and clash of trace chains,
,ame the guns, field batteries and siege
trains.
Arrived at the City of the Dead.
1t was dreary wait on the cold,
slopes of Arlington for the |
who had made the pilgrim |
lge early in the day. But close on |
sunset the boom of the sylph's gun on
lie Potomac was answered by the |
rash of minute guns from Fort Myer |
md then the solemn notes of the dirge |
vas borne on the wind as the process
ion moved through the winding ave.
lues of the great city of the dead.
The grave was in the open space
ust south of the amphitheater and in
light of the Mansion house.