czcccr :: ^ c_ Hf\^jj/ • c I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. |! c< . « ^Jc. .'■' *sr. c c ^j: c cc <^ S^c<- ^l^^: cc ^f« ors, he adopted the preliminary measures for bring- ing his persuasions to a practical issue, and while oth- ers talked or wrote in their pleasant homes, he accep- ted the fatigues and perils of travel through an al- most unknown region. On this journey the constitu- tion which had begun to feel the pressure of exces- sive care and labor, gave way under exposure to se- vere trial. He sickened and died far from his home. Yet, it is grateful to know, not without ftiithful watch- ing and the best medical attendance. He died at the meridian hour of life ; but not without a long cata- logue of useful services reg-istered on the memories of his fellowmen. He died at the moment Avhen he may have felt the strongest wish to live; ])ut lie believed ill that God wdio doeth all things well, and in that Gospel which contains the revelation of immortalit}'. 26 He died when Ave may have most desired to keep him with us, that we might reward him for the past by new expressions of confidence in his integrity and reliance on his wisdom ; but we have learned nothing, if we have not yet been tanglit the lesson of submis- sion to that Will wdiich uses bereavement often as the channel of its richest blessings. The character of our friend needs no other deline- ation than it receives as we sketch his career. Ener- gy, integrity and disinterestedness were its prominent features. Before this audience, composed of his per- sonal friends and of those with whom he lived in the familiarity of neighborhood, it would be scarcely de- cent for me to adduce illustrations of the qualities of mind and lieart of which they were daily witnessing the exhiljition. This village, in every stroke of its industry and every mark of its prosperity, bears evi- dence of his fostering care. This community, by their unrestrained grief at the intelligence of his death and by the terms in which they have express- ed their sense of bereavement, have declared in what estimation he was held. This assembly, collected from distant places to pay the sad tribute of funereal hon- or to his name, betokens the impression he made on those with whom he practised no concealment and in whose justice he confided. Gov. Paine was not a man of professions. His words were not many, and they were never uttered to secure admiration or to forestall an impartial judg- ment. It is not strange therefore that he said little on the subject of religion. But such actions as speak 27 more loudly ilian words attest both the reality and the character of his faith. This edifice is a memori- al of the value he set on the institution of public wor- ship and an unsectarian administration of religious truth. On this point he was strenuous and consistent. The most emphatic disapproval of dogmatic exclu- siveness which he could have left, as Avell as the most decisive testimony to his faith in the great Christian truths, is given in the paper ])y which he makes a fi- nal disposition of his property. This remarkable document contains also unim- peachable proof of that disinterested concern for the good of others and that desire to see all classes of the people enjoying the means of knowledge, virtue and happiness, which, I think, gave to his character its largest claim on our fond remembrance. As a testa- mentary provision, I should not be surprised to learn that it is without a parallel. Brief but distinct in its language, it is as peculiar for the modesty as for the liberality which it evinces. Leaving all details to the friends in whom he reposes the utmost confidence, and avoiding any suggestion that might have the ef- fect of connecting his name with the uses to which his bequest may be put, he only requires of those whom he appoints as Trustees, that, after assisting such persons at they may think have any claim aris- ing from consanguinity, friendship, or obligation in- curred by him, they " use and appropriate whatever property he may die possessed of for the best good and welfare of his fello^vmen, — to assist in the im- provement of mankind ; recommending that they do it without sectarianism or bigotry, according to the 28 intention of that God whose will is found in the law of the Christian religion, in which," he adds, " I be- lieve and trust." What could be more characteristic, or more admirable ? The manuscript from which I have quoted bears a date somewhat distant from the present time. But, if evidence were needed that he retained the same feelings to the close of his life, it is furnished, to say nothing of other facts, by an incident which I am permitted to relate. A short time before his depart- ure for Texas, Mr. Paine was reminded by a friend that he liad never made an explicit declaration of his religious belief, and was requested to say what doctrinal tenets he had adopted. After a moment's hesitation, he took from his pocket a slip of paper bearing the stains of age and use^ which he gave to his friend and said, " There is my creed." It contain- ed the well known lines of Leigh Hunt ; which, fa- miliar as they may be, no one prol)ably will complain of my repeating in this connection. Al)ou Ben Adlieiii (may his tribe increase !) Awoke one night from a deep (h-eam of peace, And saw within tlie moonlii;ht in his room, INIakinji' it rieli and like a lily in bloom, An aniiel writing in al^ook of gold. Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold : And to tlie presence in the room he said, " AVhat writest thou'?" The vision raised its head, And, with a look made all of sweet accord. Answered " Tlie names of those who love the Lord." " And is mine one V" said Abou. '* Nay, not so," Beplied the angel. Al)on spoke more low, Bnt cheerly still ; and said, " I pray thee, then, A\'rite me as one that loves his fellowmen." The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night It came again, with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of (!od had blest, And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. »» 29 Grievous is the loss which falls on a community, in the death of one who aims to make his life an illus- tration of the sentiment conveyed in^ these lines. Such men there are ; though alas ! but few ; men who })elieve that they shall best please God by showing their love of their fellowmen. It might not be safe for all to take this as an abstract of Christian doctrine ; but, under the interpretation of sound and humble thought, we have the authority of an Apostlp for main- taining that it cannot greatly mislead any one, for 8t. John affirms that, ''• if we love one another, God dwelleth in us ;" and, under the most perverse miscon- struction, it will he better than many a nicely adjusted formulary of belief Deep and wide-spread must be the sorrow, when one Avho has '' looked not on his own things, but also on the things of others ' is taken from the sphere of his visible usefulness. Great will be the lamentation, as on this day ; but let it not Ijorrow the tone of com- plaint or despair. We are tempted to think that God is unmindful of our necessities, when those on whom we have depended are borne out of our si<2;ht. It is an unjust and sinful thought. The eye of faith dis- cerns the Divine goodness in the summer's heat which drinks up the rivulets and in the winter's cold which Innds them with icy fetters, as well as in the vernal or autumnal rains which cause them to rush down the mountain's side or flow joyfully through the jjlain. God never forgets us. Let the sorrowful wait on him in patient suffering, and he will hold up their hearts and guide their steps. 30 Heavy is the loss which society is called to bear, when the useful are taken away ; but in part will there be a compensation, if others are moved to copy their example. Nothing is more needed in this coun- tiy than disinterested devotion to the people's good. Active and forcible lives are the product of such in- stitutions and such opportunities as ours ; but what are activity and force if controlled by selfishness. Patriotism and philanthropy have become equivocal names. We want men of high principle and gener- ous purpose, who in the fear of God will labor to pro- mote the true welfare of their fellow-beings. Hon- ored and treasured in the grateful love of every heart be a life spent for the good of other. Its presence is a benediction, and its influence abides when its pres- ence is withdrawn. A gloom hangs over the village in the warm sum- mer's day. The sky is clear, and the air is healthful ; yet ever}' aspect of nature is sad, and the scene around us impresses us like a funereal monument. And such it is. Oiu' hearts cast their own shadows upon the landscape. We have come to lay the remains of him whom we loved in the grave. He died far away from us and from the spots that were dear to him ; but we could not leave his dust in that distant land. The hope, tenderly expressed in the first anguish of be- reavement, is realized: " That noble form, so proud, so calmly bold," Shall " make its last, sad resting-place amid The scenes he long had loved and cherished, Within the vine-clad State, o'er which he ycoh A Ruler." II' 31 Here will we lay his mortal frame, in the grave which he Avould have chosen, in front of the temple which he built to the glory of God, and in the midst of the proofs of what he had done for man. The associa- tions of this hour shall henceforth invest the spot. Business and travel shall own its sanctity, and time shall guard it with watchful reverence. w mw ii ' iiw i— aa i ug igt' EXTIUCT. FROM AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE STATE AGRICULTUEAL FAIR, Burlington, October lltli, 1853. Samuel W. Thayer, M.D. Dear Sir : — Yoiu' letter, containing a request to furnish for publication, tliat portion of my address, before the State Agricultural Society, in which allusion was made to the late Hon. Charles Paine, has been received. Circum- stances beyond my control have prevented my complying with it until now. Agreeable to your wishes, a few paragraphs have been added, the connection of which with those of the address is distinctly marked. Truly, Yours, &c. JOHN WHEELER, EXTRACT. Mr. President : It cannot but have occurred to you, and to most of the vast multitude before me, as we were borne here, almost on the wings of the wind, that he, by whom this has been accomplished, would not be with us. Some days since, a few of us, in a neighboring village, laid his remains in the grave, and having said " dust to dust, ashes to ashes," we left his body to pay back the common debt, which we all owe to nature. She 3 ^ . . ■ ■ a. 34 has nourished our bodies, laboratory. We give them back to her This day would have gladdened his heart. He looked forward to it with delight. He would have added every way to its interest, and its complete- ness. Although, it is said, all men are but various contri- butions to realize the idea of Man ; as all christians are but fragmentary parts of the glorious idea of a perfect one in Christ ; still this man was possessed of a form, which kings might env}", and which sculptors might copy ; an agility, which athletes might emu- late, an eye before whose fiery glance warriors might quail, but in whose sunny and gleesome light, an in- fant might smile. To these there was added an ener- gy of purpose, and a power of Avill, such as would give strength to the weakest ; a compass of mental vision, and a simplicity and integrity of aim, Avhich Avould give wisdom to a statesman, a frank, open, o'enerous manner, that however he milaces, and also the ])est products of our mountain streams. He could have told you Mr. Pres- ident of irrigation, for which you have offered a prize; of the way, and the success of it ; of fiields burdened ])y crops ; of barns overflowing with bounteous pro- ducts. And when in imagination, we had wandered 35 over the hills of Williamstowu and the vallies of Northfield, and seen not merely the fields and their productvS, but learned the predetermined purpose of the cultivator and his typical success, he could have taken us to a mountain top, and pointed out to us, as his work, a cord threading its way through vallies, over rivers, up mountain streams, through gorges, and anon shooting out upon the lake. He could have said the state is now Ijound togeth- er. Mountains, which separate people o^nd convert common friends to bitter enemies, have vanished. Henceforth we are one people. Now Vermont may plant one foot on the Atlantic shore, and gather of the commerce of the great East ; and the other at the falls of St. Anthony or St. Mary, and gather fron\ the rising empires of the greater West. But for him^ how few of us would have been here to-day. But for him, how few products. Mr. President, would you have to exhibit to-dav ! This rapid means of intercommunication 1 None of us have yet fully realized its effect in increasing our productive wealth, in extending our practical knowledge, in awakening and keeping alive our affec- tions ])y the exercise of a constant fellowship, and tlius keeping bright the golden chain of fraternal, and of patriotic intercourse. Blessings on the memory of him, by Avhom this has l)een made not merely pos- sible, but real to us all ! We can do better by imita- tating his untiring activity in the public service-; we can all [frotv better, ])y cherishing his conspionous virtues. ADDITIONAL REMARKS. Circumstances of the same miperative character, as those above alluded to, prevent my adding any thing more, than such crude thoughts, as arise in m}^ own mind. There is no time for the sifting examination of facts and principles, which ought to form both the warp and the woof of a valuable biographical sketch. Nor perhaps has the time yet arrived, when true and ample justice can be done to such a man as Gov. Paine. The feelings, excited and abraded by active strife in the practical detail of labors, wdiich touch up- on the personal and individual interests of a numer- ous community, do not permit a candid and discrimi- nating judgment to be formed, by the many who may have suffered, or the many who have differed in opin- ion, or the many who have looked on for the purpose of criticism, and w^ith something of the feeling, which that commonly engenders. Posterity may be more just than we are, either in giving, or withholding praise, and, in regard to such matters, I shall not at- tempt to antedate its decisions. Gov. Paine was slightly known to me, in early life, as an active, genial, vigorous youth, with greater in- clination for enterprising adventure than for study. He afterw^ard bore that character in his College course, and through subsequent life. He was a boon and genial companion, but he possessed uncommon power of self- control. When others seized the cup of pleasure, and sunk under the power of the draught, he but touch- ed his lips, and resolutely and successfully refused to yield to its temptations. Considering the position of i 37 his family, the habits of college, and of generous so- ciety, at the period of his youth and early manhood, no one can be other than surprised at the self-control, the integrity of purpose, and the freedom from vicious indulgence which characterized him. No company kept him from an engagement, no present gratifica- tion was allowed to trespass for a moment, on a pub- lic, or a private duty. On his return from College, as I have heard say, he showed no inclination for professional study, but ask- ed to enter upon the employments of practical life, both to lessen the labors of his f ither, and to advance his interests. This he was allowed to do, without much thought that he would do otherwise than soon grow weary of it, and call for a different mode of em- plopnent. "I Avas greatly surprised" his father said, "at the readiness Avith Avhich he took hold of labor, the energy Avitli which he followed it, and the capacity and completeness Avith Avhich he finished it. I found he coidd do as much and as Avell, as I could in my best days." Those of us, who live in Vermont, knoAV that such a parent could scarcely give higher praise. In connection Avith his father, and then Avith some others, he Avas among the first, Avho introduced the successful manufacture of Avoolen cloths on a large scale, in this state. His Avliole attention and mind Avas given to this for seA^eral years. He studied machine- ry, and introduced various valuable improvements in the Avorking of it, under his own eye. Although sel- dom inclined to original invention, and perhaps could not, in that respect be called an iuA^entive genius, he 38 saw, often at a Lclance, the necessity and the method of simplifymg what was hefore him. In this way, val- uable suggestions were constantly dropping from his lips. Herein he manifested that straightforward sim- plicity of purpose and aim, which was a personal char- act eristic of the man, and which is the principle ele- ment of greatness alike in public, and in private life. This employment led him, at an early day, to examine the relation of the goyernment of the nation, to the ]irogress of manufacture, and to the increase of pay for labor. He became an earnest advocate for the pro- tective policy, and, as his father had adopted the same A'iews, their opinions aided much in producing that unity of opinion, on that subject, which has so long characterized this State. He was two years Governor of the State. During that period, there were no questions of great moment agitated, or called into notice. His administration was marked by no extraordinary events, but there was a vigorous and constant watchfulness, which gave confi- dence to all, tliat nothing: would be left undone. A new system of keeping the accounts of the treasury, and a more stringent method of accounting for the pul)lic money was introduced in certain quarters, Avhich gave accuracy and power to the public administration. He also gave much and diligent attention to the su1)- ject of a system of education for the state. No at- tempt had been, at that time, made to organize a Board of supervision of common schools. He examined the subject carefuU}-, and wished to bind the existing parts of the system into a harmonious whole. He Avished, if possible, to infuse the culture of the highest institu- 39 tions, into the lower and more dependent. He "would have made the College, the Academy and the Com- mon schools part and parcel of one system, and con- nected them together by mutual relation, and thus given harmony and unity to the present disjointed scheme. He Avould have had the higher, the more accurate, and the more comprehensive knowledge of the college represented in the academy ; that of the academy in the central school of the larger towns, and that of the central in the small primary schools, in the surrounding districts. In this wav, he believed that the whole of the best culture of the state would be made most available for the benefit of each and every part of it. He Avas sad at finding that the ri- valry of existing institutions, on the one hand, and apathy, and indifterence, and ignorance on the other rendered it impossible to accomplish any thing. Al- ter attending one or two conventions for the purpose of devising, and if possible of perfecting a system for legislative action he thought nothing, but the attempt to diffuse information, could then be done. He judg- ed correctly as subsequent events have shown; Much more, however, was accomplished by statistical inqui- ry, and by examination of the best system of public education, than the public have been aware of The interest he took in the subject of education was deep, strong and effective. He Avas many years one of the most efficient members of the Corporation of the University of Vermont. He was always present, and re- mained to complete the business of the session. While connected with it, he was certainly one of the wisest, one of the most disinterested, and one of the most sagacious of its guardians. He generously subscribed 40 the sum of ten thousand dollars to complete a large subscription for the universit}'^, if it should be necessa- ry; and I knew it to have been his intention, in cer- tain contingencies, to have connected his name per- manently with that institution, as the founder of one or more of its professorships. " Vermont has nour- ished me in her bosom, he used to say, and I owe to her character and her institutions much, very much of what I am, and what I can be, and it is but due to such relations, that I should help to sustain her high- est institution of learning," It so happened, that soon after the organization of the Board of Directors of the A^ermont Central Rail- road when Gov. Paine was President, I was quite un- expectedly often placed in his society, and was early made acquainted with his purposes, and occasionally with his plans. The public relations he had sustained to the state, and the deep interest he took in its pros- perity, and the strong wish he had to remove the ob- stacles, which its inland character presented to the in- crease of its exchangeal^le wealth, seemed to him to form a call of duty, which he was not at liberty to re- fuse. He accepted of the position, which was urged upon him. The disinterestedness with which this was done, the patriotic feeling for Vermont in which it was grounded, the belief that the population of the state would be increased, and rendered more permor nent; that the institutions. of learning would be more widely useful, and that the influence and example of the state woidd be more appreciated and felt, and thus that the best interests of the community would be sub- served, these, as the moving ideas and active thoughts 41 of the man, certainly should command the regard, and the unfeigned respect of every worthy citizen. He soon met with miexpected rebuffs and dilficulties, and I personally know that he onty overcame them by such, and such-like considerations. Many, very many, of his original wishes and plans were thwarted by means and in ways, which he could not personally control. And, in some things, doubt- less the ardor of his feelings, and the quick and firm determination of his will placed matters in an immove- able position, which time and patience might have otherwise accommodated. His opinion of the loca- tion of the central portion of the road, was unequiv- ocally sustained by the best corps of engineers, which New England could then furnish. The decision is now a matter of historic record, on which they have staked their character, as professional men. His wish, his expectations, and his plans for the central point of communication, and of labor for the road were arranged in his mind for another place, than that where they were located, under circumstances personally disagreeable to himself It was his origi- nal purpose to have given to the capital of the State, and its immediate vicinity, all the advantages which it was possible for the head and central working of ' the road to give. Whatever causes may have pre- vented this, and changed the arrangements, they were of a character not so much to impugn Gov. Paine's disinterestedness, as to show his forecast respecting the necessary demands, which the business of the road would make for space and accommodation. I have already alluded to the conflicting opinions, Avhich have existed, and Avhicli still exist, as to many of the de- tails of that great work, in many of Avhich his longest and most valuable friends differed from him, but which it does not at all comport with my purpose to inquire into. These should not, however, draw us away from looking to him as the moving power in the great Avork, nor from a due appreciation of his surprising forecast, of his inflexible determination and of his unceasing ac- tivity, in accomplishing it. Circumstances do not chano-e the real, substantial character of men, but they often present the charac- ter in a single aspect, and give to that a prominence which mars the harmony, which trul}' belongs to it. It is only known to the public perhaps, by what they happened to see, at a given time, or during a single l)iisiness, and it is judged of accordingl}'. The under- laying principles, or the interior aftections, and moral feelings are quite hidden from the view. Few would have thought Gov. Paine, remarkable, as he certainly was, for parental reverence ; — that it was perhaps the strongest affection of his heart, and the one, which ex- ercised more controling influence in the formation of most of his habits, than any other. One, who had been acquainted with his flither, could see, in a moment how this and that trait had been called forth and strengthened, and filled with might, l^y filial reverence sustained l)y frequent rememljrance and meditation upon the lioman virtues of that just Judge. Indeed A^ermont herself is far more indebted, than the present ^^[cneration are aware of, for the integrity, the energy, the open honesty, and the general truthfulness of the 43 business habits of her people, to the long continued and eminent example of that man, and such as he, primus inter pares in these particulars, than perhaps to any other external cause. The Gov. was passionately attached to the memory, and he strove to imitate the habits, and to exhibit the character of his father. His domestic affections, being shut out from ordinary family relations, clustered about his parents, and he delighted to dwell upon the truth loving integrity of the one, and the rich, genial, humerous, and spicy character of the other. Although formed for the stern vigor of battling enterprize, he loved domestic quiet ; he rejoiced in the amenities, the tender charities, and in the genial sympathies of the household hearth ; and never did the blood flush his face quicker, or his words become stronger, than when respect, and rightful regard, and faithful pro- tection was not awarded to the wife, and mistress of a house. He attached little importance to forms, and modes, and professions of any kind. " What will you do ?" " what will you be ?" Avere his questions ; not what will you promise or profess. This connection of being and doing in his mind nuide him averse to religious professions, and at the same time tolerant of a pro- foimd and thoughtftd religious life, even of the sterner kind. But then it must be a true life, sustaining it- self, not by its forms, but by its deep and thoughtful meditation, or it did not gain his respect. Although a different opinion has existed, in some places, still it was true, that he respected and loved no religious 44 teaching, but that which was direct, searching to the heart, and demanding unequivocally a life of faith in the Kedeemer. He was cut down in the midst of his projected schemes of usefulness. They were always extending and enlarging. Still his ideal life was remarkably com- bined with the plans and purposes of physical activity. No imaginary prospect was too comprehensive for his mental grasp, no physical obstacles could restrain his ardent determmation to accomplish what to him appear- ed practicable. He threw himself into the work with a disinterested earnestness, and an absolute integrity, that gave promise of success, where many would fail; of final success even amid present failures, and dis- couragement. Such men are needed for the progress of a state. Such are needed to open to the public mind a true view of its interests, and to prepare the way for carrying them on to a successful issue, and when they are removed from us, lights and leaders are taken away. NM«* REMARKS BY HON. HEMAN CAHPENTEPv, At a meeting of the citizens of Nortlifield, upon receiving intelligence of the death of Ex. Gov. Paine. Fellow Citizens : We have assembled on this solemn and mournful occasion, to express our emotions and mingle our sor- rows, on account of the sad intelligence received of the death of our fellow citizen, Ex. Gov. Paine, who died at Waco, Texas, on the sixth ultimo. Since the first intelligence was received of the illness of our deceased friend, fearful anxiety has been depicted up- on every countenance. But yesterday, the news of his convalescence reached us, and hopes were enter- tained of his recover}^, and again minglmg in soci- ety ', to-day all is gloom and disappointment. Death ! the grim messenger, has come near unto us and removed him towards whom we have enter- tained the highest respect, and to whom we are in- debted, under Providence, for the growth and prosper- ity of all around us. Under his fostering care and guidance, our town has grown up to an eminence which few in the state excel. The loss of such a man is an iiTeparable one to us, to the state, and, I may say, to the whole countr}'. 48 ii Pardon me, my friends, if I briefly refer you to some of the prominent acts in the life of Gov. Paine, which bespeak for him more praise than can any lan- guage to which I can give utterance. After graduating at Harvard University, he came to Northfield to take charge of his father's factory. He became a manuflicturer from necessity, and con- tinued the business mitil the burning of his ftictoryin March, 1848, a period of almost twenty -five years. This business gave an impetus to the growth and pros- perity of our town, for which we cannot be too thank- ful. By his influence and energy, the charter of the Vermont Central Railroad was obtained, and to him arc we indebted for the accomplishment of this stu- pendous work. There is Ms momiment ! and when we are dead and forgotten, then fresh in the memory of the future will be his name, and as long as the iron horse shall traverse our State, w^ill his name be re- membered and cherished b}^ the honest and hardy sons of the Green Mountain State. He gave an impetus to the construction of other rail roads. The Vermont and Canada Railroad, the Champlain and St. Lawrence Rail road, and the Ogdensburgh Rail road, are largel}' indebted to Gov. Paine for their construction. By the l3uilding of these roads a thoroughfare has been opened between the great commercial city of New England and the far west, and the metropolis of the Canadas. There is one inci- 49 commercial city of New England and the far west, and the metropolis of the Canadas. There is one inci- dent in the history of the latter road, which may not be generally known to this community, yet as it illus- trates one of the prominent traits in Gov. Paine's character, I cannot forbear to mention it here. By a condition in the charter of that road, unless a certain amount of stock was subscribed by a given day it became forfeited. The friends of that enter- prise, with all their efforts, up to the last point of time, had failed of securing the requisite amount of stock, hj one hundred thovsand dollars. Gov. Paine put his name to the stock subscription, and subscribed the requisite amount to save the charter, and which ulti- mately secured the construction of the road. A greater portion of this stock was subsequently prov- ided for by the company; but for his subscription, the charter would have became forfeited and the building of the road would have been lost. It was a bold stroke, and a hazardous experiment, but he knew no fear. In all his relations in life, he never shrunk from responsibility, nor shunned the closest scrutiny. He was a man fruitful in expedients. When denied a charter for the construction of a bridge at Rouses Point, by the Legislature of Vermont, he and his friend Campbell devised the plan for the construction of a boat at that point, which ansAvers all the pur- pose ^ of a bridge. Gov. Paine's last Railroad project, was the explora- 50 tion of a Soiitliern route for the great Pacific Rail- road. A mighty project ! but he had mind, and judg- ment adequate to the undertaking. It was while ex- ploring the country in Texas for this route that he contracted the disease common to the climate ; and his feeble constitution, weakened and reduced by gi-eat efforts here among us, was not sufficient to with- stand it. He was an ardent friend of education. He con- tributed liberally towards endowing the University of Vermont, and we are indeljted to his liberal contribu- tions for the erection of the Northfield Academy buil- ding; and the success of our flourishing^ school. He gave full evidence, while living, of his regard for religion and the preaching of the Gospel. In 1836 he built this church and has given the use of it since for the sustaining of preaching in this village. The beautiful yard in front is an ornament to our vil- lagre, and excites the admiration of strang-ers. It was decorated with the choicest flowers by his o^\ii hands, and is to become his final resting place. He was no sectarian, 3^et many a poor servant of our Lord and Master has been made glad with the good things of this life, from his benevolent hands. Fellow citizens, there are tAvo prominent features in the character of our deceased friend, the mention of Avhich well befits this occasion. I allude to his punctu- ality and his scrupulous regard for truth and justice, his business relations every thing was reduced to a perfect system. Punctual to meet all his engagements, 51 at all times, and under all circumstances, whatever he promised was sure to be performed. Cautious and confiding, he never censured rashly nor betraj^ed his trust. Strongly attached to his friends ; towards those who opposed him, he was fearless, bold and uncom- promising. One secret of his great success, and of the unbounded confidence he had attained, lies, in his high sense of honor, and his scrupulous regard for jmike and truth. He was an impregnable rock, to his assail- ants, and a strong tower to his friends. To us, fellow citizens, his loss is irreparable. No man among us can fill his place. No one can do for the community in which he lived, so much for its prosperity and happiness. He lived to do good, andl to benefit mankind. The State of Vermont may well be proud of such a man. He has left upon her soil unmistakeable evi- dence of his greatness and usefulness. The numbers here assembled on so short a notice, the deep grief de- ,; picted upon every countenance, bespeak no ordinary occurrence. Our common friend and benefactor is re- moved from amonjx us. '» To me, this dispensation of Providerrco is over- whelming. Language fails to express the deep emo- tions that thrill through every nerve. He was my friend when I needed a friend. For seventeen years I enjoyed his intimate and uninterrupted acquaintance and confidence. I see him now, as I last saw him, when a few friends took him by the hand, and bade him good bye, with tears in their eyes, as he left the 52 station here in the cars for his journey south. The words of one of those friends, as the train left, have made an impression upon my mind that time will nev- er efface. " That car carries more men from Northfield than it will ever bring back," was the fearful behef of us all when he left, and sadly true it has proved in- deed. It carried the hving man, it can only bring back his earthly remains. It carried him in whom human nature can stand up before all the world and say, '■^He was a man r REMARKS HON. E. P. WALTON, JR., At a meeting of the citizens of Nortbfield, upon receiving intelligence of the death of Ex. Gov. Paine. Yesterday, shortly after receiving the intelligence which has fallen with crushing -weight upon you all, I learned that the friends and neighbors of the late Gov. Paine would meet to-day to express, in an hum- ble manner, the respect for his memory and the sor- row for his loss, which they are debarred, by his death in a far distant state, from expressing in the accustom- ed mode ; and it was kindly added, that as a personal friend for many years of 3'our friend, it would be pro- per for me to join with you. I cannot doubt that the claims of friendship, no less than the injunction of holy writ, enjoin me on this occasion, to " weep with those that weep ;" nor that the confidence which has often been reposed in me by Gov. Paine, in matters of the highest importance to himself, to the great en- terprize in which he has been long and ardently en- gaged, and to the public, requires of me a tribute to his memory. I need not speak to you of your loss or your sor- row — for you feel that there is no loss like your loss, and no sorrow like your sorrow. fMK- immifimsmMita , 54 I need not speak to you of the personal character of Gov. Paine — of his integrity, and his strict regard for what he conceived to he just and honorable and fit, in all his relations, public and private ; nor of his reputation as a man of business — prompt, energetic, enterprizing in the highest degree, and never Appalled by any accidents however untoAvard, or any difficul- ties however formidable ; nor of his relations to you as a townsman — as pre-eminently, the source of 3'our prosperity, the leader in every object for 3^our advance- ment, and the most ready and bountiful contributor to all your social, educational and religious institu- tions. He was Ijorn in your immediate neighborhood ; he has spent his life among you ; and though it has added a keener pang to your grief that death has stricken him down, far away from kindred and friends and neio;hbors--with no accustomed hand to smooth his dying l)ed— no accustomed voice to soothe his dy- inof hours — no familiar friend to receive his last re- quests, and no familiar faces to meet the final beam- ing of the eye, and he to him " the last of earth," — it is yet a consolation to remember, that here is a multi- tude of friends Avho Avill ever do justice to his charac- ter, cherish his reputation, and remember with grat- itude the services and sacrifices of an active, useful and eventful life. I need not speak to you of his character as a pulj- lic man — as Chief Magistrate for the brief term which the late custom of our republican State has required, or as a participant, out of official stations, in public affairs ; for that character is known to the people, and mm 55 his reputation has long been established as one among our most prominent and promising public men ; a reputation seldom achieved, as he achieved it, at an early age, and without aspiring to the graces of orato- ry on the one hand, or on the other resorting to the artifices of the demagogue. I will only say on this point, what my familiar acquaintance with his politic- al character and course requires me to say, that as a politician he was remarkably patriotic, pure, high- minded and honoraljle — that his policy ever embrac- ed, as cardinal pomts, the reputation of the State, the prosperity of all its institutions, and the welfare of the people — and that he delighted to honor sound principles, true wisdom, and personal integrity, where- I ever he found them — whether in his party or out of it — whether among the old or the 3'oung — and unhes- itatingly availed himself of k\\ the advantages which a free and liljcral intercourse with men of such char- acteristics could give him. The 3'oungest man I think in the Gubernatorial office in the State, I am sure there was never any man who more highly esteemed the cluims of age and wisdom, and experience, or was more ready to distinguish and encourage whoever among the young gave hopeful ^jromise of an honor- able and successful public career. What, then, shall I say to j^ou, who have known him ; to you ^vho have been the witnesses of his life ; to you who have esteemed him beyond all other men ; to you who feel that you have lost more than a father or a friend — lost both — lost all ? I can only say, it is fit now for you to weep. Grief is the necessary burden of tins day and of many days to you; but when the m i 56 I fountain of your tears shall fail — ^wlien you shall become weary and worn because of your great grief, then it will be fit for you to rejoice, that one has lived so briefly, yet so well, and so honorably, so unremit- tingly, and so successfully labored in important servi- ces for his neighborhood, his State and his country — that you feel his death an irreparable loss and a pub- lic calamity. Weep now. It is good to weep. My connection, in an official capacity, with Gov. Paine, and my relations to him personally, from the commencement of the great public work on which he had staked his highest hopes, and to which I now feel he sacrificed his life, I am aware will seem to justify you in expecting that something will be said to-day on that topic. The occasion is eminently a proper one to do justice to his services and character in that respect, and you well know that I would gladly con- tribute my mite towards this ; but I too well under- stand that no just verdict of public opinion can now be taken. Eminently successful as that work has al- ready been, in the point which I hesitate not to say was altogether the chief one in the estimation of Gov. Paine — ^I mean in facilitating intercourse, and thus developing the resources and adding to the Avealth and power, and influence of the people throughout the vast territory which feels the influence of all the railroads that have grown out of the establishment of the Vermont Central, and which were embraced in the calculations of its founders — I say, although in this respect the work has been eminently successful, and is worth the immense sum it has cost, it is never- theless true, that in another and less important parti- 57 cular, the work is regarded as being eminently disas- trous, and the responsibility naturally is, and must be for a time, cast upon him who was the acknowledged chief of the undertaking. How far that responsibi- lity justly attaches to him, is a question which re- mains to be decided ; and however favorable my opin- ion may be to his future fame, and however confident my expectations, I know that an expression of the opinions and expectations of any friend of Gov. Paine, in advance of a full and true history of his admmis- tration, would avail nothing in the settlement of that question. I can say but little, therefore, upon this subject, and that must be limited to a simple testimo- nial to his character and purposes, which, from inti- mate connection and free intercourse with him from the beginning, I feel to be entirely just and fully due to him on this occasion. His ambition in that great undertaking was of a character which the world justly esteems to be noble ; he auned to win for himself an honorable public name by rendering a great public service. However much of direct personal advantage he naturally and and properly may have expected from it, I am sure that his chief purpose was to win an honorable name. In the brightest days he looked joyfully to this re- ward; and in the darkest, when every other hope seemed to fail, this remained to solace him. It was on one of these darkest days, and at a time when courage, hope and health were all fiiling, that he said to me in his familiar mode of conveivation ; " Well, Walton, what- ever may become of the corporation, thc}^ cannot rob us of the road ! It is done — it will be run. — and the h. m 58 people will at any rate reap the blessings which we designed. Oh ! if it were not for that, I really be- lieve I should die." This honorable ambition absorbed him, and he look- ed to the result as certain, l)ecause he never had a douljt that the developed resources of the state, and the opening of the avenues of communication through the whole of the Northern section of the Union, would render the enterprize in every sense successful. So no sacrifice seemed to him too large, no cost too great, I no haste too urgent, if so be it appeared essential ei- ther to a speedy completion of the undertaking, or to secure for it important advantages, present or ultimate within his reach, I say ultimate advantages, for Gov. Paine was a man of large views, and his eye was oftener cast far ahead upon some great eminence, through toils' and perils to be achieved, than upon the quiet landscape at his feet. He was more apt to dis- cern great things, and design great works, than to mark out the thousand little details, which all, however humble each in itself ma}^ be, are essential to the per- fection and beauty of the whole structure. Of the ul- timate success of this enterprise he had no doubt ; and Avhen present difficulties and pressing demands seemed appalling to those who had not estimated future re- sults, he flattered himself that the end would in the judgmentof all, be for him a perfect justification. As- sociates, some of them, equally sanguine with himself^ and influenced perhaps, by his high hopes, were not the best advisers for him under these circumstances ; and doubtless from this source, as from other sources for which Gov. Paine was far less responsible, if respon- sib'l'e at all, grew errors of judgment. Himself placing the highest estimate upon the enterprise as a public work, deserving the support of the public ; himself confident of his success — so confident that he more than once staked his fortune upon it, by his personal obligations and by using for it all his a^'ailable means, he perhaps too strongly trusted that there were enough of other men, with equally enlarged views and larger means, who would Ijc as confident and as liberal as himself. Himself a man of integrity he too much con- fided in the integrity of others. There was too, the rivalry of competing lines, and the dif]ftculty of com- flicting interests, both local and at large — all tending to exasj)erate the feelings and bias the judgment of those concerned ; and to all this must be subjoined the great fact that the finances of the Company a\ ere administered in Boston by various heads, while the work of construction only was submitted to the im- mediate inspection of the President. It is not won- derful then, if G ov. Paine committed errors ; he ^^ould have been more than mortal if he had not. It is not wonderful if he is for the present held responsible for flir more than are justly chargealde to him. Time will bring a just verdict. But this testimony I freely bear on this solemn occasion, and I feel that you, at least, the townsmen of Gov. Paine, will not doubt my sincerity : in all his course I know of no stain upon his honor ; and in all his course I know of no act which I have reason to suppose was intentionally wrong ; in all his course, I know of no instance in Avliich I have reason to doubt that he was persuaded that his action was entirely consistent with the great interests com- mitted to liis trust, and with his own iDcrsonal reputa- II » 60 tion ; and as the result of his unwearied efforts in this enterprise, I trust the day will come, for which he longed, but which in the Providence of God he can never see — when his name will be honorably record- ed in the history of his state and country, as a public man above reproach, and a great public benefactor. — ^— — — i— — — i^— ^ 61 VERMONT CENTRAL RAILROAD CO. ^ In Director's Meeting Aug. 25th, 1853. | " Resolved, That this Board has with deep sorrow received intel- ligence of the death of the Hon. Charles Paine, late President of this Company, and in consideration of his indefatigable and important seniees in originating and sustaining the corporation, and of his honorable char- acter as its chief officer, we deem the event, a suitable one for the official action of the Boai-d. " Resolved, That in token of our individual respect and regard, and the high estimation in which we hold the character and memory of the deceased, we will in a body attend his funeral obsecjuies. " Resolved, That the President be empowered and requested to furnish free passes to the relatives, and friends of the deceased, for the pur 'pose of attending his funeral at Northfield on the 1st instant. A true Copy from the Record, E. P. WALTON, Jr., Clerk. >« G2 \ The " Committee of Arrangment" acknowledge the receipt of letters trom tlic following gentlemen, tendering their sympathies to the relatives and fiiends of Hon. Charles Paine, and regretting imperative that duties- mxist occasion their non attendance at his funeral obsequies. His Excellexcy ERASTUS FAIRBANKS, R. BRUCE, Esq., Secretary, to the Gov. General of Canada. PLINY II. WHITE, Esq., HUGH H. HENRY, Esq., JAMES M. FERRIES, Esq., JOHN L. BUCK, Esq., JAMES BARRETT, Esq., Ex-Gov. H. HUBBARD. Samuel W. Thayer, Jr., "] John Gregory, Moses Rorinson, \ ^ TT n /- CommiUee. Heman Carpenter, | Perley Belknap, I Elijah Smith, J . COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. SAMUEL W. THAYER, Jr., JOHN GREGORY, MOSES ROBINSON. IIEMAN CARPENTER, PERLEY BELKNAP, ELIJAH SMITH, NoRTHFiELD, Dec. 16, 1353, t. "'^11. .-: <^-Ci., LcrC'.cc' ^ d c. cc C C c.co C . S V d c.'. C d- Cc c -^C d ccc< c c c C.<--C C^c r^: <^ «r- ■> V^- ^ d< <'' <^_ J