E 
 422- 
 
 T4b 
 
 / 
 
Class _ 
 
 Book IL__ 
 
IU- 
 
 JFuncral ©ration. 
 
 AN 
 
 ORATION 
 
 BY 
 
 BENJAMIN THOMPSON, 
 
 ON THE 
 
 DEATH OP ZACHARY TAYLOR, 
 
 ( Late President of the United States. ) 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 PRINTED BY CALEB RAND 
 18 50. 
 
FUNERAL ORATION 
 
 ON THE 
 
 Eleatl) of ^adjarg % aglor, 
 
 (LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,) 
 DELIVERED BY REQUEST OF THE 
 
 CITY COUNCIL, CHARLESTOWN, 
 JULY 31st, 1850. 
 
 By BENJAMIN THOMPSON. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 PRINTED BY CALEB RAND. 
 1850. 
 
f&Z 
 
 
CITY OF CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 August 10, 1850. 
 
 Dear Sir : ~ , 
 
 I have the honor to forward to you the accompanying Order 
 
 of the City Council, thanking you for the excellent tribute paid to the exalted 
 character and services of the late President of the United States, in the Funeral 
 Oration delivered by you on the 31st of July last, and requesting a copy of the 
 same for the press. Your compliance with the request of the City Council will, 
 I believe, give great pleasure to your fellow-citizens, and to no one more than to 
 Your humble servant, 
 
 G. WASHINGTON WARREN. 
 Hon. Benj. Thompson. 
 
 In Board of the M 
 
 ayor and Aldermen, ) 
 August 5, 1850. > 
 
 Ordered, That the thanks of the City Council be given to the Hon. Ben- 
 jamin Thompson, for the able, impressive and highly appropriate Funeral 
 Oration, delivered by him on the thirty-first day of July last, upon the life and 
 character of Zachary Taylor, late President of the United States, and that 
 he be requested to furnish a copy for the press. 
 
 Sent down for concurrence. 
 
 G. WASHINGTON WARREN, Mayor. 
 
 In Common Council, August 5, 1850. 
 
 Concurred. II. P. FAIRBANKS, President. 
 
 A true copy, as appears of record. 
 
 Attest : A. B. SHEDD, City Clerk. 
 
 Charlestown, August 10, 1850. 
 
 Dear Sir : . . , 
 
 In compliance with the request of the City Council, which 
 
 you have so kindly communicated, a copy of the Funeral Oration is furnished 
 
 for the press. 
 
 Yerv- resnectfullv yours, 
 
 J l J J BENJ. THOMPSON. 
 
 G. Washington Warren, Esq., 
 
 Mayor. 
 
FUNERAL ORATION, 
 
 The sounds of lamentation are heard and the emblems of 
 mourning are seen around us ; the solemn knell — the minute 
 g im — the funeral procession, with measured step and muffled 
 mus i c — this sacred Temple and our nation's ensign, shrouded 
 with the insignia of death — this large and saddened assem- 
 bly — these all speak to us in a voice from the sepulchre ; they 
 call us to contemplate another exhibition of the sway of that 
 last enemy, before whom no human greatness can contend, 
 and to whom the loftiest like the lowliest must yield, when 
 the conflict comes. 
 
 Alas ! It is even so ! Death has conquered another and a 
 noble victim, and called a nation to mourning; this great 
 people, throughout this vast Republic, has been suddenly 
 startled by the sad intelligence that its respected, honored, 
 and beloved chief magistrate, Zachary Taylor, is no more ! 
 
 My friends, we have assembled in accordance with the ar- 
 rangements of our respected City Council, to perform the 
 obsequies due to the station and character of our deceased 
 President ; to record some memorial of our respect for his 
 memory, and of our regard and gratitude for his public 
 services. Prompted by feelings of high admiration for the 
 character of the deceased, I have undertaken the part with 
 which I have been honored in these services ; I now solicit 
 your kind indulgence for the imperfect manner in which I 
 know it will be performed. 
 
 It had long been among our cherished hopes that President 
 Taylor would visit Charlestown. With hearty unanimity 
 
he had been twice invited by onr City Council and had 
 signified his ready acceptance. Sickness and death have in- 
 tervened, and this hope can never be realized. To me it is a 
 source of deep regret that I have never seen him. Had his 
 life been spared to visit us, I had good reason to expect that 
 an opportunity would have been afforded me at my own home. 
 
 Within the brief period of but little more than one year, 
 death has taken away many from among our eminent men ; 
 and it seems to me befitting this mournful occasion to con- 
 template for a moment some of its ravages. The immediate 
 predecessor of President Taylor had but just closed his term 
 of high official trust ; had gracefully received his successor 
 at the Capitol ; and, bidding adieu to the honors and the bur- 
 dens of his office, was hastening, with his amiable partner, 
 to the anticipated joys of a dignified retirement, when he was 
 arrested by sickness, and suddenly stricken down by death. 
 His elegant retreat, awaiting, but never receiving, its expected 
 occupant, long wore the badges of mourning, evincing the 
 intensity of a widow's grief, while the nation deeply regretted 
 the death of one who had been honored with its highest gift, 
 and who had labored to promote and sustain the welfare and 
 honor of his country. 
 
 Four months ago this day, (March 31st,) the eminent 
 Calhoun — a name always associated with power and influ- 
 ence, and, to those who knew him well, with honor, integrity 
 and truth — was called away by death, no longer to sway a 
 State or to electrify a Senate. And how rapid the transit of 
 his successor from his home to the Senate, and from the Sen- 
 ate to the grave. Within two short months from the decease 
 of Mr. Calhoun, he received his appointment, took his seat in 
 the Senate, and followed him to the tomb. 
 
 And death has approached us yet nearer. On Thursday 
 last, one of our own members of Congress — the Hon. Daniel 
 Putnam King — died at his residence in Danvers. Mr. King 
 was a gentleman of high moral and religious character, and 
 kind and true in all the relations of life. He possessed good 
 sense, sound judgment, and a well-adorned and cultivated 
 
mind. As a member of Congress, as well as in all his public 
 stations, he was faithful, industrious and efficient, and the 
 excellence of his character, and the uniform amenity of his 
 manners, united to strong intellectual powers, gave him a 
 high standing and large influence at Washington. His fam- 
 ily, his friends, and his fellow-citizens have met with a se- 
 vere loss, and deeply will his death be felt and deplored. I 
 knew him long ; I knew him well ; he was an intimate and 
 valued friend, and long a close companion, and sincerely do 
 I lament his death ; and while my heart has prompted me to 
 this brief public tribute to his memory, I can truly say of 
 him— "very pleasant hast thou been unto me." 
 
 What solemn and impressive lessons of our mortality ! 
 How full of warning and of rebuke to those who indulge the 
 animosities of party strife ; who pursue with such eagerness 
 and through such toils and devices, the fleeting honors of this 
 fleeting life, as if they were worth the struggle, and would 
 endure forever when attained. How true it is that 
 
 " The glories of this mortal state 
 Are shadows, not substantial things." 
 
 It is somewhat remarkable in our political history that two 
 Presidents only have died in office since the establishment of 
 our Government, and but one during the session of Congress, 
 and this in the instance of him whose death we this day 
 commemorate. 
 
 On the Fourth of July, current, President Taylor appeared 
 in his usual good health, and united with the citizens of 
 Washington around that monumental structure which a 
 grateful people are now raising to the memory of the most 
 illustrious of his predecessors, in the public celebration of this 
 birthday of our National Independence. Long exposure and 
 extreme fatigue are supposed to have been the superinducing 
 causes of his sickness, and it is believed that on this day, 
 which was his last official appearance in public, the founda- 
 tion was laid of his sickness and death. From the evening 
 of the fourth until the eighth, he was at times quite sick, but 
 
8 
 
 not much anxiety was felt either by his family or his physi- 
 cian ; from this time, however, disease made great encroach- 
 ments on his frame, and prostrated him with fearful rapidity, 
 and on the evening of the ninth, at half past ten o'clock,he died. 
 
 The circumstances attending his sickness and death pos- 
 sess a melancholy interest, and are, doubtless, familiar to 
 you. The frequent alternations of fear and hope which agi- 
 tated so intensely his family, his physicians, and the many 
 friends around him ; the serene composure of the illustrious 
 patient, conscious, as he was, that his end was near, and that 
 all the pomp and pageantry of his high station were so soon 
 to be exchanged for the silent darkness and the narrow con- 
 fines of the grave ; the calm, brief retrospect of his official 
 conduct, re-assuring the world of the integrity of his motives, 
 and of the severe trials of his station, are precious memorials 
 of his fidelity and of his conflicts. " I should not be sur- 
 prised," said he to his physician, " if this sickness were to 
 terminate in my death. I did not expect to encounter what 
 has beset me since my elevation to the Presidency. God 
 knows that I have endeavored to fulfil what I conceived to 
 be my honest duty. But I have been mistaken. My mo- 
 tives have been misconstrued, and my feelings grossly out- 
 raged." His mental sufferings were undoubtedly great, 
 arising from such circumstances, and great must have been 
 their effect to protract and heighten, if not to render fatal, his 
 sickness. 
 
 An official bulletin, issued only seven hours before his 
 death, announced that the crisis had passed and that he was 
 beyond immediate danger. The bells rang for joy ; the whole 
 population of the city— apparently — with joyous steps bent 
 their way to his mansion ; and even the boys in the streets 
 built bonfires and shouted in childish gratulation. This last 
 incident may appear trivial, but it speaks no mean praise. 
 The kind heart of the President had exhibited its tenderness 
 and love towards children, and they spontaneously offered 
 that beautiful tribute of unsophisticated nature, free alike 
 from duplicity and adulation. 
 
9 
 
 During that last family interview, so indescribably affect- 
 ing, he was asked whether he was comfortable. "Very," he 
 replied, and added, "but the storm in passing has carried 
 away the trunk." And in the secret communion of his 
 heart with God at this solemn hour, to whom he ap- 
 pealed to attest his integrity, who will say that he died 
 not a Christian, at peace with man, at peace with God, and 
 in the full hope of Heaven. But his hour has come ; and 
 as his departing spirit breaks away from that family group, 
 all overwhelmed with grief; and from a sorrowing people, 
 who, in an immense multitude literally covered the spacious 
 grounds about his mansion, how touching and impressive are 
 his last brief words, and how abundantly do they confirm our 
 impressions of the excellence of the man : "I am not afraid 
 to die ; I expect the summons soon ; I have endeavored to 
 discharge all my official duties faithfully ; I regret nothing; 
 but I am sorry that I am about to leave my friends." He is 
 gone ! The loss to the country how great ! To that bereaved 
 family how peculiarly afflictive ! Alas ! he is gone ! The 
 soul of the hero has fled ! 
 
 " He sleeps his last sleep, he has fought his last battle; 
 No sound can awake him to glory again." 
 
 It has been said, " that the roll of our Chief Magistrates, 
 since 1789, illustrious as it is, presents the name of no man 
 who has enjoyed a higher reputation with his contempora- 
 ries, or who will enjoy a higher reputation with posterity, 
 than Zachary Taylor, for some of the best and noblest qual- 
 ities which adorn our nature." Those who study his life and 
 character thoroughly, will, I apprehend, subscribe to the 
 truth of this remark. 
 
 As suited to this occasion, and to the extent that it will 
 justify me, I propose now to pass in brief and rapid review 
 some of the more prominent incidents in the eventful career 
 of this illustrious man. 
 
 Zachary Taylor was born in Orange County, Virginia, 
 November 24th, 17S4 His father, Richard Taylor, was a 
 
10 
 
 Colonel in the army of the Revolution, and served with General 
 Washington, by whom he was held in high esteem. In 17S5, 
 and before his son Zachary was a year old, he removed to Ken- 
 tucky, then known as the " Dark and Bloody Ground," and 
 there filled many prominent stations in civil life, and was a 
 member of the Electoral Colleges which voted for Jefferson, 
 Madison, Monroe, and Clay. The education of his son Zacha- 
 ry was necessarily limited; it was practical rather than finish- 
 ed or classical ; and all the learning of schools that he acquired 
 was under the pupilage of Mr. Elisha Ayres of Norwich, 
 Conn., a private tutor in his father's family. The accident 
 of his birth, which happened under a southern sky, had much 
 less to do with the formation of his character, than the in- 
 structions received from his distinguished parent, the severe 
 discipline of a frontier life, and his good fortune to be early 
 imbued with New England principles, under the tuition of a 
 New England tutor. Manly independence, united with ener- 
 gy and firmness, a modest demeanor, and an active intellect, 
 were the characteristics of the boy, and these fixed, under 
 the peculiar discipline of his life, that destiny which made him 
 the man beloved of a nation, and the admiration of the world. 
 
 In military glory there is a charm hardly less attractive 
 to those who behold, than to those who achieve it. This senti- 
 ment, encouraged by early associations, very naturally in- 
 clined him to a military life, and on the third of May, 1S08, 
 at the age of twenty-three, he entered the army, under a 
 commission from Mr. Jefferson. 
 
 The first conspicuous event in his military career is con- 
 nected with the celebrated defence of Fort Harrison against 
 the Indians, in which, as commander, he highly distinguished 
 himself. This took place on the fourth of September, 1812; 
 and the presence of mind, good judgment and undaunted 
 courage which were exhibited by him on this memorable oc- 
 casion, attracted public attention, elicited great applause and 
 presaged a brilliant military career. 
 
 It was a terrific scene, one in which a veteran might have 
 quailed ; but our youthful hero proved equal to the occasion 
 
11 
 
 and made a most triumphant defence. General Hopkins says 
 of it : " The firm and almost unparalleled defence of Fort 
 Harrison, by Capt. Z. Taylor, has raised for him a fabric of 
 character not to be increased by my eulogy." 
 
 For this gallant defence President Madison conferred on 
 him the rank of Brevet-Major. 
 
 After the close of the war in 1S15, Major Taylor was sta- 
 tioned at various important military posts in the west, and 
 we hear but little from him, beyond the sphere of his imme- 
 diate occupation, until 1832, when in the Black Hawk war, 
 he again greatly distinguished himself at the celebrated bat- 
 tle of Bad Axe. 
 
 On the death of Colonel Morgan, he was appointed Colonel 
 in the First Regiment of Infantry. 
 
 For several years he acted as Indian Agent, and by his 
 prudence and tact, gained a strong influence over the tribes, 
 who knew and always spoke of him as the Big Chief. 
 
 In 1S35, he was ordered by President Jackson to the Sem- 
 inole war in Florida, and throughout this tedious and pro- 
 tracted struggle, he fully sustained his high reputation, and 
 especially so at the battle of Okee-cho-bee, where the Indi- 
 ans, under three of their fiercest warriors, being strong in 
 numbers and advantageously posted, challenged a contest. 
 The danger to be encountered nerved him more firmly, and 
 he determined, to use his own words, " at once to indulge 
 them as far as practicable." 
 
 It was a terrible conflict. They fought hand to hand, and 
 disputed every inch of ground. The conduct of Colonel Tay- 
 lor was gallant in the extreme. He was complimented by 
 General Jessup, "as having gained a complete victory in one 
 of the best fought actions known to our history." And as a 
 further and higher compliment to the value of his services, 
 he was made Brevet-Brigadier-General. 
 
 Subsequently he took command of the frontier posts, and 
 all the energy of his inventive mind and his ripe experience 
 was devoted successfully to the promotion of peace and re- 
 conciliation. 
 
12 
 
 With his active intellect he could not be idle, and during the 
 long period he was posted on the frontier, he had time to cul- 
 tivate his mind and store it with valuable knowledge, not only 
 in what related to his profession, but also in that of a more gen- 
 eral character ; and his subsequent life has demonstrated that 
 he did so. He had acquired also a style of composition 
 singularly marked by clearness, brevity and power, and in 
 fine keeping with his whole character. Remarkable for carry- 
 ing out his words in action, he seemed to be no less so in the 
 power of transferring, in life-like resemblance and force, his 
 thoughts and actions into words ; and any attempt to add 
 ornament to his style, would be like the labor of those who 
 work in precious jewels, only bringing out more brilliantly 
 the inherent and original beauties. The temptations and 
 vices, too common to a life in camp, seem to have had no in- 
 fluence over him, and his habits were always marked by 
 correct taste, order and sobriety. 
 
 We come now to times and events familiar to many of us, 
 in which General Taylor occupies a most conspicuous place, 
 and acted a most important part. 
 
 In 1815, the republic of Texas was annexed to the United 
 States. This measure, in its inception, progress, consumma- 
 tion, and consequences to individuals, our country, and to 
 the world — as yet only in the process of developement — may 
 well be considered as among the greatest and most important 
 events in our political history. Viewed from its beginning, 
 and in its progress towards the end — which is not yet — it 
 presents points for consideration of intense interest and mo- 
 ment ; but my province and my purpose are only with the 
 individual, upon whose destinies this great measure had so 
 important a bearing. 
 
 It appears from information recently obtained,* that this 
 was a most critical and important moment in General Taylor's 
 life. After mature consideration, he had fully made up his 
 mind to retire from the service, in which he had now been 
 
 * Hon. C. W. Upham'a Eulogy. 
 
13 
 
 engaged for nearly forty years, to devote himself to agricul- 
 tural pursuits, and to spend the remainder of his days in that 
 domestic retirement, so long and so anxiously looked for both 
 by his family and himself. 
 
 He had made all the arrangements for such a change, and 
 had written his wife to this effect, when the order of the 
 Secretary of War, of May 2S, 1S45, was received. His first 
 impulse was to carry out the plan already matured, and resign 
 his commission. But here a difficulty arose in his mind as 
 to the proper course of duty — whether he ought to act with 
 reference to himself or to his country, at this peculiar junc- 
 ture both of his own and his country's affairs. This difficulty 
 was not lessened by his known and freely acknowledged po- 
 litical position, being opposed both to the annexation of Tex- 
 as, and the impending war with Mexico ; but influenced by 
 a sense of gratitude and of duty, and by a desire to promote 
 peace rather than to prolong war, he decided for his country. 
 
 It has been asked, why, if opposed to annexation and to 
 the war, General Taylor did not resign his commission 1 
 Without entering at all the field of controversy opened by 
 this question, I shall, in justice to my subject, present Gen- 
 eral Taylor's own answer, given with his characteristic brev- 
 ity and power. He says : " Upon second thoughts I re- 
 membered that for nearly forty years I had eaten the bread 
 of the country, and I felt something rise within me, forbid- 
 ding me to abandon that country, and desert her service at 
 the moment that she called me to a difficult, responsible, disa- 
 greeable and dangerous duty. I was a friend and lover of 
 peace, and it occurred to me that if the management of the 
 war were in my hands, I might have opportunity from time 
 to time to mitigate its severity, to shorten its duration, and 
 facilitate the return of peace. Considerations like these de- 
 termined my course, and I abandoned my proposed resigna- 
 tion." 
 
 This important decision involved much — and who can say 
 how much — of our nation's destiny, as well as his own. 
 Noble and generous conduct ! What a conflict and how great 
 
14 
 
 a victory ! The nation was all unconsious of this inward strug- 
 gle, and yet. how true was he to it. and to the cause of hu- 
 manity. Without the remotest thought beyond the prompt, 
 faithful and honorable performance of his professional duty, 
 and of promoting, to the extent of his power and position, 
 the cause of peace, he at once proceeded to execute the order 
 of the Secretary, and to put " the forces under his command, 
 and those which might be added to it," in a position ' : where 
 they might most favorably and effectually act in defence of 
 Texas," should it become necessary. 
 
 In the interval of time from this period in his life to 
 its closing hour, what new scenes are to open to his 
 view; what new dangers are to assail him; what daring 
 feats of heroism and military prowess he is to perform; 
 with what personal difficulties is he to struggle ; what new 
 splendors are to be added to his already brilliant military 
 renown : and what visions of yet higher glory are to dawn 
 on the future of his earthly career ! And within what a 
 narrow limit of time are all these to be accomplished ; how 
 soon will the highest of earthly distinctions be attained and 
 resigned, and that noble heart cease its throbbings forever ! 
 
 The military career of General Taylor in Mexico, from the 
 banks of the Rio Grande to its culminating point on the field 
 of Buena Vista, was one triumphant march, through difficul- 
 ties and dangers, to victories dearly bought and nobly won; 
 and in the crown of victory which every where graced the 
 conqueror's brow, the gem of humanity was most attractive. 
 
 The Mexican war came upon the country suddenly, and 
 our preparations at the moment were inadequate to the emer- 
 gency. General Taylor had much to contend with in the 
 unavoidable delays in providing him with munitions of war: 
 but he made the best of his condition, and pushed his progress 
 to the utmost limits of prudence, and always with success. 
 
 At times he was in imminent peril; and you, doubtless, 
 remember what anxiety was felt for him, and his little army, 
 when he had left Fort Brown to secure his supplies which 
 
15 
 
 were at Point Isabel. The tidings from him were threaten- 
 ing. The news of the capture of Captain Thornton's detach- 
 ment, April 24th, 1S46, had been received, and this event 
 was looked upon by some as ominous of the defeat of our 
 arms in Mexico. The battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
 Palma followed on the eighth and ninth of May. Superior 
 numbers and well-chosen positions gave decided advantages 
 to the Mexicans; the contests were severe and sanguinary; 
 but nobly did General Taylor redeem his pledge to fight 
 with whatever numbers he might be opposed, and his prom- 
 ise also to succor at all hazards, his camp at Fort Brown, 
 which was assailed with a heavy and destructive cannonade 
 during his absence. The victories of Palo Alto and Resaca 
 de la Palma, and the safety of General Taylor and his army, 
 resounded through the land with electric rapidity, and turned 
 at once the tide of affairs in favor of the American arms. 
 
 On the twentieth of September following, the celebrated 
 siege of Monterey was opened. For three days it was main- 
 tained with dreadful slaughter to both parties. Heedless of 
 the entreaties of his staff, no considerations of personal safety 
 could induce the brave General to take a retired position ; he 
 was constantly in the midst of danger, the balls whistling 
 around him, and ploughing the ground beneath his feet. 
 Many were the evidences about his person and dress after 
 the contest, demonstrating his exposure and not less his won- 
 derful preservation. 
 
 It was on this memorable occasion that his military skill and 
 bravery, conspicuous as they were, were eclipsed by the supe- 
 rior greatness of his humanity. He had the city in his power, 
 but consented to terms of capitulation which stayed the work 
 of destruction and carnage, prevented the horrors incident to 
 the sacking of a city, and clothed the conquest of arms with 
 the charm of magnanimity. He says: " The consideration 
 of humanity was present to my mind during the conference 
 which led to the convention." The puerile attempts to fix 
 upon Gen. Taylor the charge of pusillanimity, in regard to 
 this capitulation, utterly failed. He passed through the ordeal 
 
 / 
 
16 
 
 unscathed, and new laurels were added to his victory, for 
 having saved the lives of many of his own men, and those of 
 the trembling and helpless women and children of the be- 
 sieged city. 
 
 The last and the culminating event in his military career 
 was the great battle of Buena Vista. This was fought on the 
 twenty-second and twenty-third of February, 1847. When 
 all was prepared and ready for battle, General Santa Anna de- 
 manded of General Taylor an unconditional surrender. With 
 a superiority of numbers as four to one, this demand does not 
 appear so very surprising or presumptuous. The answer of 
 the American General was characteristic: "I beg leave to 
 say that I decline acceding to your request." I shall not at- 
 tempt any detailed description of this terrible contest. Night 
 came on and stayed the dreadful carnage. General Taylor, 
 with his exhausted troops, slept, the second night, on the field 
 of battle, expecting to renew the bloody combat in the morn- 
 ing. But when the sun rose again, the Mexicans were gone, 
 leaving their dead and dying to the compassion of General 
 Taylor, who did not neglect them. It is said* that upon the 
 question being raised, whether the expenses of such a service 
 would be allowed by the Government, he replied, that if Gov- 
 ernment would not pay them he would, and ordered a separate 
 account to be kept of all charges thus incurred. The battle of 
 Buena Vista is among the most signal in the history of Amer- 
 ican arms. It filled the measure of General Taylor's milita- 
 ry fame, and will forever stand in the annals of our military 
 exploits as a memorial of the skill, endurance and bravery 
 both of the American General, and of American soldiers. 
 
 From the fields of his military renown, (and this is 
 among the conspicuous results of that great political event— 
 the annexation of Texas)— the elevation of General Taylor 
 to the presidency seemed to be fixed and determined. The 
 public mind had been, unquestionably, attracted by the splen- 
 dor of his military exploits ; but, with a discernment more keen 
 
 *Upham's Eulogy. 
 
17 
 
 and penetrating, and with more ability to measure men than 
 those who aspire to power always know, or are apt to imagine, 
 the people perceived that he possessed other and nobler qual- 
 ities than those of a military character, which peculiarly 
 fitted him for the Presidency ; and especially so, when the vio- 
 lence of party spirit needed to be restrained, when the ambition 
 of the too aspiring required to be rebuked, and when great 
 force and independence of character, free from strong party 
 biases, seemed to be imperatively demanded. 
 
 It was not because General Taylor, fired by his successes, 
 desired new fields of battle to gratify a military ambition, or 
 favored an extension of the Republic by conquest, that the 
 people elected him to be their President. The reverse of all 
 this was the case. He says, " The object nearest my heart 
 has been to bring the war to a speedy termination, to restore 
 peace and amity between two neighboring Republics, which 
 had every motive to cultivate good will. My life has been 
 devoted to arms, yet I look upon war, at all times, and under 
 all circumstances, as a National calamity, to be avoided if 
 compatible with National honor. The principles of our gov- 
 ernment, as well as its true policy, are opposed to the subju- 
 gation of other nations, and the dismemberment of other 
 countries by conquest." 
 
 For sentiments like these, in combination with the great- 
 ness of his powers, and the mild excellencies of his charac- 
 ter, as exhibited in his military career, and throughout his 
 whole life, he became " so much endeared to the people of 
 the United States, and had inspired them with so much, and 
 with so high a degree of regard and confidence, that without 
 solicitation or application — without pursuing any devious 
 paths of policy, or turning a hair's breadth to the right or 
 the left from the path of duty — a great and powerful and 
 generous people saw fit by popular vote and voice, to confer 
 upon him the highest civil authority in the nation." 
 
 The election of 184S resulted in the choice of Zachary 
 Taylor as President by a decided majority ; on the fourth of 
 
18 
 
 March, IS 19, he received the civic crown, and before a multi- 
 tude greater than was ever before assembled at Washington, 
 pronounced his Inaugural Address. 
 
 Behold now the boy of the " Dark and Bloody Ground," 
 who, by an unseen protecting hand had been literally led on, 
 during a period of forty years, through dark and bloody 
 grounds, occupying the highest place in this great Republic, 
 and chief over a people numbering twenty millions. 
 
 The brief Inaugural of President Taylor is a clear and 
 satisfactory exposition of the principles which would govern 
 him; is replete with sentiments of gratitude to the people, of 
 devotion to the Constitution and the Union; and exhibits a just 
 appreciation of the responsibilities of his high office, and a 
 due regard for the interests of the whole people. His first 
 message to Congress was presented on the twenty-fourth of 
 December, 1849. As a state paper it is lucid and concise in 
 its exposition of the affairs of the country, both foreign and 
 domestic, and entirely satisfactory to his political friends, 
 both as to principles and policy ; and while they find in it 
 nothing to condemn, but every thing to approve, it is believed 
 that his political opponents see but little, if indeed anything, 
 to call forth their animadversions. It has received high en- 
 comiums both at home and abroad, and will take its place in 
 our political archives as a high memorial of the wisdom, in- 
 tegrity and patriotism of its illustrious author. 
 
 During his brief administration, much transpired to call 
 into exercise his wisdom, prudence, firmness and patriot- 
 ism. Among many other instances, we may refer to 
 his prompt, energetic and successful course in reference to 
 the interruption of diplomatic intercourse with France ; his 
 no less prompt and successful interference to prevent, in the 
 affairs of Germany, a violation of our neutral obligations in- 
 curred by the Treaty with Denmark ; the preservation of 
 friendly relations with Spain, by his prompt, and decided 
 measures to arrest the progress of the expedition against 
 Cuba— measures, not of form alone, but of substance, and 
 
19 
 
 carried out into effectual action ; the vindication of the hon- 
 or of the nation in the restoration of the abducted Rey ; his 
 preparation to welcome unfortunate Hungary into the family 
 of nations, had she been successful in establishing such a 
 government as could have been recognized ; his clear and 
 firm course in favor of the admission of California, with her 
 free constitution ; his desire to avoid the dangerous conse- 
 quences that would follow the agitation of the terrible ques- 
 tion of Slavery, as evinced in his policy in regard to the re- 
 maining Mexican territories, New Mexico and Utah ; his 
 ready sympathy and desire to act, to the full extent of 
 his constitutional power, in that case of melancholy in- 
 terest, the missing Sir John Franklin, and his associates ; 
 and more recently, his firm position in reference to that 
 threatening question — the boundaries of Texas — as exhibited 
 in his Message on that subject, which has been characterized 
 by one of the leading minds of the Senate* as the " law and 
 the prophets, brief and simple, but true and wise, which will 
 stand as a monument to his memory — a monument to his 
 judgment to see the right, and to his firmness in maintaining 
 it. It was his last message, and the symbol of his character, 
 brief, plain, honest, wise, firm and to the point, and will re- 
 main in the memory of his country longer than graven words 
 can remain upon stone or brass." And, added to these, were 
 the negotiation and ratification of several important Treaties ; 
 especially, that most important of all, the signing of which, 
 on the 5th of July, is said to have been his last official act, 
 and which may be viewed as the crowning act of his great 
 mission, the convention concluded between the United States 
 and Great Britain, for facilitating and protecting the con- 
 struction of a ship canal between the Atlantic and Pacific 
 oceans, containing new features and important provisions 
 which mark its conclusion as an era in the history of inter- 
 national compacts, and as a signal step towards the grand con- 
 summation of universal brotherhood and peace. These 
 measures, with many others, have all been accomplished in 
 
 * Hon. T. IT. Benton. 
 
20 
 
 a period of but little more than one year, and this the first 
 year of his administration. What a presage did these pre- 
 sent of a patriotic, successful and brilliant civil career ! 
 
 In reviewing the life and character of General Taylor, we 
 find that he possessed noble qualities both of mind and heart, 
 and that he enjoyed, in an extraordinary degree, the respect 
 and regard of the American people. Most eminently did he 
 possess that peculiar quality — so valuable to a public man — 
 the power to inspire confidence. 
 
 In studying the secret of his great power and influence, it 
 is, I think, to be found in his strong natural powers of intel- 
 lect, developed, directed and matured by extraordinary cir- 
 cumstances of time and place, and controlled and adorned 
 by great purity of heart, and unsuspected honesty of pur- 
 pose. He was a great man without parade ; a good man 
 without ostentation ; a man of service towards his fellow- 
 men without that calculation of reward which stamps at 
 once every action with the character of selfishness. Highly 
 endowed with the spirit of Liberty, and nurtured in its prin- 
 ciples; surrounded from early life by all that was grand and 
 imposing in natural scenery to excite his wonder and admi- 
 ration, and by all that could arouse his energies through 
 hopes and through fears ; always with the people in sympa- 
 thies and in actions; he grew with their growth and strength- 
 ened with their strength. With no adventitious aids of birth 
 or fortune, placing him, in his own estimation, above the lev- 
 el of those around him, the rugged necessities of his early 
 life constantly exercising his inventive powers, no time was 
 allowed, nor opportunities presented to him to cultivate the 
 graces of polished life and manners. 
 
 Designed for the hard and sturdy service of life, his prep- 
 aration was approriate, and he grew up strong and manly, 
 and fully fitted for his mission. Like the stately and majes- 
 tic oak of his familiar forests — its roots deep — its trunk 
 strong — its boughs waving in natural gracefulness — he was 
 prepared with forces to meet and to withstand the blasts of 
 
21 
 
 mighty tempests; and when the storm had passed, to recipro- 
 cate all the beautiful charities of life in natural simplicity 
 and heartiness. 
 
 General Taylor must have possessed also, the power of 
 genius, not merely in the general sense of the term, but of 
 genius for his profession, as a military man. 
 
 A single victory may be gained by chance, and is no pos- 
 itive evidence of greatness ; but when through a long mili- 
 tary career, we meet with successive displays of skill ; a con- 
 stant surmounting of difficulties; the movements of the enemy 
 anticipated and counteracted ; the sudden reverses of battle 
 retrieved by new movements as sudden ; when the power of 
 invention, that striking characteristic of genius, is severely 
 tasked and found equal to all emergencies ; when not a sin- 
 gle victory, but a series of victories are achieved against a 
 superior force, and in spite of unfavorable position ; there is 
 exhibited the clear and positive evidence of great military 
 genius. 
 
 He seems to have been distinguished, also, by great quick- 
 ness of thought, and to have comprehended in a glance what 
 most men have to acquire by study. Hence he was not al- 
 ways bound by rules, and without undervaluing, he knew 
 when and how to disregard them, and to carve out his own way 
 to success. It was said by him who now occupies the chair 
 of the Senate,* in his eloquent remarks on the deceased Pre- 
 sident, that '-'the gallantry of that man was not only appre- 
 ciated by his countrymen, but was felt and appreciated by 
 the first military men of Europe." The living hero of the 
 age, the great Duke of Wellington, declared, as Napoleon had 
 declared of him on a certain occasion, "General Taylor is a 
 General, indeed." 
 
 But beyond the attractions of a military hero, we have 
 seen that there were traits of character possessed by General 
 Taylor yet more active and ennobling, drawing the common 
 heart towards him by the strong ties of a common humanity. 
 He was honest, frank, kind, affable, modest ; always faithful 
 * Hon. Wm. R. King. 
 
22 
 
 to his friends, and kind to his enemies ; while the unspotted 
 purity of his private life threw a charm over his whole char- 
 acter that will forever embalm his memory in the affections 
 of those who can appreciate real goodness and true greatness. 
 
 "It was my fortune," says the Senator just quoted, "to 
 have been personally and intimately acquainted with General 
 Taylor for more than five and-twenty years past. My rela- 
 tions with him were of such a character as enabled me to 
 form, I think, a correct estimate of the man, and to appreci- 
 ate, as I did most highly, his many estimable qualities ; and 
 I can say that, in all the relations of life, he so bore himself 
 as to command the respect of his acquaintances, the ardent 
 regard of his friends, and the devoted attachment of his coun- 
 trymen. As a man, he was surpassed by no one in honesty of 
 purpose. He was without guile." 
 
 Although the conflicts with the mother country had pas- 
 ed, and peace with her had been restored, a great work re- 
 mained to be performed ; and the conducting of the nation 
 safely through the ardent youth of its Independence — through 
 all the dangers incident to the first possession of freedom, as 
 exhibited by individuals and states, and the concentrating all 
 the jarring elements of political life, now in active commo- 
 tion, into one harmonious Union, were a work hardly infe- 
 rior, either in its importance or its difficulties, to the accom- 
 plishment of that Independence. This was the labor of the 
 time when he first began to observe what was going on 
 around him. His dawning life opened upon these scenes and 
 conflicts, and his susceptible heart received their full im- 
 press. The first warm gushings of the spirit of Freedom 
 were every where around him, with the wild grandeur of the 
 unsubdued forests, and the yet wilder scenes of savage life. 
 All these influences were calculated to promote a strong 
 growth j strong men were needed, and strong men were rear- 
 ed ; men who could perform the rough work of life, and 
 were ready to perform it ; men who would not faint under 
 the severe toils of the emigrant's life ; who would not quail 
 
23 
 
 at the sound or the sight of the savage foe. Of such a class 
 of men, and of such firm growth, was Zachary Taylor- 
 from his cradle to his grave an American. No sectional pre- 
 judice, no party bias ever detracted from his true American- 
 ism. He was born for his country, and through his whole 
 life he lived and acted for that country; and in the hour of 
 his death he sealed his devotion to the great bond of our 
 Union in those memorable words — "Apply the Constitution 
 to every difficult question." And as his mind reverted to his 
 recent visit to the monument now being erected to Washing- 
 ton, how patriotic are his feelings ! and how eloquent are his 
 words ! " Let it rise, (he said,) let it ascend without inter- 
 ruption ; let it point to the skies ; let it stand forever as a 
 lasting monument of the gratitude and affection of a free 
 people to the Father of his Country." 
 
 His name has been coupled with that of Washington. 
 There is, doubtless, a resemblance between them in many 
 points of character. The elements of all true greatness are 
 the same in all ; but there were some peculiar and striking 
 points of likeness which it would be pleasant to follow out, 
 if time would permit. We would not, however, let our pre- 
 sent warm feelings of admiration lead us into any excess of 
 eulogy. Washington lived through not only a high military 
 career, but also through a higher civil career, and triumphed 
 in both. His times, his services, and his triumphs were pe- 
 culiar, and the name of Washington stands alone. General 
 Taylor occupies an exalted place among the famed ; he was 
 raised up for a great work, and nobly has he performed it. 
 His military career is signalized by great deeds, and tarnish- 
 ed by no base acts ; and his military fame will always occu- 
 py a high place in our military annals. An appreciating, gen- 
 erous and confiding people bestowed upon him the honor of 
 the civic crown. He has borne his honors meekly, but brief- 
 ly has he been permitted to wear them. The responsibilities 
 of his station were multiplying; its dangers threatening; 
 black and ominous clouds were gathering in the political 
 
24 
 
 horizon. In this impending storm, all eyes were turned to- 
 wards him. Will he he found equal to this trial ? Will he 
 stand, as he always before has stood, firm, and breast its 
 fury? To these questions no response will ever come. Prov- 
 idence has interposed. We know not what the future would 
 have disclosed, had he been permitted to live. But we can 
 say that the general sentiment of the people is something 
 more than hope, or faith ; it is that of strong confidence, ris- 
 ing to assurance, that he would have proved equal to all 
 perils. His whole life forms the strong basis of this confi- 
 dence, and it was universal and unwavering. But he is 
 spared the trial. Death approaches him. Proximity to death 
 is no new position for him to occupy, but thus far an unseen 
 hand has protected him. Now he sees the fatal arrow ap- 
 proaching with unerring aim, but no averting hand ; he ex- 
 pects the summons soon ; it comes ; he meets this last enemy, 
 not as always before, to conquer, but to yield ; and, regret- 
 ting only that he must now "leave his wounded behind 
 him," he peacefully resigns his great life, at the very opening 
 of his civil career, and is borne away to the rest of the grave, 
 and as we trust, to the happiness of Heaven. 
 
 And who can say that his career on earth was not closed 
 at the most auspicious moment for his fame in all his remark- 
 able life. "For his country he may have died too soon," but 
 for himself what a glorious departure ! How much affection 
 and love gathered around his death-bed ; what gratitude for 
 his services and veneration for his memory pervaded this 
 whole people ; to his military fame nothing to be added, and 
 from his civil administration everything to be hoped and 
 believed. 
 
 President Taylor has fulfilled his great mission on earth, 
 and has been called to a higher sphere of duty and joy. An 
 admiring people will forever cherish his memory in fond and 
 grateful recollection. He has left us, and we mourn his loss ; 
 but he has not left us or our country alone. God is the Su- 
 preme Ruler, and abideth forever; and to His dispensa- 
 
25 
 
 tions we would submissively bow in faith that He doeth all 
 things right. Let us then, in this hour of gloom, have faith 
 in God, confidence in our fellow-men, and hope for our 
 country. 
 
 What an imposing spectacle does our country now present. 
 The darkness of death in its highest place overshadows us, 
 but the Temple of Liberty remains unshaken, the peace of 
 our country unbroken, our admirable system of Government 
 neither destroyed nor deranged. This event brings with it 
 no convulsions to disturb us ; no revolutions to threaten us >' 
 we are afflicted, but not cast down; we are in tears, but not 
 in despair. 
 
 The way of duty is open and clear before us ; and as we 
 pass on in the course of our great destiny as a nation, enriched 
 by the precious memories of the past, and filled with new 
 strength by the recollection of its noble actors, let each of 
 us so live, that when our missions, however humble, shall 
 have been accomplished, we may pass away in peace, leav- 
 ing among those with whom our lot has been cast, some 
 pleasant memorial of a useful life, and be found worthy to 
 join the company of the faithful who have preceded us. 
 
 The harness of office, laid off by the lamented dead, has 
 been buckled on by the honored living. There are wisdom 
 and power, fidelity and patrotism left in our land. The pre- 
 cious heritage received from our fathers will be preserved, 
 and transmitted to our children. 
 
 And under the smiles of that kind Providence which es- 
 tablished, and has thus far protected us, we will hope, and 
 believe, and labor, that our beloved Republic may abide in 
 union and strength, and be safely conducted, through all the 
 perils that may threaten it, to the full accomplishment of its 
 glorious mission of Freedom and of Peace. 
 4 
 
ORDER OF PROCESSION, 
 
 AND 
 
 SERVICES AT THE WINTHROP CHURCH, 
 
 ORDER OF PROCESSION. 
 
 Boston Brigade Band. 
 
 Military Escort. 
 
 Charlestown Artillery, Captain Jonathan Bartlett. 
 
 FIRST DIVISION. 
 
 Aid. City Marshal. Aid. 
 
 Marshal. Mayor, Marshal. 
 
 Orator and Chaplain. 
 
 Aldermen and City Clerk and Messenger. 
 
 Marshal. President of Common Council. Marshal. 
 
 Members of the Common Council, Clerk and Messenger. 
 
 Gentlemen invited from other places, and conductors of the 
 
 Public Press. 
 
 Clergymen of the City. 
 
 City Treasurer and Assessors. 
 
 Overseers of the Poor. 
 
 School Committee. 
 
 Past Officers and Members of the City Council. 
 
 Teachers of the City Schools. 
 
 Other City and Ward Officers. 
 
 Members of the General Court. 
 
 Former Selectmen. 
 
27 
 
 SECOND DIVISION. 
 
 Marshal. Marshal. 
 
 Navy Yard Band. 
 
 Marine Corps, Captain English. 
 
 Officers of the Navy. 
 
 Officers of the Army. 
 
 Postmaster of Charlestown. 
 
 Other United States Officers belonging to this city. 
 
 Master Mechanics and others connected with the Navy Yard. 
 
 THIRD DIVISION. 
 
 Marshal. Marshal. 
 
 Board of Engineers. 
 
 Officers and Members of the Fire Department. 
 
 FOURTH DIVISION. 
 
 Marshal. Marshal. 
 
 Bunker-Hill Encampment, No. 5. 
 
 Other Lodges and Associations. 
 
 Sons of Temperance. 
 
 FIFTH DIVISION. 
 
 Marshal. Citizens. Marshal. 
 
 The Procession was formed at three o'clock, P. M.. and 
 moved from the City Hall up Main Street, to its junction 
 with Harvard and Bow Streets ; thence countermarched to 
 the City Square, round the Square, up Harvard to Arrow 
 Street, thence through Arrow, Washington, Union and Main 
 Streets, to the Winthrop Church. 
 
 ORDER OF SERVICES AT THE WINTHROP CHURCH, 
 
 I.— Dirge on the Organ, and chant by the Choir* from the 
 90th Psalm— <• Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in 
 all generations," &c. 
 
 II.— Selections from the Scriptures, read by the Rev. P. H. 
 Greenleaf. 
 
 III.— Prayer, by the Rev. P. H. Greenleaf. 
 
 **«r he S ™ g ~ g was h y the Choir of the Winthrop Church, under the direction 
 ot Wm. M. Burns, Organist of the Winthrop Church. 
 
28 
 IV.— Original Hymn, by Hon. George Lunt:— 
 
 Rest, wearied soldier, rest, — thy work is done; 
 Thy last great battle fought, thy victory won, 
 And where thy country's genius vigil keeps 
 Around thine honored grave, a nation weeps. 
 
 Not in the tumult of the swelling fight 
 On thy long day came down the peaceful night, 
 But mid thy country's annals, that proclaim 
 Thy worth, thy valor and thine honest fame. 
 
 Rest, patriot-hero, rest, the war of life 
 No more shall vex thee with its fevered strife, 
 Nor mortal care, nor pomp of earthly state, 
 Weigh down thy soul, — the toil of being great ! 
 
 All human things are vain, the mightiest power 
 Fades like a shadow, withers in an hour ; 
 Our proudest hopes decay, our surest trust 
 Dissolves and dies, and we ourselves are dust. 
 
 And while thy name floats down time's rolling stream. 
 The soldier's glory and the sages theme, 
 Taught by thy fate, let this the nations own, 
 That God on high is great, and God alone ! 
 
 V. — Eulogy, by the Hon. Benjamin Thompson 
 VI. — The 90th Psalm, second part. 
 
 O GOD, our help in ages past, 
 
 Our hope for years to come ; 
 Our shelter from the stormy blast, 
 
 And our eternal home ; — 
 
 Beneath the shadow of thy throne, 
 
 Thy saints have dwelt secure ; 
 Sufficient is thine arm alone, 
 
 And our defence is sure. 
 
 Before the hills in order stood, 
 
 Or earth received her frame, 
 From everlasting thou art God, 
 
 To endless years the same. 
 
 Thy word commands our flesh to dust, 
 
 " Return, ye sons of men ; " 
 All nations rose from earth at first, 
 
 And turn to earth again. 
 
 O God, our help in ages past, 
 
 Our hope for years to come. 
 Be thou our guard, while troubles last, 
 
 And our eternal home. 
 
 VII. — Benediction. 
 
 After the exercises at theWinthrop Church, the procession 
 was formed again in the same order, and proceeded directly 
 to the City Hall, where it was dismissed. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 011 898 073 6 %