E340 .P3U5 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS II III III III HI I I III! l|M DD0D5Da243E # ^^ V . * . . I ' • ^ '^ . r ... * A ^o. ADDRESSES ON »rHB DEATH OF HON. JAMES A. PEARGE. UEMVERED IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 1863. WASHINGTON: OOVKRNMKNT I'RINTINO OFFICE. 1 f* I! :', . : m ADDRESSES ox THE DEATH OF HON. JAMES A. PEARCE, DELIVEKLD IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRBSENTATIVES, ox TUESDAY, JANUARV 13, 1.'63 WASHINGTON": G V E n S .•« K N T r U I N T I N G K F I C F. . 18G3. y his ancient Alma Mater, the college of Princeton. His (pudifications fi)r high judicial station were so well esteemed that he was ottered, at one time, a seat on the bench of the United States district court for the State ol" ]\[arvland. He was afierwards, iluriniif the same presidential term ol" ^[r. Fillmore, nominated and con- lirmt'd bv the Senate as Secretary t)f the Literior, which distinguished mark oi" a})preciation he also declined, pre- ferriiig to remain in the Senate, where his sphere of usefulness was more extended, and more in consonance with his tastes and studies. As a friend of science and the promotion of knowledge, he was appointed a regent of the Smithsonian Institute shortly after its establish- ment, which post he held to the day of his death. For seventeen years of his service in the Senate he was at the head of the Joint Committee on the Library of Con- gress, and, by his scholarly tastes and discriminating judgment, has contributed much to its present enlarged condition of usefulness. ilr. Peaece was a man of varied tastes and acquire- ments, combining in a greater degree, perhaps, than ahnost any public man of his times, the learning of the statesman and jurist witli that of the accomplished scholar. He was fond of paintings and music ; was gifted with a fine voice, with vvhich at times he chaniied the social circle, as he always did by the finished style of his conversation. He was much given to the pursuits of agriculture, and took a deep interest in all that per- tained to its scientific advancement. He cultivated with great success fruits and flowers. Indeed, so general was his information, so cultivated was his intellect, and so thoroughly national and broad were his political views, that his reputation was not long confined to the limits of his State, but attracted such consideration among the galaxy of distinguished men who grew up with the whig party, that upon more than one occasion his name was pubhcly canvassed in connexion with the presidency of the United States. In politics ]Mr. Pearce had always been a leading and prominent member of the i) m •m OBITUARY ADDRESSES. wliig party, aiid advocated its doctrines till it ceased to exist, in 1852. From that period to his death he co-operated with the democratic party, consistently maintaining to the last those high principles by which he thought the Constitution could only be enforced, and through it a free representative government of equal States preserved. It was during the excited scenes of 1850, when the territorial rpiestion had aroused a fearful sectional spirit, when Clay and Webster stood hand in hand to resist the storm and avert the perils that threatened our common country, that Mr. Pearce made, perhaps, the most signal effort of his senatorial career, in carrying an amendment to the memorable compromise measures which changed the oriijinal bill, after a most excited debate, and against the most vehement opposition of Mr. Clay, who reported them. Generally averse to speaking, he suffered himself at times to rest under the imputation of an unwillingness to meet responsibility; when at others he would throw himself into the arena and encounter the boldest and ablest leaders of the times. He was no orator in the popular sense; his sphere was among men of intellect; his Ibrce was in convrncini)[ the minds of the cultivated and intelligent, rather than by fervid declamation to sway or excite the multitude. He never sought to sub- vert the judgment of the people by inllaming their passions. ]Mr. President, it is no slight evidence of high merit \\\u'\\ a comparatively young man could carry a measure against the dictation and power of such a parly Itnidcr m — -(Q) as Henry Clay, or acquire a national reputation at a period when giant intellects were struggling for party ascendancy; when Clay and Webster, Calhoun and Benton, and other great lights, swayed the measures and policy of the country; yet, sir, he achieved tliat triumph; and while he was always regarded wdth just pride by his State, there were many occasions in the stormy times of the old whig contlicts when public sentiment acknowledged the enlightened conservatism of his statesmanship. He comprehended fully the com- plex character of our government, and in the support of measures he looked only to high principles. His aim was to develop the great interests of his country; to elevate it to the highest summit of a just and duraljle glory. Whatever errors of opinion may have been ascribed to Inm by persons of different political senti- ments, the most earnest of his opponents have never found occasion to breathe a suspicion against his in- tegrity. He had the most scrupulous regard lor truth ; and his social and frank nature, his fine manners and great conversational powers made him an attractive and instructive companion, wdiile no man was more sincere and true in his friendships. As a senator, he illustrated and adorned the high posi- tion so often conferred upon him by his State; he was dignified and courteous; his elevated moral sense was universally acknowledged ; and the records of our ])arlia- mentary history will transmit his name in conspicuous association with the long hst of leading men who im- pressed their views upon the policy of the country, and will preserve to posterity many enduring memorials of his enlightened service and exalted patriotism. Mr. President, in concluding this imperfect and hasty sketch of our late associate, it will be gratifying to his friends to know that no clouds overhung his future, but that his pathway to the grave was brightened l)y the hopes of a blissful immortality; and in placing upon record the assurance of the complete and comprehensive religious behef he died in, I am permitted to say that his mind was so set upon the safety of his soul that it allowed no contending thoughts l)eyond those which the unhappy condition of the country could not fail to bring before one so tmly devoted to its best interests, and so truly distressed at the perils Mhich surround it. He often expressed the only regret he had in death was that he could not exhibit to the associates of his public life the new^ light which he deemed not merely of vital importance to every man, but of inestimable value to every walk in life — not less to the statesman than to the minister of the Gospel. "And to add greater hon- ors to his age than man could give, he died fearing God." Thus, Mr. President, lived and died a virtuous states- man and a Christian gentleman. Mr. President, I offer the iollowing resolutions: Uc.wlvcd, That the Senate of the Unittd States has received w.iili the deepest sensibility tlie announcement of the death of Hon. .Ia.mf,s Alfuei) Pkauce. llvsolccd, That as an additional mark nf respect to the mcmoi y iif the deceased, the members and ollicers of the Senate will wear the usual badjxe of iiKiuining for thirly days. IS a i Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect for tlic memory of the deceased, the Senate do now adjourn. Onlercd, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives. Address of Mr. Bayard, of Delaware. Mr. President : Perhaps it might be questioned whether the custom of announcing formally the death of those senators who die during the recess of Con- gress, or while absent from Washington, is altogether advisable aud free from objections: but while it exists, no man's memory is better entitled to its just tribute than that of the deceased senator from Maryland. ]My acquaintance with Mr. Pearce before I became a member of this body was so slight, and our intercourse had been so casual and transient, that, though an admirer of his public course, even while we were members of opposing parties, I did not fully estimate the extent of his capacity and his value to his country. In this body, for now nearly twelve years, I have had better opportunities for observation, and my admiration and confidence have grown with my knowledge of the man. or an integrity beyond even a suspicion, he was eminently a statesman, and a conservative statesman. Highly educated, devoted to his country and his duties, he l)rought to the consideration of public affairs an en- larged intellect, acute discrimination, and jn'ofound knowledge, and, what is tar more rare, a sound judg- ment, unbiased by prejudice or passion. 83 — In debate on any subject which he discussed, he was hstened to with attention, and commanded that confi- dence and weight in our dehberations to which he was so justly entitled. Always clear and logical in his argu- ment, his appeals were to our reason, not to our passions or pr(>judices. Though, perhaps, not a brilliant debater, his calm clearness, his moderation of language, and thorough knowledge of the subject under discussion, made him a formidable opponent, and gave him a weiirht and inlhience in the conduct of public affairs seldom exceeded. His love of country and high sense of duty were be- yond cpiestion. The courtesy of a gentleman also char- acterized his intercourse with his fellow senators in this hall, and in social hfe I can recall no instance in which he uttered language wounding or irritating to the feelings of those whom he opposed in debate. In social intercourse his intelligence, varied knowledge, and ame- nity made him an agreeable and instructive companion. Such is my estimate of our departed colleague. His loss to his State and his country may not at first, amidst the daily occurrence of exciting events, be fully realized, but will be felt in the future, and his State Mill find it difficult to replace him by an equal. To his family and friends tliat loss is irreparable: but leaves the melauclioly consolation, that when so able, so good, and so upright a man dies, the loss is not to him. but to thos(.' who survive. I have always fancied there was niiu'li of truth in the savinjj of the ancients, ''Oj^ oi ^so: 'i>:/.vj OBITUARY ADDRESSES. sive when it is remembered — as all who knew him know — that he never, throughout his long career, ever look pains to concihate the support of any one. He despised the usual arts of electioneering, and when his own election was the subject of consideration he was austere and reserved, even to his friends, to a dei^rree V. liich sometimes provoked complaint. I venture to athrm that at no period, directly or indirectly, did he ever speak one word, or do any act, with a view to pro- pitiate any voter to his support ; and from a long per- sonal acquaintance with his character, I can say that his delicate sense of propriety would not have permitted him to accept othce, except in obedience to the unsought requisition of his fellow-citizens that his time and tal- ents should be devoted to the public service. The records of Congress for the last twenty-seven years are replete with the evidences of the wisdom and value of his labors. I shall not attempt to recount them in detail : they are well known and deservedly appre- ciated by the country. These records, I will, however, say, do show that he was a wise, prudent, and patriotic statesman ; that in no single instance did he forget his own dignity, his duty to the whole country, and his de- votion 1() his own State and people; that he never was a partisan wrangler — the factious opponent of those irom whom he diilered, the blind su]){)orler of those with whom he in general agrecil, or the apologist of vice or ollicial delinquency. These records do show that he had carefully studied the Constitution, and made it, under all (Mrcumslanrrs, IIk' rule of his action; lh;i1 h(^ h;i[ illustrate this point. IB- When Mr. Pearce entered Congress, tlie people were divided solely upon questions of internal ad ministration — the expediency of a protective tarifl', a sub-treasury, and the distribution of tlie proceeds of the sales of tlie pub- lic lands. The great northwest had scarcely entered upon its amazing career ; the Salune bounded us on the south- west ; the Oregon boundary and the northeastern were unsettled; our immense Indian possessions were unor- ganized, and neither the nation nor foreign powers had realized the extent of our resources, the reach of our capabilities, or the magic and marvellous influence we were destined to exert upon the worhl. During his term of service many perplexing foreign diiferences were adjusted, and American diplomacy made for itself an honorable place, in the persons of AVebster and Marcy and Seward ; the State of Texas was annexed, the Mexican war fought, an empire added to our domain, and our golden sister from ihe Pacific welcomed by the nation ; seven other States were encircled by the Union* which stretched from ocean to ocean; the whole of our territorial possessions was covered by organizations upon the principles of which, after long controversy, the Con- gress were unanimously agreed ; the tariff policy was variously modified, and a uniform land })olicy adopted ; the Pacific railroad was inaugurated, and the slavery con- troversy of 1850 was compromised, and then so sadly reopened in 1854 by the enactment of the Kansas-Ne- braska law, with all the gloomy catalogue of wrongs and evils of which it was the prolific mother. At the close of his career he found this vast empire torn by internal dissensions, the American Union shattered, its power • 40 OBITUARY ADDRESSES. weakened, its mission eclipsed, its beauty obscured, its institutions threatened, and its life in danger. To all of us this great grief has come with crushing weight. Our deceased friend felt it with peculiar acuteness; for had he not helped to consolidate this empire, enlarge the Union, increase its power, ennoble its mission, refine its beauty, protect its institutions, and guard its life! As Rachel wept for her children, he would not be com- forted. The troubles of the country preyed upon him, and his days were shortened. Few of us have had so varied experience. Upon all questions he has a clear and open record. Upon that it is not for me to pass. It is, however, proper to say that I believe Mr. Pearce met the great responsibiUties of his position with a purity of purpose rarely if ever ex- ceeded in our history. In his personal character Mr. Pearce was singularly admirable. He was a well educated, highly cultivated gentleman. A statesman, he was a patron of the fine arts. As chairman for twenty years of the Joint Com- mittee on the Library of Congress, lie gave that valuable institution a guardianship as faithful and carefid as it was enlightened ; and as a regent of the Smithsonian Institu- tion from its date of orij^anization, and a meml)er of its executive couiiniUcc, he nobly idenlilied himself with that great educating and civilizing agent whicli will make the name of Smithson enduring as one of the benefactors of mankind. Mr. Pearce was all liis lif(^ a student, un- obtrusive in demeanor, but of strong convictions and decided opinions, which he always had the manliness to avow in the presence of friend or ibe. lie was a gentle- ^ . ©— — — — »—-=—— l\ IIOX. JAMES A. PEARCE. 41 man of the most delicate sensibility, tis all realized who observed his bearing during the pendency of his last re- election to the Senate. He was a laborious, fliithfid, and useful man, whose counsels, fidelity, and information will be missed in the committee room, the Senate chamber, and the halls of science. Mr. Speaker, called to serve with him in two fields of habor, and thrown somewhat intimately with him, my conceptions of his character — formed after years of observation — were confirmed; and I never ceased to admire him for the thoroughness with which he performed every duty, the high motives which controlled his con- duct, and the clearness he brought to the consideration of subjects of common mterest. On many points we differed ; but I believe it will be many years before there will be found in the American Congress a purer, more enlightened, and useful member than the late James Alfred Pearce, of Maryland. Address of Mr. May, of Maryland. Mr. Speaker: I have only been apprised since I came into this hall that these sad ceremonies of respect to our distinguished colleague were appointed for to-day. I wish, sir, to offer my tribute to his memory. He honored me with his friendship for many years, and in the last months of his life freely imparted to me his views upon the vital questions which now, unhappily, divide our country. I am authorized to speak lor him here upon those questions; and I wish, if the unpre- meditated thoughts and feelings suggested by the occa- ■s ■■ 42 OBITUARY ADDRESSES. sion, or awakened by the touching and el.xjuent tributes of the distinguished gentlemen who have preceded me, may go in place of more studied eulogy, to oiler them just as they spring from my heart. I desire to speak of the respect in which he was held by those who, in the divisions of political sentiment, as represented in party organization, having opposed him throughout the greater portion of his life, at length discovering that he was a i)ublic man who followed "principles and not men," hontjred him with the highest testimony of their confidence, and committed to him the representa- tion of the sovereignty of their State. For the Demo- cratic party of the State of Maryland, I here speak, and also for those of all parties who believed with him that the Constitution of this land was made for war as well as iov peace; nay, sir, who believe that its strongest and most priceless sanctions were designed as bulwarks aijainst the tendencies of arbitrary power supported l)y military authority, and have a higher i)l)li- gation in war (ban in peace. For those in our State who, while acknowledging all the delegated powers of th(! federal government, yet retain an erpial reverence and respect for the reserved rights of the States, I also bear testimony of their respect lor his distinguished public lite — a life which illustrated, in a long public ser- vice, all those virtues which can adorn a high and pure- minded reiMiblican rt^prcsentative. For all these classes of our fellow-citizens, I wisli to pay the tribute of their respect ibr his character jind public services, and to express their i)rofound sorrow for his (h?ath. Mr. Speaker, when the storms of jiassion had jirostrated ii ■ g ; ^ _-- . =-« .'ql HON. JAMES A. PEARCE. 43 the assembled representatives in botli halls of this Capi- tol, our senator stood, amid the few, firm and erect. Broken in health, liis vital powers almost exhausted, he yet marchetl up with the remnant of his life to the side of the bleeding Constitution of his country, and gave his latest eil'orts to sustain it. He did all that a pubUc man could do here to support the paramount autliority of the Constitution, and to oppose and defy the exertions of arbitrary power. I remember witJi infinite pleasure, and repeat it here with delight, that one of the last efforts of his public service was a noble speech vindi- cating his fellow-citizens of Maryland against the crimi- nal and cruel oppressions under which they were then suffering. I remember how his heart, the seat of his fatal disease, pulsating with a noble enthusiasm and sympathy for them, and beating too warmly, denied him the utterance of speech, and compelled him to retire from the Senate and seek the qaiet of his chamber; and well do I remember another most gratifying instance of his spirit of liberty. It was my duty, as a representative of the State of Maryland, to take counsel of his experi- ence in one of the rooms of the Capitol, touching an atro- cious and unparalleled outrage on the judiciary of our State, by dragging from the bench an honored, eminent, and faithful magistrate, scattering his blood upon the ermine, and well-nigh taking his life by the hands of armed ruffians; and I can never forget the glow of indig- nation that kindled his eye and swelled his breast at the recital of the facts. The excitement was too strong for his enfeebled frame, and lie sunk under the exhaustion of his own noble enthusiasm. If he could do no more U- m- 44 OBITUARY ADDRESSES. to vindicate the authority of the Constitution of his country than he did accompHsh, it was because he was denied the power to do it by the prostration of liis vital functions and the unheeding passions that prevailed. The worthless tenement of flesli could not support the struggles of its undying guest. Sir, he felt that it was his duty to prevent and redress, and not invite or pro- voke, the further aggressions of a reckless tyranny. He so stated his views to me. Mr. Speaker, let no advocate of unlicensed power dare claim an approbation of his views because this eminent senator did not wrestle more conspicuously with arbi- trary power in the halls of Congress; nor let any com- l^laining victim of tyranny question the integrity or tlie noble devotion of his services in their behalf; nor yet must any self-applauding martyr of Uberty attempt to gain a passing notoriety at the expense of the fame of this departed statesman of Maryland ; but let these, and all of us, draw from the contemplation of his life on this solemn occasion, instruction that may be salutary. Let us learn from the moderation and lidelity of his character, 1o admire in our public stations, and seek those duties which look to conciliation, compromise, and concord. Let no wrongs suffered, no resentment fixed in our breasts, move us from the discharge of these sacred duties; but let us try, through the common suffering that allUets the land, to walk out from the dominion of pas- sion, puriiied, regenerated, and disenthralled. I trust, Mr S[)eaker. that, speaking from my heart, as I ought to sp(Mk on ;iii occasion like this, I trespass not aiifainst the limits which ouirht to l)e observed in dis- &■ Bj- HON. JAMES A. PEARCE. 45 cussing the virtues of" an eminent statesman. I must speak now, sir, as I feel. While commending to [)ublic praise and respect the memory and services of this dis- tinguished man, I must be allowed to describe him as one who. liaving sworn to sup])()rt the Constitution of his country, to the latest moment of his life, and through every trial, kept the faith of that obligation to his Maker and his fellow-citizens. He rests now near the banks of the Chesapeake. The flowers which the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky described so beautifully as surrounding his grave, are symbols not only of his taste, but also of his immortality. And may we not trust, too, that the blossoms and fruits which opened and adorned his Hfe here, will also be more gloriously unfolded and ripened in a higher and brighter sphere. Mr. Speaker, while we deplore the loss of such public characters in this time of our national afl^lictions, may we not inquire why, in tlie inscrutable decrees of Providence, those gifted, experienced, and good men, whose lives were consecrated to the public service and to the welfare of their fellow-men, are removed from us I We cannot presume to penetrate tlie mysteries of divine wisdom. We must accept those providential lessons as teaching us that the cup of our adversity is not yet full; that the chastening rod is not yet to be broken, and as also solemnly admonishing us that passion is perhaps yet longer to have its sway. But are we not authorized to call upon those ascended statesmen who, like him, have passed from earth — all those great and good men who devoted their lives and talents to establish and maintain the principles embodied in our Constitution, which not . .^^■ :*;^ 1.0 V. "o, '''''^•' ^0' _ "^^'"oTo'^^^ '- O . *^/'^'\**' ",'-^\/ 'o^ '-. '^oV^ .*. >.x^^' ^:pv - .^^-v. ,-^" ..i^.:>L% "^ w'* V ^ ill >v °^ O t. J ' Ip •?• . ■ 1 ,^q. "^-i- *' o-n.