Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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(ADemtocratic 3munaln, 'Devo~it to dje SouIy anbI~ Soutljeru ajig)ts, polities, Cattet flens, Cit erature, fNorl~vit, ~emperanee, arieutuire, &et "We will cling to the Pillars of the Temple of our Liberties, and if It must fall, we will Perish amidst the Ruin. SIMKINS, DURISOE & CO., Proprietors.. EDGEFIELD, S. C. FEB UARY 11, 857. VOL. - - DEATH OF RON. P. S. BROOKS. TIIRTT-FOIRJTH CONGRESS. IN SENATE. WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 1857. Mr. RvsK observed that, in view of the sol emn ceremonies in which they were about to en gage, it would not, perhaps, be delicate to pro ceed to the consideratlon of legislative business, and he would therefore move that the Chair be vacated until a communication was received from the other House. This suggestion met with unanimous response. The PRESIDENT of the Senate (Mr. .N ASoN) announced that the Chair would be considered vacant until the communication was received from the House. At about half past 12 a message was received from the House of Representatives announcing the death of Mr. Baooss and the proceedings had thereon; when Mr. EvANs, of South Carolina, addressed the Senate as follows: The relation in which I stand to the deceased seems to require that I should say something on this melancholy occasionl. I have known him for many years ; and the more that I have known and the more that I have seen of him the higher has he risen in my regard, and the deeper, the deeper is the distress and affliction which I feel for his early death. Mr. President, I would that this tribute to his memory could be paid by my worthy colleague, who could do it so much better than I can hope to do. But his grief for the loss of a dear friend and rela tive is too overwhelming to allow him to give utterance to his feelings on this sad evient. When those who have lived out their time are gathered to their fathers, it is an event in the history of man which makes but little im pression; but when a man, in the prime of life, in the midst of his hopes, is suddenly cut down, surrounded by all the endearments of domestic life, with the prospect of great public utility be fore him, it is an event which strikes deep into the human heart. It teaches us painfully the uncertainty of human life, which has been aptly compared to the grass of the field, which shoots forth and flourishes to-day, but to morrow is cut down and withers in the evening sun. Sir, my sympathy is painfully excited. My heart bleeds when I think of the maddening grief, the desolation of all the cherished hopes of the future, which the news of his death will carry to his widow-mother, his devoted wife, and his little children. All that we can do is to mingle our grief with theirs, and testify our respect for the many noble qualities of the de ceased son, husband and father, and patriot. Time, it has been said, will wear out the tracts of the deepest sorrow. God grant it may be so with them. PRESTON S. BROOKS was descended from a stock which did good service in the trying times of the Revolutionary war. His father, Whit field Brooks, was a man of science, of hberal education, and polished manners. His mother, who is still alive, is-one of the most estimable ladies within the-circle ot my acquaintance. .. Their son, Preston S. Brooks, was born in 1819, and was a little over thirty-seven at the time of his death. lie received -a liberal edu cation at the South Carolina College, and was admitted to the practice of law in 1843. In 1846 a call was made for volunteers for the Mexican war. In his native district of Edge field he maised a company of one hundre'd men, of which he.was unanimously elected captain. He was mustered into the service of the United States and marched to Mexico, where the Pal netto regiment, of which his company was a part, was distinguished throughout the war for its bravery, and for all those qualities which en noble and dignify the soldier's life. When the war was ended he return to his na tive district and devoted himself to the planting interest. By the introduction of that order and system which is best learned in the discipline of the camp, he became a successful planter. Colonel Brooks was elected in 18>3, on Mr. Burt's declining a re-election, to the Ihouse of Representatives for the Thirty-third Congress, by a constituency who had never been otherwise represented than by a man of note among his fellows. Among these may be named Rt. Good loe Harper, John C. Calhoun, and George Mc D)uffie. I select these as most distinguished, without mention of others who in their day bore a high reputation for usefulness and states manship. The man who succeeded such men had an ardous duty to perform to fulfil the expectations of those who sent him. In the dischiarge of the duties of his station he was miodest amid unob trusive ; yet, when the occasion required, lhe spoke his sentiments wvith eloquence, openness, candor, and sincerity, which wvon him the res pect of all, even of those who were not con vinced by his argument. The manliness of his character, the urbanity of'his manners, that true politeness which is the offspring of benev olence, had made him a general favorite, and many warm personial friends even among his po litical opponent5 at a time of unusual party bit terness. But I will say no more. Other Senators, I presume, desigui to pay their tribute of respect to the memory of the deceased. Nothing which we can do can restore him to his family, his friends, and his country. We must bow in sub inissioni to the will of our Almighty Father, who, we are taught to believe, does not aflict Ihis children in vain. I beg heave, .in conichusion, to offer the follow ing resolutions: Resolved, That the Senate has received with deep sensibility the imessamge from the Hlouse of' Rep~resenitatives announcing the death of the lion. P'reston S. Br-ooks, a Rtepresenitative from the State of South Carolina. Resolved, That, in tokeni of respect for the memory of the deceased, the Senate will at tend his funeral at thme hour appointed by the Ihouse of Representatives, and will wear the usual badge of mourning for~ thirty days. Mr. IIUNTER, of, Virginia, said : I rise to se cond, with all my heart, the resolutions which the Senator fromn South Carolina has offered as a token of respect to his deceased colleamguc, whose character anid high qualities lie has por trayed with so umuch of truth and fe~elinmg. As we gather around the grave of a departed broth er, not only is friendship eager to present the tribute of its affection, but eveni eniity, if it be the enmity of a generous mind, is ready to bury with hiim its bitter recollectionis and aiiniosities as an offering to the comnman brother-hood of humainity. Who of us does inot feel that when onie has "paid the last debt of nature lie has set tid his accounts with man ? Who, too, could stanid by thme last resting place of a fellow-being, and deepeni its gloom by casting upon it the darker shadows of his mortal hate ? hlere, sir, at thme threshold, as it were, of t hese portals through which the spirit of a brother has just pissed fromi time to eteriiity, we bury the rec ollections of the past in our contemplations of the future, whlose dark curtain hides from our eager scrutiny the way whiichm we ourselves so soon must tread. it is upon such an occasioni as this, and in contemplation of suchi a journey, that wve would divest ourselves of all those feel ings which might prove evil companions by the way. Mr. President, Preston S. Brooks has gone to his log home, where no human voice can reach him. Detraction has no shaft that can touch him now, nor can even flattery's vcice " soothe the dull cold ear of death." Life's fit ful fever is o'er. Its passions lie hushed and still in slumbers long and deep, nor can the storms of this world, or its cares, or its sorrows, ever disturb them again. May a kindly spirit watch over and preserve the quiet of his deep repose; for his must have been a kindly spirit to have drawn to him, as with links of steel, so large a circle of affectionate friends. His love of his dependants, the devotion of*his family, and the warm attachment of his friends, are ev idences of his high and generous qualities and of his genial and attractive nature. Ie has served his country in war and in peace, and in all capacities he has won and retained the con fidence of his constituents. But, Mr. President, it is not my purpose to deal in the language of mere idle eulogy. Every human life is a history. The events of his have been told by another. Let that history speak for itself. Still less do I mean to intrude upon the sacred privacy of domestic grief. Alas, sir, what consolation could any man (ier to a bereaved mother, who survives to mourn a much-loved son, buried in an untimely grave? or to the wife, upon whom the unexpected message fell from the telegraph wires as a thunderbolt from Heaven? or to those children, somae of whom may be old enough to understand and appreci ate their loss ? He alone who dealt the blow can heal the wound. Nor do I intend to pursue the dead with vain regrets. It is true that death's blow is most startling when it strikes down the young in the flash and prime of manhood and in mid career. We feel as if the book of life had been closed whilst half its tale was yet untold. The order of nature appears to be reversed when those who, inl its usual course, ought to have led the war, follow him to the tomnh. It has been said that in the death of the young life's year is rob bed of- its spring. And yet, sir, had that year rolled on, who can say how weary might have been its summer, or how much sadder still its autun and its close'7 Who knows that such might not have been the case in which 4 The wiser mind Mourns less for what Time takes away Than what it leaves behind ?" We may estimate. in part at least, what is lost by the death of a friend; but none camn tell what is saved to himself unless lie can read the secrets of human destiny, whose book is sealed and put away from our view. But, whilst I will not presume to question the purposes of Providence, the heart may find relief in performing the last offices of friendship, and we may feel that to respect the dead is to honor humanity itself. We, too, may gather front the thrilling event which has occured in our midst, some lesson of useful instruction to ourselves. We may be thus admonished of the slender thread by which we hold to life-so slender that even the winds of heaven may snap it should they visit it too roughly. We may lie more impressed, too, with the necessity of turning to the best account those. golden op portunities which are-measured.by-the wasting sands of life-sands which cannot be many, and may be very few, according to the will of Himi whose purposes are unknown to us. I commend, then, that custom of the Senate, honored alike by time and experience, by which, upon such occasions as this, it suspends its usual business to afford a season to its nembers in which they may turn aside fromi their daily pursuits, their wOdly schemes and machinations, to pause bi the grave of a brother and take to heart the sad lesson of mortality which his 'eath may teach us. Happier it will be for us all should we return front such contemplations with a kindlier spirit to each other and a deeper sense Of the duties which we owe to the great broth erhood of humanity, and to Hiim who rules the issues of tur destiny. Mr. Toonyrs, of Georgia, said: Mr,. President, in this allicting diispensation of Divine Provi dence we are reminded " what shadows are, and what shadows we pursue." Deatht has conic in our midst and claimed a victim. The victimi was not selected fronm those who, after a long career of usefuliiess and honor, after drinking life's cup to the dregs, in the course of a kindly nature, are ripened for the grave: here death in the midst of its griefs is not without its con solations. Nor was he selected from those who had beeni warned by disease, pain, and long suf fering, and shattered constitutionis, of the ap proach of the great enemy of miankipd: here, too. lie is of ten disarmied, and inflicts no pang upon the dying, except in the tempered sorrows of surviving friends. Nor yet, front those who, having passed life's meridian withi firm and tun fltering step, and undiminished faculties, are still treading the downward road to the grave. But it ha~s gathered nmanhiood in its early vigor, alost lingering in the lap of youth. IHere he is truly the King of Terrors, strewing his pathi way. with mnourings, which will not be coin forted, with blasted hopas, with broken hearts. It is ntot for tie to enter thc hallowed pre cincts of domestic grief, not etin at this mo ment, devoted to the menmory and frienid of the dead. It is not itn the endearing relations of domestic life, over which our friend cast joy and gladness, that I feel privileged to enter. in hint imany of us have lost a friend, the country a patriot statesmtan-a pa~triOt havitng high he reditary claims upoti the gratitude of that cntry, dloubly fortified by his own too brief yet faithiful service to her, both itn her legisla tive balls and oii her battle fields. It is as the true tman, the patriot statesimn, that 1 would contemplate him. As a mian, lie possessed those high qualities of head andi heart which surely wiim and keep confidetnce,cesteent and friendship. Truth, sincerityr, kitndntess, courage and courtesy, wereu stamitped 'upont his moral nature. Though quick to) resent an insult, he was genieronis, kind, and even genitle in his nature; anid iL gave himt more pleasure to repair a wrong done by him el than to right onte inflicted oni himt by anothi e. Ile wais (distiniguished by vigor amid spright liiess of intellect, which was cultivated, strength etned tad adorned, by large educational attain mets. At an early age lie entered the legal proafes skin, where hiis protmisitng success was sootn ii terrupted byv a call fronm his counttry to thte battle fields of Me~xico. A cnaptaini in thme Palnetto regitent, it is suticeietnt tier his fihme to sayv that he shared ina the pecrils and honors of that dis tinuished corps. H1aving returned from Mexi cut, he resumed thle pursuits of~ piv~ate life, but was sootn cialel bythe people ofi the Nimety-six hisrict to represetut thtemt in thec Coingress of thme Untited States. It was the hiome of htimtself amid of his ancestor4, and the fathiers of thtose who called hint into their service had served shoulder to shoulder with those anmcesto~rs ini our Revoin tionry srugge, ad had given onte of thiemt the sameevidnceof their eonlidencee and regar~d. Co this district, with its miany oilier historic chias to distinictiona, besidcs the other true pa. triots and stattestment whom it hadl givent to thec public counicils, both livinig and dead. the country is indebted for those distinigutished stat esmen aad patriots, Harper, Calhotun, atnd Mclilhie, now ito gaore, but who arc already entrolled atog those " few immitortal ntames that were not born to die." Mr. Birooks caime amotng tis in troublesome ties. The getnius of discord brooded over our National Couiicils. Sectional strife had driven co..or and fraternity from our legislative halls and reigned supreme. States, statesmen, and principles, loved, honored, and revered, garn ered up in the heart of hearts of one portion of' the people, were objects of the bitterest vitupera tion and invective by the representatives of another. Entering Congress in this crisis, he threw himself into the conflict with characteris tic decision and firmness, on the side of duty, of his convictions, of his country, and with distin guished ability and eloquence sustained the rights and honor of that constituency who had so ma iny claims upon his affectionate devotion. He retained, what he justly merited, the undi minished confidence of his constituents, who had returned him with singular unanimity to the next Congress and but few men of his years gave better promise of a long and useful and honora ble career. But the fiat of an overruling Provi dence is issued, and he is numbered with the early dead, leaving to friendship to mitigate its sorrows with the pleasant memory of his many virtues, and tihe yet sterner consolation that it may truthfully write upon his tomb, "This was a man." The resolutions were unanimously ado pted. The Senate then proceeded to the House of Representatives to attend the funeral services, and having returned to the Senate chamber, On niotiou of Mr. Toombs, the Senate ad journed. HOUSE OF REPRESETATIVES. Rev. DANIL WALDO, chaplain to the House, offered an appropriate prayer, when the Journal of yesterday w-as read. Mr. K-rr, of South Carolina, then rose and addressed the House as follows: Mr. Speaker, it is my mournful duty to offi cially announce to the House the death of the Hon. Preston S. Brooks, one of its members from the State of South Carolina. Mr. Brooks died at his residence, in this city, on Tuesday evening, the 27th instant, at 7 o'clock. His disease was acute inflammation of the throat; and so swiftly fatal was it, that not even his niedical advisers believed him to be in danger, until within the briefest possible period before his decease. Science availed not; skill availed not ; delicate, assiduous attentions avail ed not. Yonder vacant seat, badges of mnour ning, and sorrowing friends, attest that he is gone from among us. Mr. Brooks was born in Edgefield .district, South Carolina, in August, 1819. His father was Whitfield Brooks, a son of Z. S. Brooks, who had gone through the sufelbrings, and gath ered some of the honors, of our Revolutionary struggle. His mother was Mary P. Carroll. le was educated at the South Carolina Col lege, which he left in 1839, receiving one of its distinctions. In May, 1843, he was admitted to its ba-, and in November, 1841, was elected to the General Assembly of the State. In 1846, when troops were called for by the Fed cral Government to repel the invasion of Mexico upon our soil, his native district (Edgefield) furnished a company to the Palnetto regient, of which he was untanimously elected captain, and was mustered into the service in December of that ear. Ie shared the earlier and later event th' canipaign bdtween Vera Cruz and the city of Mexico, having in the mean time been recalled home by a sever3 and exhausting attack of illness. After the close of the war be withdrew from the bar, and devoted himself diligently to the pursuits of agriculture. As a planter he was eminenthy successful. While engaged on his plantation. Mr. Burt, the then Representative of the "Ninety-six district,'' voluntarily retired from the trust, and Mr. Brooks was elected his successor in February, 1853. Ile cane here the Repr.-entative of a proud and gallaimt constit uency- constituency whose histury had been illustrated by the virtues, the statesmnanship, and the eloquence of Robert Goodloe Ifarlier, John C. Calhoun, and Geo. Ml)afic. I will not speak of his services here. In the archives of the country are the monuments of his reputation; in the hearts of those who servedl wuith him upon this -floor, are the testi monies to his chatineter. In facy, Mi-. Brooks was chaste, and in judgmenit solid and discrinminating ; in dictioni he was simple, and ini taste refinted. No in direction tuarked him either mentally or mor ally. In his bceaing hie was mnaitly, and in inter course generous ; in dispute he was sinacere, atid in friendship tenacious. Failings hte had. for they are the allotnmetnt of humanity; but long may the country mourn ere it mourn a better patriot or a ubler spirit. Mr. Speaker, had he tidlen in the evening of life, oir had hte even suitk down under the gradu a inroads of disease, I could have realized his extinction in deatht. But for his sun to set while in its noonday blaze, it is htard to feel that it will rise no mor-e. For- year-s we have been on tertms of exteme intimacy, and lie is still to mec a presence. Even now the living mal, ina thme glory of his intellect and manhood, and the dead man in his dreary shroud, strug gle for the mastery. Alas! thme struggle can be but a brief one; for death has its victims, and, though its stings may be taken away, on earth it has 110 conqueror. Sharp, howvever, as may be our pangs, sharper far will be the panags in yonder sheltered home. .There a strickeni wife andl four orphatin children will b~e smitten with the awful tidings to-day announced. Within the sanctities of that homie I will not intrudle, but I supplicate Hleavenm for ban to their crushed and bleeding hearts. Ailr. Speaker, let there be reverence to the menory and pecace to thme ashes of the dead, ad let us tmingle our tributes with the funeral ofe~rings wrhich others will pour around his rave. A confiding constituency- will sob over it, and a State which hontored haim will be choked wvitht sorrow, for earth hams nievet lpilfowved upon her bosom au truer son, nor Heaven opened wide its gates to receivO a nmanlieir spirit. Ini conclusion, Mr. KEirr submit ted the fol lowiigresolutons: lesolved, That this Honse htas received wvitht deep sensibility thme announcement of the death of the Hion. Preston S. Brooks, a member of this Ho(use from the State of South Carolina. Riesolved, That this House tender to the faily of the deceased the expression of its .ympathay on this affecting event ; and, as a tLstimony of respect for htis memory, the mcm ets anid officers of this House will wear the usual badge of nmurnitng for thirty days. lesolved, Thaimt thme Senate be invited to at tend thme ftineral of the deceased this day, at oneC ('clock, P. M. Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be directed to communicate a copy of these pro ceedings to the family of thme deceased. Mr. QeITMA s, of Mississippi, said: I cantnot permit this sad occasion to pass without adding a few words to the eloquent, just, and appro priate tribute whlich has been paid to thme memo y of thme lamented deceased by his friend and He whose sudden and untimely death we itow mourn, wvas also my friend. Years ago, wheu thte first dawn of manhood w'as upon his cheeks, I knew him. I had seen htm at Vera Cruz, sharing with I is nmen the privations, thec dangers, and the triumphs of that famous smege. Whether marching through the scorching sands ,c a tropical shore, or traversing the frosty mountain passes, he ever exbibited the serene, cheerful, and determined iaring of the soldier and gentleman. In sunshine and in rain, by day and by night, when pinched by hunger and thirst, as well as when surrounded with plenty, he well performed his duty. He was an officer of thNt gallant Palmetto regiment,. which, on a ba'ght day in March, formed its line of one thousand men on the beach at Vera Cruz;- an which, when, six months afterwards, its flag soiled by the smoke of battle, was planted on T'he gates of Mexico, could muster but three hundred men fit for duty. Its brave and ac plished commander, Col. Pierce Butler, who 11 on the gory field of Churubusco, was the boa kinsman of the deceased. Its second fiel officer, Lieut. Col. Dickinson, having fallen i the same field, and its Major, Gladden, seTly wounded at the Belen Gate, the commn'd devolved on Capt. Dunovant, the brother-in'(aw of the deceased. On every battle field o*0 which the standard of that regiment fioated- though bathed in Carolina's best blood, it gas ever borne to vic ory. Such was my confSence in the officers and men of that reginaent that, had it ever been my lot to see that proud flag laid low upon the bloody field, I would:have looked to find beneath its tattered folds the corpse of the last survivor of that gallant b d. Five of the relatives of [_he late Capt. Pres ton S. Brooks fell in the laist battles of the val ley of Mexico. lie himseg had been compelled, by severe illness, to returi home, and did not rejoin his regiment until ader the capture of the inperial city. At the commencement 4 this Congress, after years of separation, T non met my former comrade on this floor, an& received daily evi dences of his gentle and lud manner towards his friends. His soul wasAte abode of integri tv and honor. His intercnrse with his fellow nen was distinguished fo simplicity, candor, and truth ; and all will adiit that lie has left, short as his career has bee'', upon our records repeated evidences of his ,talents and abilities. 31r. CAMPBF.,of Ohio,sgid: Mr. Speaker, the dispensation which.has depived a State of one of its members, makes this aeost solemn meeting of the House of Representives. Tbe circum stances surrounding this sand sudden decease of a fellow member, whe' i'n the prime of life and vigor of manhood, w justify the remark that " Ile who doeth all ings well" has agai repeated to us with emphdsis his warning, "In the midst of life ye are in'Peath." Preston S. Brooks was ected three tines a member of this House by le people of South Carolina. lie merited th confidence, because lie was the faithful adv of their political sentiients, and the jealox guardian of their rights, thuir interests, a4. their honor. 31y personal relations with Mir rooks here were of such a nature as to. en le nie to kiow and ap1rleiale his virtues. H was a man,111 Of kind heart amd the most tende ceptibilities. Iis ulleague (31. Keitt) ell said that his friedsxhip was of extra Iry tenacity. I these elements, which a mong the highest characteri.tics of true od, ever led him to actk wlrich'our3 .1ould-lecie.to. be wrong let us remeniber, that "to err is hu man, to forgive divii." D)uring his Congressional career, Mr. Brooks always connanded friends and admirers in so cial life. Ile stood by the bedside of his sick fellow-member from your State, Mr. Speaker, ministering to his wants through the weary hours of night. Again, lie was ready to peril his life in defence of a imember fron Ohio, whom lie regarded as in personal danger. InI cidents such as these within imy own knowl edge, the records of the War Department, showing that lie responded promptly to t-all of our comimon country, and the statements .just made by the gallant gentleman froim Mississippi, (.Mr. Quitiman.) as to his valor oi the battle field, are facts'which will vindicate the state ment that Preston S. Brooks was both generous and brave. I will only add, 3Mr. Speaker, that for these reasons, and cherishing a sympathy for thme family and friends thus terribly smfitteni, which I have no words to express, I support cordially the resolutions. Mr. C.Is;cIns, of North Carolina, said: Mfr. Speaker, comning as 1 (10 from thme saune section of country to which M~r. Brooks belonged, I hope the Hlouse will indulge mec for au few mu mnts. As his State and miine are contiguous, our districts were so near each other, aimd such wvas the intercourse between our constituemits. that lie was well known aiid highly honored among thaose whom I represent. Of the imii dents of his life, both political anid military, the gentlemen wvho preceded nie have so appro priately spoken that nothing is left for mie to My personal acquaintance with him began with the commencemenit of his service ii thus Haunse; and the fact that we represented ad joining States and those who were united by many ties, both in the past and the present, together with great similarity in our political feelinys and views, at once made us intinate friends. Even now, while I attemplt to speak, so many recollections crowd on me of imcidenmts that were interesting and tom~chmixg in our per sonal intercourse, thiat it is difficult for me to avoid the expression of feelings that unight seemI out of place here. The presence of deathm, ah~vays painful, is doubly appalling when it conies suddenly and falls ain one ini the vigor of manhood, with bright prospects before him. No one among us, si*, can look to the future with more confidence than le might well have done. With his ow~n mnmediate constituents his popularity was uin bounded. lie had, too, the confidence of his native State--a State eminently distinguished for the generosity with which she appreciates nerit in her sans. H~e had already likewise acquired distinction in the national councils. If to ensure success gin statesmanship it were in deed necesa'ry, as some have supposed, that one hould be an adept in the arts of deception and hypocrisy, then only would lhe have beenm uifitted for such a theatre ; for 'he wa pr'e enminetly frank, open, and nmanly. SoonerI than harbor a thought requiring concealment, he would have thrown it away, as somethiing unworthy to be retained. lie usually followed his impulses, because lie never doubted their innocence and propriety. W hile prompt to meet what lie regarded as an injury or an insult, lie was ever niore promupt to make ameinds for any uimitentionmal wrong to another. His generosity in this respect was tisurpassed. Ho carried it sometimes to the extent of jeoparding his own rights rather than fall short of all that wvas due to another. Pos sessed of the highest order of courage, lie re taned with it all the kindness and amiability of childhood. So endowed, it is not strange that le had a large circie of wvarm and ardenit personal friends. Favoi ite as he was of SouthI Carolina, the sudden termination of his career will produce a profound melancholy throughout her entire length and breadth. The ,truthful nmess and directniess of his character, not less than his intellectual qualities, have endeared him to thousands inaS State whose citizens are ditinguished for the ardor of their attachments and the generosity of their emotions. It will be without calling up sensatibns of the deepest sorrow. These painful and saddening occurrences are resting places in the struggles of life ; but all of us have duties, and some have hopes to carry the mind forward, and we should ever have present the idea that while life itself fade, the recollection of great and noble octs gives it even here upon earth a sort of immortality. Mr. SAVAGE, of Tennessee, said: Mr. Speaker, I do not approve of much talk at any time, yet I should not well represent my constituen cy or do justice to my own feelings, by remain ing wholly silent on this sad occasion. The mighty has fallen in the bright days of his glo ry; but it is not in accordance with my tenets to lament any man's deat4 because his life has been short. Few men live or die as they de sire. To live long is of but little importance to the true man; to die nobly is life's chief concern. History records but one Thernopylm; there ought to have been another,'and that one for Preston S. Brooks. Biave, patriotic, and unselfish, if he had been permitted to choose his own death, I feel confident he would have fallen in some great battle for the public weal. But that mighty Power which controls and governs all things, from an atom to the universe, has decided otherwise, and it is not my will nor habit to question the will or ways of Om nipotence. I was his friend; that I should speak as such is to be expected; but throughout this broad 'land the bosom of manhood will heave with sorrow and the eye of beauty be wet with tears for the departure of this gallant spirit. Yet all these things are powerless to bring him back again. Death heeds not the voice of friends, the weeping of nations, the shouts of battle, the trumpet's clangor, nor the cannon's roar. The question was then taken on the resolu' tions, and they were unanimously agreed to. And, on motion of Mr. Oan, of South Caro lina, a recess was taken for three-quarters of an hour. The House re-assembled at a quarter to two O'clock. -oon after which the Honi. Jamnies u chanan, President elect, entere4 the hall, and was conducted to a seat by the proper- officer. The Supreme Court of the United States was then announced, and shortly after the Commit tee of Arrangements appeared with the body. The Doorkeener next announced the Presi ient of the Un'ited States and the Heads of Departments, and, after a brief interval, the Senate of the United States entered, preceded by its officers. The Rev. Daniel Waldo then addressed the Vhrone of Grace in pi-ayer, and delivered an appropriate and impressive discourse from the words, "' o-dav shalt thou be with ic in Para ise."-Lukc, 23d chap., 43d vs. After prayer by the Rev. Stephen P. Hill, Chaplain to the Senate, the funeral cortege noved from the Hall of the House of Repre sentatives to the Congressional Cemetery, ac ording to the order of proceedings as publish d yesterday. At the conclusion of the funeral ceremonies the House returned to its chiamberand adjourned FUNERA OF MR. BROOKS. WASINxTON, Jan. 29.-The funeral of Mr. P. S. Brooks of South Carolina, took place to-day, and was attended by a large concourse of mieii hers of hoth houses of Coigress, the President, heads of Departiments, &e. The procession was ery imposing. The remains of the deceased neiencber were deposited in the Congressioiial Ceietery. At one o'clock, the Coinmmittee of Arrange nllenlts, pall bearers and mourners, atteiided at Brown's Hotel, and111 the corpse was remtoved, ill charge of the Cnuittee of arrangieie2ts, at tended by the Sergeaut-at-ans of the House, to the Hall of the hlumse of Re4-presenut atives, where ivine service was perfirimmed. The funeral then moved from the Hall of the Hlouse to the Congressional Cemetary, in the fol lowing order: The Chaplains of both Houses of Congress. Physicians who attended tie deceased. Mi. JTohn 3eQecin, Mr. T.A B.foeciek, Mir. Alex. DecWitt, 3Mr. W. H1. .Sneed, Mr. Johni Wheeler, 3Mr. .J. F. D)owdell, M~r. Daniel .Vae, .\r. Jr. W. D)enver, Mr. J. C. Allen, Mi. 11. A. Ednmundson, 31r. .J. Glancy J[ones, Mr. Alex. Hf. Stephlens, 3Mr. W. W. \'alk, Mr. A. K. Mlarshlall, Mlr. A. Rust, Mr. B. B. Thuriton, 3Mr. .J. Sceott Harriso~n. TIhe lainuilt and~ the~ friends of the deceased. The .Senaitors and Represenltatives from the State of South Coarolinma as Imournlers. The Sergeanlt-at-Armls of time House of Repre se ntamtives. The House of Representatives of thea United States, plroeeed~ by their Speaker anid Clerk. The other ollicers of the House of Riepresenta tives. The Sergeant-at-armas of thle Senate. The Senate, precededl by thleir P'rsidenit and Secretary. The other oficers of thec Senate. The Presidecnt of tile I.nited ~States. Cif Thg Headls of D epartumnts. CifJustice and Associate Justices of Supreme Co~nrt of United States and its ollicers. Tile Judiciary of thle District of Colnnbia. Th'ie Diplomatic Corps. Tle Comlptrollers, Auditors, an~d other Heads of Burecaus of the several Departments of Governmlent, with tlieir ohlicers. Oficers of thme Armly and Navy at the seat of Govermnent. Thie Mayer of W'asingtonl. The Boards of Aliermen and Commlon Council. Citizens and Strangers. MRETING AT CLINTON.. Cr.ms-rox, S. C. Jan. 20th 1857. At 3.4 o'clock to-day we received the mourn fuml intelligence of the death of thme Hion. P. S. Brooks, onie of Carolina's noblest Sons; and a belovea Representative of the 4th Conlgres bionl District, whoe died suddenly ant the city of Wahington on the 2ith inst., at 7 o'clock P. M. After a brief but brilliant career in Congress, le has been called from our midst by an all wvise Providence. And as a mark of respect to the memory of the lamented deceased, all business wvas mecas urably suspended and a meeting of the citizens of Cinton was caled. Th~os. Craig, Esq., was called to the chair, and Jas. A. Deenl, requested to act as Secresary. The meetinlg was called to order by the chlair man, with a few applropriate remarks, expres slg tile object of the meeting. A committee of live was appoinited to report a )reamble and Resolutions, expressive of the sentien~lts of those assembled, consisting of N. S. Harris Esqj., W. F. Metts, G. P. Cop~elan~d, J. McCravy and Maj. E. Bearden. Through thmeir chairmian tile committee after a short absence reported thme following preamble and Resolutions. Whereas it lhas pleased thle Alnighty God iln the dispensation of his Providence, to cut oil il the mnidst of his usefulness, one1 of Carolina's most gifted and most mioble sonis,, one whose 'toerngitlet and noble chivalrous bearing has endeared him to every citizen of the South ern States, and made him respected everywhere, and beloved by his constituents. Therefore be it Ist. Resolved, That in the deathof Preston S. Brooks, South Carolina has sustained an ir reparable loss, the fourth Congressional district deprived of a Representative of whom she was justly proud and a sincere friend and neighbor, whose kind and noble nature could only be ap preciated by those who knew him best. 2nd. Resolred, That we cannot find language to express the deep heart-rendering grief we feel in the loss of one we so much loved and ad mired. 3rd. Resolved, That while we meekly submit to the dispensatiqns of an all-wise Providence, we cannot but feel, and our hearts would say " would that any one had died but thee." 4th. Resolved, That we offer our condolence to the family of the deceased in their afflictions, and that a copy of these proceedings be sent to the family of the deceased. 6th. Resolved, That we wear the usual badge of mourning on the left arm for thirty days. 6th. Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be published in the papers of this Con gressional District, and in the Carolina Times. Mr. N. S. Harris, in presenting the report of the Committee, made an able and impressive speech. Thos. H. Pitts, Esq., followed Mr. Harris in a brief but beautiful address, which was well re ceived by the audience. TuoMAs Ca.u, Chairman. JAMEs A. Dun, Secretary. REQUIEX To the Memory of Hon. Preston S. Brooks of South Carolina. BY MART J. wINDLE. In all the pride of manhood's noblest prime, Untamed by sorrow, and untired by time, Life's pulses throbbing in his cager breast, Glad, active, vigorous -all are now at rest. Short was the course this noble spirit run How hard it is to say, " Thy will be done!" But shall we, murmuring against u= God, Question the justice of His chastening rod I Better die thus-before his holy trust, In human kindness, crumbled into dust; Before the withering touch of fearful change Made some familiar face look cold and strange, Or some dear heart, close-knitted to his own, By perishing, had left him sad and lone I Oh! many a kindly, generous deed he's done Which leaves no record underneath the sun; By holier light th' recording angel's reads The unseen tablet of those modest deeds: The balm his kindness mingled here below, To mitigate the cup of earthly woe; His timely help in hours of sorest need; His gentle lifting of the bruised reed; Th' indulgent hour of converse stol'n away From the scant leisure of a well spent day, For some poor struggling son of genius, bent Under the weight of heart-sick.discontentL ~ In the dark grave when men like these are crushed; But o'er our feelings sadder thoughts prevail We hear the orphan's sob, the widow's wail: In that dread hour when worldly hopes subside, -When throbs the latest pulse of wordly pride In that last hour the dying father sees Ills southern home, its flowers and waving trees, More sweetly pictured to his longing view In the dim past than were the vision true The verdant valley and the dark-brown hill The orange garden, and its tinkling rill, The winding path, the dwelling in the grove, The glance of welcome, and the kiss of love; And a fair form before his gazing sight s Glides like a noise!ess phantom of the night; And rosy inf.nt lips, which fondly press To snatch the willing yet delayed caress. Vain dream! No tender look to meet his gaze, No tone of fondlness heard in by-gone days, TIo soothe the terrors of hisi spirit's flight, And speak of mercy and of hope,to night ; No more those dull and rayles.s orbs may rest On those sweet vines that gem the S~uth's warm breast; They shall no more those sunset clouds behold, Phoating like bright transparent thrones of gold; Nor that loved form they niever more will see, Save in the visions of eternity. Alh, No! Th~ose scenes no more his sight shall bless Which fill his heart, and on his momory press. God's wvhite robed angels now around him stand, And waft his spir-it to " the Better Land." There shall the generous heart regamn its own; There the abusedl shall stand before God's Throne; There, when the tangled web is all explained Wrong suffer':ed. pain inilicted, truth disdained M1an's mnisrepresentations and false scorn Shall melt like mist before uprising morn, And holy truth standl forth serenely bright, In the rich flood of God's eternal light. W A$I11NGT"N, January 29, 1857 From the lti.,ing Sun. PNBMC MEETING A T NEWBERRY. A meeting was held on sale day in the Court House to give expression to the feelings of our district in the death of our representative the Hion. Patns-rox 5. Baoous. Upon motion of Col. Fair. Col. Moormnan was called to the chair and Mr. McLemnore appointed Secret any. Mr. C. H. Snber, then with a few appropriate prefatory remarks in which lhe touchinglyall uded to Col. IluooKs as our representative, and his friendh, introduced the following preamble and resolutions: The death of our immediate Representative in Congress has bueen announced to us; and we have met to claim our place as chief mourners over an event, which fillIs the whole South with sorrow We know thait no tribute to his memory can express the admiration of him which beats so strong in the hearts of all of us; and that no offering~s of honor can testify the grateful sense in whichm we hold his signal services ; but we es teem it a privilege to unite in a testimonial of the affe'ction we bore him, to recall the single ness of his virtues, and to mingle oursynmpathies with those, who likeonrselves have been bereaved by his loss. He needs no eulogy-wherever patriotism and chivalry are esteemed as virtues, his deeds will praise him. And his manly character, his gener ous imipulses, his frank and loyal nature, his no ble intellectual endowments-all animated by - high-heating spirit which knew no aspiration bui honor-will be made memorable to future gene rations, by that last crowning act of his life which has won haim a place in history. It is not among those whom lie ser-ed so faith fully, that there need be recounted the details o his public life and services. His career is a fa ,,m- inir strern the period when heAdeoted hi earliest manlaod to his country on the fields of Mexico, to his last gallant defence of'hia State, which has covered him with glory. But we may recall with pride the enthusiasm which the last memorable act excited and recognize in the calm admiration which it now awakens, an au gury it will long be cherished as a rich legaby by our Southern people. It is, perhaps, not ours to appropriate to our selves the glory of his short but brilliant career. The whole commonwealth will rise up to do him honor; and, with one voice, assign him a place among its illustrious dead. But we may indulge the remembrance, that the man,. whom all de light to honor, was our own Representative; we may dwell with increasing affection upon every act of his eminent public services; and we may join in the united testimony of the whole South, that he comes worthily back, to the last resting place of his fathers. All that is mortal of our lamented Brooks will soon rest in the bosom of the State he loved so well. It is left to us to discharge the melancholy du ty of expressing, however feebly, our respect for his memory, and the deep sense of our bereave ment in his loss. Be it therefore Resolved, That in the death of the Honorable Preston S. Brooks, the fourth Congressional Dis trict has lost a faithful public servant, the State one of the most illustrious of her citizens, and the South the most gallant of its defenders. Resolved, That we will cherish with pride the memory of his eminent services; and ipdulge as a fond recollection that he was our immediate Representative. Resolved, That we contemplate with melan. choly interest the manifestations of sorro~r in our sister States; and accept them as testimonials of their sympathy with us in our bereavement. Resolved, That we mourn with his family in the bitter affliction which has removed their stay and support; and with our Delegation in Congress over the heavy calamity which has be fallen the public service in the loss of their faith ful colleague. 'Resolved, That the Secretary of this meeting be instructed to send a copy of these Resolutions to the fanmily of our lamented Representative, and to our Delegation in Congress, and that a copy of our proceedings be published in the pa pers of our town. They were seconded by Gen. Garlington, who. paid a handsome tribute to the dead, testifying to his frank nature, his noble intellect and his chivalrous bearing. The resolutions were then put and unanimously adopted. On motion of Dr. Moon the meeting adjourned. JOHN C. McLEMORE, See'y. Immediately after the adjournment of the , above meeting, the citizens were re-assembled - by Mr. Suber in consequence of a letter received by him from br. M. LaBorde. The meetin wasi organized as before. The . letter stated t a dispatch received from General McQueen re quested the appointment of a.Committee this District to meet similai1Iappointid-C mittees from the other Districtasat?ji Ue . Thursday afternoon., The reqUest wJq mously ag d to,:and the folloun a - ~act~n4e? tonin . 'R t. nno on meeting adjourned. JOHN C. McLEMORE, See'y PUBLIC MEETING IN COLUMBIA. CoLUxnA, February 3, 1857. In pursuance of notice from his Honor the Mayor, a very large meeting'of the citizens of Columbia and of Richland DistriCt, was held at the City Hall, to-day. On motion, the Hon. E. J. Arthur, Mayor of the city, was called to the Chair, and Mr. Wnr. B. Johnston appointed Seeretary. The Chairman, in some feeling remarks, sta ted the objects of the meeting, paying a very ap. propite tribute to the late 'Hon P. S. Brooks. The Hon. W. F. DeSaussure (Ex. U. S. Sena tor) in introducing the annexed resolutions, pre faced them with a glowing and eloquent eulogy on the public services of our lamented young statesman. He offered the followingresolutions, which were unanimously adopted: Resolved, That the citizens of Columbia are penetrated with profound emotion at the sad ti dings of the death of their distinguished coun trymnan, the Hon. Preston S. Brooks. The State has lost a true citizen and a faithful' representa tive. The child of honorable impulse hadgrown to a nmanhood which was fast realizing the fond est hopes of his friends and his country. Full of patriotic ardor, he never stopped to calculate consequences ; and we all remember the gene rous zeal with which, in December, 1844, he lie sought and was eharnged by the Executive of the State with the duty of enforeing the behest of the General Asseumbly to expel the emissary sent by a foreign State to disturb our peace promptly froni our territory. His generous heart and amiable disposition won for him true friends, wbh' his public conduct has commanded the- es tee .. of Ins countrymen. Bowingr with profound sut' .iission to the inserutable dispensations of Pro :idence, the citizens of the Capital of the Swe ' claim the sad privilege of mingling their grief with that of his immediate constituentre a,.l casting the wreath of cypress and of laura! up n the bier of one so loved, so honored and so. mourned. Resolved, That a committee of seven he ap pointed to proceed to Washington, and in con cert with such committees of his countrymen as may be elsewhere appointed, receive his remains, and restore them to hiis native Carolina. Resolced, That we tender to the family of our lamented fellow-eitizen our heartfelt condolence at their deplorable loss. JTames 1). Tradewell, Esq., in seconding the resolutions, addressed the meeting, and delivered an eloquent tribute to the merits and worth of his school-mate, our late distinguished Represen. tative. Oni motion of'Dr. WV. Reynolds, the Chairman of this meeting was added to the Committee. On motion of W. B. Johnston, it was ordered that the proceedings of this meeting be published in the papers of Columbia, and that the papr in the Congrressional District of the late Hon.P S. Brooks be requested to copy. E. J. ARTHUR, Chairman. W. B. JOHsstoY, Secretary. The Chairman of the meeting, in pursuanee of the second resolution, has appointed the fol lowing gentlenien as the Committee to proceed to Washington: Col. B. T. Watts, Col. Win. S. Goodwyn, iz S. Keitt, Esq., Win. B. Johnston, Esqi., John aties, Esq., Dr. Win. Reynolds, and Win.K. Bachmnan Esq. SAD HusmoT.-The Troy Times tells a sad story of the destruction of a young, and lovely woman, by intemperance. A few fhonthasine, a young lady of one of the first families .of that city was married to a New York merchant, un der circumstances most auspicious for the happi ness of both. Lately she returned to her home. in Troy discarded by her husband on accoant of her mania for intoxicating drinks, and i*se weeks she died of brain fever, indu-e habits. The father of the foung1ld~asbe called upon, within three months, to momrn the9 F death of a wife and dauhte yinfoxicatiot and a son, once noble and wa e hie n ia. nature hma been perverted by te same canmse.